Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18: TRENDS AND ISSUES: LOOKING AHEAD

I wonder how much the world of work will change in our culture over the next few years. When reading Brown’s (2012) projection that alternative work patterns such as telecommuting and job sharing will continue to emerge, I feel hopeful – hopeful for our culture overall. I often think we spend too much time working, even an unhealthy amount of time. I wonder if these alternative patterns offer some opportunity for more balance. Brown (2012) makes reference to women career needs differing from men by virtue of sheer biology. I wonder if careers that allow for job sharing and telecommuting are more appealing to some women.

Regarding career counselors, I hope that the field becomes specialized. I’ve talked a good in these blogs about the similarities between career counseling and mental health counseling. The fact remains that I chuckled to myself when Brown (2012) wrote that most counselors receive only one career development course during their training. Yep. I’m in mine right now. I do not feel competent to provide career counseling anymore than I would hypnotizing someone after taking just one course. I don’t think I would hurt anyone. But it definitely would not be an optimal situation.

Questions –

1.     Free online info versus commercially produced materials – hmmm.

·      It makes sense to me that the government will continue providing on-line resources. It makes sense to me that print materials will decline. My daughter’s school doesn’t send home print materials anymore. The send online newsletters and email blasts.

·      Perhaps commercially produced materials will be promoted more by headhunters and recruiters versus career counselors.

2.     Virtual Interviews –

·      I hope not. I think technology is improving – Facetime seems better to me that Skype. I really value non-verbal communication. I think that can be a huge factor in an interview. Something seems missing in virtual interviews.

·      On the flip side, if one is engaged in a global interview process, it might be a useful tool in initial interview. Then both the company and the interviewee can ascertain if a second in-person interview is indicated.

3.     Approach to career counseling –

·      Given what Brown (2012) wrote about the direction of theory research, I think more time will be invested in the counseling process. Especially given the current climate of the job market that might require a complete transformation of skills. Clients may increasingly report personal or emotional issues connected to career. These issues will need resolved for future job and personal wellbeing.

4.     Career development programs –

·      Brown’s (2012) comment about career development taking a back seat to overall changes in education seems reasonable to me. I think it would be a positive thing for our society for career development programs to increase and be available on all levels. However, people do not seem to be in the mood to spend any money, and it seems to me that would be required.

Reference:

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 13

Blog 13

The charts in chapter 17 are what shocked me the most. The table on page 364 which outlined jobs that are declining due to technology (2012) was disconcerting to me for one important reason: my own inconvenience. There is nothing more frustrating than walking into the post office and having no idea which line to stand in or how exactly to stamp an envelope (this is not sarcastic—I really stress out about stuff like this) and, on top of that confusion, having only a machine there to tell you what to do. I crave that human interaction to ease my mind and assure me that my package will arrive in New Hampshire in x number of days, and a machine cannot give that to me. Other jobs, like door-to-door sales and telemarketers, are annoying the way they are, but I feel like getting an email inbox and phone voicemail filled with details about cool vacuum cleaners and enhancement pills will be so much more annoying than a person coming to your door and showing you how cool the vacuum cleaner really is. I mean, I suppose in general I feel like technology is beneficial to our society (as I take a break from typing on my computer to check my iPhone), but as far as replacing service- and salespeople, I am not a fan.

                In our group in class, we discussed the reasons behind some of the growth in chart 17.2 (2012). It was very interesting that Home health aides and Home care aides were on the rise so steeply, but that makes sense because of the aging baby boomer population. It will be interesting to see how those numbers decline in future decades when that generation has, well, died off. The 111.9% increase of supervisors was also extremely interesting yet unexpected; especially when there is a projected decline in general managers. This one was tough to figure out, but from experience in retail and food service industry jobs that, at least where I worked, the turnover rate for supervisors was quite large. I also feel like some companies hire supervisors to act as Jack/Jill-of-all-trades so that fewer employees beneath them need to be hired (which would entail wasting money on training and salary). I am wondering if this could factor into the growing number of job openings for that position. Either way, these two tables really opened my eyes to the way the economy is being affected in areas I wouldn't normally have assumed were important.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 11

11/27/12

            Chapter eleven was very informative and interesting for me to read. It was interesting because a lot of what was expressed in this chapter is similar to what our group (higher education) has discussed in our research findings and literature review. I thought that the lists on pages 240 and 241 about “Counselors’ Perceptions of Most and Least Important Information Needed by Job Seekers” and “College Recruiters’ Rankings of the Most Important Considerations in the Employment Interview” had some especially interesting and relevant information. The three sample resumes were interesting to look through; as someone else noted, my personal resume didn’t match any of the samples exactly, but reading through the suggested information to include was very helpful. When combined with the information we received at tonight’s career development workshop, I’ve actually accumulated a fair amount of new information and tips that I didn’t have before; I’m actually probably going to tweak my own resume now as a result of reading this chapter and listening to tonight’s presentation.

