Post #6

          This week’s article “Complexity, Chaos, and Nonlinear Dynamics: A New Perspective on Career Development Theory” was very interesting and applied to my own life in many ways. According to the article, people often “believe that others make career decisions based on logical links of past experiences and that others expect this logic of them as well, but that is not what most people experience” (Bloch, 2005, p. 198). I completely agree with this statement.  I do not feel as if I logically chose my career and my decision was not in the least bit “linear” in nature.  As I have stated in my previous blogs, I started college as a biology major with a pre-optometry option.  My plan was to attend Millersville University for 3 years and to then attend the Pennsylvania School of Optometry in Philadelphia for 4 years.  Obviously my plan did not work out in the least bit, and I consider myself to have a very “non-linear” path in my career exploration. Although I eventually entered the career path in psychology that I was happy with and knew was the right decision, there were many obstacles I had to overcome along the way.

            The case study of Marion was very interesting to me. Marion very much enjoyed her job as a counselor and over the years she was promoted to higher positions within the agency she worked for.  It was interesting to note that as Marion was promoted to higher leadership positions, she started getting further and further away from the type of work she enjoyed. She no longer had as much contact with clients, which was the part of her job that she found most rewarding.  This case study got me thinking about goals and ideas that many people have for their careers. Many people start their careers with a “career ladder” in mind. People often start their careers at an entry level position with hopes of moving their way up to higher paying jobs with more opportunities as well as responsibilities. This makes me wonder how often people lose sight of why the entered their profession in the first place once they are hired to more prestigious positions. Do they end up like Marion and feel as if they are no longer doing what they enjoy? Do they find themselves unsatisfied with the path their career has taken? These are important points for career counselors and clients to explore together.

Reference

Bloch, D.P. (2005). Complexity, chaos, and nonlinear dynamics: A new perspective on career development theory. The Career Development Quarterly, 53(3), 194-207.