When I first graduated from college, I knew that I should dress professionally, have a copy of my resume with me, and be sure to emphasize my credentials/experience…but that’s it. I didn’t take time to really establish career goals or anything, and I was definitely lacking in knowledge of what to expect and how to best market myself to potential employers.

            Since I’d stayed in college an extra semester longer than planned (and I had recently gotten married, so money was tighter), the idea was to simply get a job. I knew I couldn’t be too picky because, let’s face it, there’s not a whole lot you can do in the field with just a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, but I knew I didn’t want to get a job just for the sake of having a job. Luckily for me, I got hired within a month of graduation, but I know many, many other people who graduated with me who didn’t find anything for a while, or at all, in the field of Psychology.  

            I think that all of the information presented in this chapter was extremely beneficial and practical. I really appreciate reading chapters like this one because, like I said, it gives even “experienced” interview-goers like myself new information and tips to take away from it, but it’s also just really good to see that all this information is out there. I never had access to this sort of information when I graduated from high school (or college, really), and I really could have benefited from it I think.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 11

     In Chapter 11, Facilitating the Global Search, Brown (2012) discussed the importance of job placement services.  Job placement services offer guidance and support to individuals that are in need of a job.  Brown (2012) stated that many colleges, universities and public institutions offer these services to the public.  What I found the most interesting was outplacement services. I had never heard of this term before and am now curious to see the movie Up in the Air to get a better understanding of this service.  In the text, Brown (2012) suggested that businesses hire outplacement firms to assist the people that they have to lay off with future job planning.  My thought was…how could a business afford to pay for these outplacement services when they just had to lay off a number of people due to financial struggles?  Do these funds come from the government or does this money come for the business that is struggling financially?  According to Brown (2012), corporations pay millions of dollars to outplacement services to assist these people with new careers.  I think this is a great idea, but how is this financially feasible for the employer?

     In the text, Brown (2012) discussed that outplacement service are a $4 billion industry…$4 billion.  It also appeared that these services were geared toward salaried employees.  Brown (2012) stated that these services could be offered to hourly workers but is more likely to be offered to salaried employees.  It seems as if this service is catered to individuals who have more education or have a higher paid position in their company.  It does not seem to include the front line workers or lower paid individuals that may suffer the most from the loss of a job.  I wonder if these services are only offered in larger more profitable companies that can afford outplacement.  Brown (2012) stated that the cost of outplacement per person could cost anywhere from $1,472-7,518.  The cost of this service is outrageous to me.

     After reading Chapter 16, I wonder what the outcomes are for using outplacement services.   Little was discussed in the text about the evaluation of this program for individuals, (success rates of finding another job, skill enhancement, etc.) This section has sparked my interest and I am curious about how many jobs were found due to the implementation of this service.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development. (10th edition). New York: Pearson, Inc.

Blog #12

Chapter 11 did a great job of explaining items to consider when applying for a job. I specifically liked the section regarding employability skills and how to develop them.  The interview process section was useful in illustrating the things employers look for when in an interview with a potential employee. I found it surprising that in the table of most important considerations in the employment interview, extracurricular activities were ranked 20^th (Brown, 2012).  All throughout my life I was informed that the more extracurricular activities I had, the better I’d look to employers.  So I did as much as possible in high school. Then when my first interview arose, it wasn’t even discussed or acknowledged. I didn’t see the point then and I don’t see it now. I would assume that the only reason it “looks good on a resume is that it shows you are involved and committed to activities.

             I was also surprised that overall appearance was only ranked 11^th. I thought that would be at least in the top 5. Perhaps the reason for this ranking order is due to the fact that the study was done in 1988. I would like to see a more recent collection of data and compare them to this one. I think overall appearance would rank higher than 11^th and other categories that employers look for would be shifted and possibly negated all together.

            Chapter 16 made an excellent point when discussing the evaluation of career counseling programs. The text said that every institution should evaluate their programs, processes, and outcomes to ensure that they are effective (Brown, 2012).  This is especially important because if the program is failing, why should money be wasted on it? Evaluation of a program allows the individuals involved to see the areas in which improvements can be made and what areas are already strong. Instead of flushing money down the proverbial toilet, investments of that money can be made into a program that has shown to be more effective because they were evaluated.

             I liked how the chapter included different evaluation designs when assessing a school’s program. It makes sense that not every program or school would benefit from say a quantitative model. Rather, a mixed model would incorporate a cornucopia of evaluations and give a better overall picture with which to work.  It may also provide information about the program that would otherwise be excluded if only a single model was employed (Brown, 2012).

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Chapter 11 - Facilitating the Global Job Search

I guess I didn't quite understand what chapters to combine and what chapter gets its own blog post so here's chapter 11.

I found this chapter, in particular, to remind me of the overall grad school application process. Brown (2012) discusses the three steps usually done in the search for a job, and I can clearly remember going through the same steps, to some extent. During my senior year at my undergraduate university, I had one professor for a course make it mandatory that we go through a mock interview before visiting a graduate school that invited us for an interview. The whole situation was highly realistic as my professor had us come to her office instead of the classroom, knock on the door, and act as if she was a possible faculty member we had the intention of working with at the school. The experience was extraordinarily helpful in preparing me for graduate school interviews as my professor and I then went over my strengths and weaknesses during the mock interview session. Although most of my interviews were conducted in the same office environment, just having the opportunity to practice was helpful. This was evident when one of my graduate school interviews took place while walking on a beach with no shoes on because we were that close to the water and concluded with a talk I gave in front of about 300 people at a conference while my potential advisor sat in the front row.

The topics covered in the beginning of the chapter regarding the job search to creating a resume were topics that I was familiar with but the information provided about job placement services was something a bit unfamiliar to me. Throughout my education up until this point, placement services were not something that was thoroughly provided at the schools I attended. The only experience that even comes close is a work study job bank that was provided by my undergraduate school. I luckily found a job in an entomology lab at a nearby science museum in which the description of the job stated they were looking for students majoring in the sciences including psychology. Somehow I was able to attain the position even though I had no experience with the responsibilities except for a bug collection I made in high school for an AP biology course.

Although I only had experiences similar to career placement services, the skills I have learned are able to be applied to interviews for potential jobs. Providing these services to individuals actually preparing to enter the job market whether a high school or college graduate or an individual who has lost their previous job allows for the opportunity to lessen anxiety and gain confidence in the job search.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development. (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 11 and Chapter 16

The material discussed in Chapter 11 was particularly relevant to me this week as I'm currently trying to assist my mom in her recent career transition after she was laid off a few weeks ago from her manufacturing position at Tyco Electronics in Harrisburg. After working for the company for 20 years in various fiberoptic manufacturing positions, this is the only work my mom knows. She does not have a functional resume, so we're currently working on creating that from piles of various evaluations and trainings she's completed over the years. She did have one day of HR readjustment training before she left, which details the support she may receive from such programs as the Federal Trade Assistance Act and other educational programs. Her unemployment benefits are tied to the effort she makes in her job search, as she'll have to report on the jobs she applies to biweekly every time she files. She has the opportunity for educational benefits, which I'm trying to encourage her to take advantage of, but after being out of school for over 30 years and never attending college, she is lacking confidence in her academic skills. After reviewing all of her HR information and discussing her options this weekend, I think we were both feeling overwhelmed. The information presented in the "Executing the Job Search" section in the text provided a sound structure for the process that my mom is planning to embark on. Although we're planning to create a resume, I had never really considered taking a personal inventory of skills as the initial step in analysis. It will be important for her to identify her strengths and areas for improvement as she creates her resume and identifies jobs or academic programs that might best suit her talents. This self-inventory will also be helpful as she plans ahead for interviewing, as this analysis will likely be the focus of a number of interview questions. Brown reminds us that mock interviews are especially useful and this is something I definitely plan on suggesting to my mom as she's only participated in one or two formal interviews throughout her career (Brown, 2012). I was not that familiar with the job placement services available in the York, PA, area, but her company did recommend an office of vocational assistance, so she is planning to begin there and utilize other resources as needed. The description of job descriptions in the text was somewhat vague, so I hope that the office she was recommended to provides some helpful resources. The information discussed in Chapter 16 brought up memories of work conducted in my former position at the University of Delaware, as one of my many projects was to administer a recruitment and retention survey to all of the new teachers (5 years of experience or less) in the state to determine their reasons for staying in or leaving the profession. The survey was initiated because the situation in Delaware mirrored national research indicating that 50% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years. Although I admit that I initially dreaded the thought of administering the survey, analyzing the data with SPSS software, and following the other steps of descriptive design experiments as outlined in the text, I found myself being proud of and even enjoying the labor-intensive process as it was occurring. The most important result from the study was that we secured funding for professional development programs for new teachers that my center then designed and delivered. We would never have secured State Department of Education resources for our programs without the strong evidence of data identified in our survey research. I also participated in several qualitative studies during my time there, and definitely enjoyed this work more, as conducting interviews allows you to have more of a personal connection with your subjects. We used an interesting software package that permitted us to divide our data into quotes and other pieces of information by theme which then allowed us to organize our report by our major findings. Again, we were able to secure funding for certain programs because of identified needs, which is a major advantage of using formal evaluation methods. Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Post 11 - Chapter 11, 16, & 17

CHAPTER 11: FACILITATING GLOBAL JOB SEARCH

Brown (2012) writes about different job skills required in the global job search. Career counselors must think globally now perhaps more than ever before. Internet skills and resume posting seems incorporated in the current school curriculum. Cultural competency is not. Incorporating cultural competency and global citizenship must be added at al levels of education.

Brown (2012) also writes about work as a validation of self-worth, and not working as lowering self-esteem. Counselors must attend to emotional states of clients to improve job search and interviewing skills. Implementing cognitive strategies can increase efficacy. It is interesting to think about the idea of group counseling. Brown (2012) writes that people in the same boat can provide the best support. I see this play out frequently in substance abuse groups. Often members of the group will be searching for a job. They utilize other members of the group fro support, resources, and networking. Those providing information feel helpful and useful. Those requesting information feel accepted and valued. This may work very well for specialized subgroups of clients with unique issues.

CHAPTER 16: PROGRAM EVALUATION

Brown (2012) revisits the ASCA National Model and writes that it emphasizes results reports and accountability. It is important to assess whether to retain a program and know where it needs strengthening. Brown (2012) writes that experimental designs are difficult in applied settings. Even descriptive designs, such as surveys, can be a challenge. The clinic where I work administers surveys for patient satisfaction and to assess global function at periodic intervals. The population the clinic serves can be very transient. Gathering information on a consistent basis is difficult. A practical challenge in program evaluation is who will do it. Sometimes administrative staff does not have adequate training and clinical staff does not have adequate time. I notice that we often want information, but do not want to invest what it really takes to gain quality information.

(Amanda – I like your blog post idea about our workshop J)

CHAPTER 17: TRENDS IN THE LABOR MARKET

As I read this chapter, I thought, “ The only thing that is constant is change”. I think that people often think about human as becoming more rigid as we age. I wonder if that is true or a stereotype? “Can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. I think you can’t teach an unwilling dog new tricks. Our world requires much flexibility to maintain wellness. Additionally, with the increase in service jobs, people will require certain social skills to be satisfied in those jobs and perform well.

As I was reading this chapter, I kept thinking about electronic health records and how this technology will impact psychology and counseling. How will our ethics change to keep pace with the times, if at all? Transparency in care and team coordination have better benefits to patients for improved health across SES. That is encouraging and exciting. Sometimes I wonder if keeping counseling and psychology so separate from overall healthcare promotes stigma and an attitude that some things are best not discussed. I wonder if we bar other medical practitioners from our insights. This could easily be the case for career counseling. It is not uncommon for a client to come to the clinic for counseling for depression with an onset at the time of job loss. Career counseling would be beneficial. This client may be working with a Primary Care Physician and being prescribed meds. The client might benefit from a coordination of care that currently happens rarely or not at all.

Reference:

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog #12: Chapters 11 and 16

Chapter 11 of Brown’s (2012) book is about employability skills and placement services.  I felt this topic was important and useful to both people who are searching for new employment and those who have been displaced.  Brown states that, “gaining employment not only ensures economic stability but also validates the worth of an individual to some degree” (Brown, 2012, pg. 234).  However, gaining employment can sometimes be a difficult task for people; and it may cause anxiety as well.  That’s where career counselors come into play.  They can help those who are struggling to find employment by building employability skills and teaching more effective job searching skills.  I really liked the idea of job clubs which were created through the Job Training Partnership Act.  The groups provide encouragement and support for people who are facing similar issues; “also helps members improve their interview skills through role playing; and clarifies and sharpens their goals through group efforts” (Brown, 2012, pg. 236).  This idea got me thinking about career development programs in schools.  What would it be like if secondary schools had job clubs?  A place for students’ to come together and learn techniques that would help them make career decisions after they graduate and later in life.  Students’ could have mock interviews with each other, practice resume writing, and learn effective job searching techniques.  I feel that if I would have had an opportunity like this earlier in school; I would have more skills and feel more confident when it comes to making important career decisions. 

Chapter 16 of Brown’s (2012) book discusses accountability and evaluation of evidenced-based practices and programs.  These are two important topics that will become reality someday for future school and career counselors.  If a counselor has a program but has no data or other information to back that program up; stakeholders will most likely discard the program altogether.  I felt that chapter 11 and 16 tied together.  If future school and career counselors want to implement programs about job searching and employability skills; they could use some of the tips that Brown stated about executing a job search.  At the same time; those counselors would need to show some form of assessment and evaluation to show that certain programs were effective.

According to Brown, “well-written program objectives indicate who will be affected, when the intervention will be completed, and what the outcome will be” (Brown, 2012, pg. 350).  Each program also needs some form of evaluation design.  I felt that the chapter did a nice job of explaining the different evaluation design techniques.  I also found it helpful that the most effective forms of evaluation; qualitative designs were explained in more detail.  Overall, I found both chapters to be informative; and as a future school counselor will be useful someday.  

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development. (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Post #12 - Chapter 11

           Locating employment involves a lot more than people often think it does.  Brown (2012) states that a typical job search involves three steps which are creating career goals, searching the job market, and developing critical skills such as resume writing and interviewing.  Many teens and young adults, including myself, do not take all of these steps seriously or may skip them entirely.  Each step is important in locating and obtaining employment that fits your interests, needs, goals, and skills.        

            Additionally, I found the section on disabilities and criminal records interesting.  It is upsetting to know that many people with disabilities felt that short-term career counselors were not helpful.  People with disabilities reported not feeling understood or helped.  After they had an initial session, the counselor also left them to “do it themselves” which may be difficult for those with a disability (Brown, 2012, p. 237).  Essentially, counselors provided little help, direction, or understanding to these particular clients.  Without help, these clients will be underemployed and may not be able to provide for themselves or their families.  Contributing to a household can lift self-esteem which may be lacking for these individuals.  By not providing appropriate counseling services to people with disabilities, these individuals are sold short in the work field as well as in their personal lives. 

Also, Brown stated that people with criminal records will experience greater difficulty in obtaining employment due to their records (Brown, 2012, p. 237).  This makes sense as many people are unemployed, so those without records, with relevant experience, and with degrees will likely be chosen first.  I thought it was interesting that the type of crime made employment and hire more difficult.  Sex offenders and substance abuse crimes are the most difficult records to have while trying to find a job (Brown, 2012, p. 237). 

Lastly I was intrigued by the resume section.  I have tweaked my resume several times between being an undergraduate student to now; however, my overall format has remained the same.  I thought it was interesting that my general arrangement was not seen in any of the three templates provided in the book.  My resume contained some of the same elements as the sample resumes, but the samples also provided helpful ideas for ways to improve my resume.  I like the idea of adding the phrase “willing to relocate” at the bottom of the resume.  I also like including some personal interests on the bottom of the resume because it allows the potential employer to gain a slightly better understanding of who you are as a person.  Overall Chapter 11 was interesting and provided some options and ideas for the future.

References

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapters 11 & 16

            Evaluating programs, whether it those programs are career related or curriculum related is important in deciding if a program is effective or not. What are some things that can be tweaked to make the program effective or in some cases there is a realization that the program needs to be terminated. I know that throughout my schooling, there were programs that I wished had been nixed long before they eventually did.

 Brown did a nice job of outlining the different ways to evaluate a program and use research based methods as well as evaluations that every day people would be able to interpret. There is always going to be people breathing down your necks, as counselors, asking you if the program you have implemented is working, are the programs worth the money and show the data! Brown makes a statement at the end of chapter 11, that not all programs need to use both qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluating a program and sometimes it is necessary to use a mixed model ( 2012, pg 356). Focus groups were one of my favorite methods to decide what a program needs and what is or isn’t necessarily working. Working in groups allows you to build off of each other and come up with ideas that you might not have been able to do on your own.

Switching gears to chapter 11 of Brown, the chapter talked about employability skills and job placement services. Before starting my job as a counselor aide at a group home I went to a job placement service but was immediately turned away by the unpleasant demeanor of the front desk lady. She sat there chewing gum, and acted annoyed when I came in. With that being said, the company I worked for was a group home for troubled youth and sex offenders aged 16-21. One of the main goals of this program was to integrate the kids back into society, and that meant getting them a job. The kids at the group home I worked at went through a staffing agency and although I never went back to one, it was very useful for those individuals that were not sure of their own abilities and got their foot in the door to see what type of job they could see themselves doing in the future. For these young kids, most of them grew up in the foster system or had parents that were not around; they were not supported and felt left out. Understanding the background of the children you are going to be counseling is so important. Pointing out and recognizing what they do well and perhaps things that they may not have seen as one of their strengths, could push them just far enough in a positive direction. It could change their lives, and that’s the thing, you may never know what will work or how something may turn out but being there and having knowledge is important. Gaining trust and showing genuine care for that person and allowing them to open up to you so you can help them move forward.

 

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development
(10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapters 11 and 16 Post

            I can remember how confident I was after I graduated college. I had a lot going for me at the time. I was young, a male, and experienced (working with children). Brown listed three steps that take place during a typical job search: establish career goals, identify and investigate the job market, and develop employability skills (Brown 2012, page 237). To be honest, I did not even think a job would be that difficult to land! Looking back on it now, not considering these steps crushed my opportunity to attain a job that I truly wanted. Since I wasn’t getting any interviews, I decided to take a summer landscaping job. I basically waited, waited, and waited! I never took the job hunt seriously. I just assumed someone will want me because of the reasons I listed above.

            I would have been more prepared if I had begun planning for post graduation. Brown’s steps are the preparation I could have used during that time in my life. Instead of waiting, I should have been more proactive. I feel that I was confident, but I had no direction. I never considered that the education field was limited in PA at the time. I never considered that hundreds of applicants were being interviewed for one position. I never considered that I would have to relocate to attain a job. I feel that I am not the only one who felt like this after graduation and a few months afterwards. It all goes back to what we have been saying in class, career awareness is vital to high school and college graduates.

            I addition to career awareness in schools, I think it is also important that students are made aware of job placement services. I have been fortunate because I have had a job since I graduated college. However, I have worked with my mom to help her find a job. I looked for opportunities for her by posting her resume online and searching for ads in the local newspaper. She has found more success in working with the local job placement service. My mother likes the one-on-one assistance that she gets from the people, and recently, she has been on several interviews.

            In chapter 16, Brown shares information about different methods to evaluate career programs. Well-designed programs rely on evidence-based practices (Brown 2012, page 350). This may seem like common sense, but it is significant because an influential program (not simply career programs) can be proven by evidence. This chapter had me wondering about the curriculum I teach today. Often times, administrators claim that a curriculum is evidenced based, but what does that mean? How was it tested? Who was it tested on? What did the results actually show? If it worked for one group of students, does that mean it is guaranteed to work for another? All of these questions I have make me curious to see if my administrators know the answer to them. It seems that many external factors can affect the validity of a program.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 12- Chapters 11 & 16

The information in Chapter 11 was very relevant to what many people in today’s society are facing.  In recent years so many individuals have lost their jobs and are now reentering the job market for the first time in several years.  The job market had changed drastically with the improvement of technology, searching for a job is not the same as it used to be.  Years ago job hunters would have to go from company to company and fill out paper applications.  Today applying for a job can be as simple as a mouse click from your living room.  Although this may sound easy, the job market is just as fierce as ever before and without the right skills, it can be nearly impossible for an individual to land a job.

This chapter touched on the many different organizations and programs that are available for unemployed individuals.  One suggestion listed was job clubs (Brown, 2012). I had never heard of this before, but it seems like an extremely positive group.  Being unemployed is hard enough, but when you have little support, it can be even more depressing.  These job clubs give these individuals a safe space to share stories and advice and they can learn from their peers. 

Another interesting part of this chapter was the diagram which showed the things that recruiters found to be the most important in an interview.  The top three were oral communications, enthusiasm, and motivation (Brown, 2012, p. 241).  This was especially interesting to me because none of these things have to do with qualifications for the job.  It goes to show you that the most important things in an interview are things that you can control.  Employers are looking for people to show them that they are willing to work and willing to learn.

In Chapter 16 it discussed the different ways that counselors can evaluate their programs to find out if they are successful.  Evaluation of the event or program is probably the most important part.  Although it can be extremely time consuming and cumbersome, it is necessary to determine if all the effort you put in to the actual event is actually producing the results that you want it to.  To me, I think that the most frustrating part about the evaluation stage is trying to limit the number of external factors that limit the validity of the experiment.  Quantitative experiments seem to have an easier time creating external validity because researchers are able to control and manipulate almost every aspect of the experiment.  In a business such as counseling, Qualitative research tends to be more common due to the nature of the job.  Because qualitative studies rely more on the individuals emotions and perceptions; there seems to more opportunity for external factors to influence the outcome.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

  

Blog 12

Chapter 11:

               It was interesting how Brown points out the importance of self-efficacy when it comes to finding employment.  In relation to previous chapters, chapter 11 notes that, “Gaining employment not only ensures economic stability but also validates the worth of an individual to some degree” (Brown 2012).  I definitely agree with this statement because I believe that whichever career you ultimately choose will define you as a person in one way or another.  Therefore, an individual should feel proud about the career they choose, giving them a sense of worth in their lives.  I would relate this idea to Super’s Life Span, Life Space Theory because his theory suggests how certain individuals are qualified to succeed in a number of occupations based on their personality characteristics (Brown 2012).  If an employer recognizes an individual’s skills as being adequate enough to perform the required job functions, then the job-seeker will ultimately feel valued as a person.  In accordance, Brown’s values-based theory recognizes how self-efficacy can be a limiting factor when choosing an occupation. 

 

               I thought the notion of a “hidden job market” was quite interesting, because this requires an individual to do research about the desired company beyond what they can see.  In this sense, networking skills can be very useful in order to find out pertinent information about the company that might be overlooked.  I believe that networking and investigating certain occupations in this manner is very important when finding a job today.  It takes more than a top-notch résumé these days to obtain employment in places nowadays.  Employability skills are definitely needed to secure the job offer, but in terms of first getting an interview, I think networking and finding out more about the hidden job market can place an individual a step ahead of the rest of the population. 

               Developing the skills needed when job-hunting takes time and the appropriate education on how to properly execute everything.  I definitely was fortunate enough to have gained the necessary skills required to obtain a job.  Contradictorily, I feel as if the old saying, “Practice makes perfect” can be applied here when it comes to finding a job.  Through continuous experience with dealing with employers and the interview process, an individual can learn and gain knowledge about what is important when applying for a job.  Some education and prior preparation is absolutely beneficial in hopes of not being rejected right away, but the entire process should be recognized as a learning experience. 

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.).    New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 12

I feel as though since Brown’s textbook has been so recently edited that it is extremely relevant to today’s job market as well as to the realism of client interaction. In chapter 11 when he discusses the steps one needs to take in order to be best prepared for a job, I saw something that I did not see in the last chapter: realistic and feasible ways to attract people to the active job search. In my last post I felt that Brown was too optimistic about having high-schoolers take on some independent work when searching for a job or college, while in this chapter Brown proposed the idea of “job clubs” (2012, pg. 236) which seemed like a brilliant idea. I recently did research regarding college students and their views on drinking, and the implication of the article was that the only way to truly police students’ pressure to drink is to enact peer groups on campus in order to promote camaraderie and comfort. I see the same thing, here. Brown explains that people involved in a social organization dedicated to searching and being prepared for jobs will allow them to tackle problems together instead of feeling overwhelmed (2012). I could see this being used in a high school for college searches as well so that students could have the feeling that they are all taking steps together (as well as motivate them to work as hard as the others in the club).

                I also found it poignant that Brown discussed the use of social networks to promote the job search. A lot of times students and job-searchers are fearful that future employees will see an inappropriate picture on their Facebook and it will jeopardize the chances of being hired, but here Brown posits that we can use these online hang-out spots to our advantage by finding connections in our field (2012). An interesting statistic Brown mentioned, however, is that people with social and artistic dominant Holland codes were less likely than people with Conventional, Enterprising, and Realistic to find jobs through social networking (Brown, 2012, pg. 238). I thought that was so interesting because it seems counterintuitive that the more creative and social people would be looking at newspaper ads instead of learning about job opportunities through friends.

                In chapter 16, Brown discussed something that I felt was very appropriate for many of the discussions we have had in class. A lot of times, when sharing our experience with school counselors, I feel that most people either do not remember their high school counselor or only went to him or her when they needed help picking classes. I like how Brown laid out the questionnaire for the Community College students that asked about their relationship with their advisor (2012, pg. 354-5), because I feel that it addressed a lot of the issues of a counselor/advisor’s presence in a student’s life.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 12

            These two chapters had a bunch of information in them that will be very helpful when I become a school counselor.  When I was reading the section about networking and how Brown (2012) says that it was very important to get your name out there and to know lots of people.  I for one found this very true.  All through my undergraduate career, my teachers always told us to meet lots of people and to interact with them because who knows when you might need to call on them.  I also took a business class that heavily promoted the networking realm.  I would say that Brown (2012) is right on how important networking is.  It can really help an individual to get a job if you know someone in that field or company. 

            Another thing that I found intriguing was the occupations that will drop starting from 2008 to 2018 (Brown, 2012).  I guess with surveying the field and finding what is useful in our society and how it changes based on technological advances we can measure what will be useful in the coming years. This piece of information is very helpful to help future students to choose careers that will still be around when they get out of high school and even college.  This will give them confidence in their career choice that they make and will allow them to know that the job will still be in demand when they finish school.  

            Going along with the job demand, Brown (2012) pointed out the kind of programs that needed to be updated from time to time based on the current job market.  Things change in our world and so therefore we need to change our techniques and programs to fit the zeitgeist.  This keeps counselors accountable for what will work with current students in school.  Things change all the time and we need to change the programs to allow them to be successful so that the students will succeed.  There is research that is happening all the time and counselors need to be mindful of that research so they can use better ways to help students to have a fruitful life.  Giving someone information about their future career is important and counselors need to be accountable with the correct and current information.  Overall, these two chapters held a lot of information on how to create a good program and how to sustain it. 

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Post #12

Chapter 16

            Evidence-Based practice makes a lot of sense to me. It is important to know what is working and not working to be able to fix what needs to be fixed or enhance the part of the program that is actually working. This chapter makes a good point in saying that “accountability is increasingly important in an age where shrinking budgets force administrators to make choices about the relative worth of various programs” (Brown, 2012, p. 358). People want to know that they are investing their money in a program that is going to work.

            It is also important to have research backing the program because negative consequences can also results. For example, I recently saw that the military is now having their soldiers watch violent war crimes to prepare them for when it happens to them in the field, however, there is no research supporting that this will work. What happens if this results in soldiers becoming desensitized to human pain and killing? Now I know this is far from talking about career development, but take for example that we introduce a program designed to broaden children’s view of gender occupations, but it ends up restricting their views instead. This would negatively impact their lives, so being able to look at research to support programs and then evaluating them to ensure that they are positively doing what we want them to do is crucial.

Chapter 17

            I was most interested in the section that discussed the occupational world through 2018. There were a couple statistics that really surprised me. First of all, the jobs that are having the most growth require very little formal training or education (Brown, 2012, p. 369-370). It makes me wonder how more and more people are going to college and yet the jobs that are opening only require on the job training. I also noticed while we were doing research on O*NET and other job websites that some of the jobs that paid the most only required a bachelor degree. Sometimes it makes me wonder that if the jobs that are opening up require less education and pay more then why are there so many people going to college and graduate schools?      

            The second thing that surprised me, and the chapter predicted it would be a surprise, is that there not a lot of jobs that deal with primarily technology. After thinking about it thought it really makes sense. Earlier in the chapter, Brown discussed how jobs were being eliminated because of technology so the jobs that involve technology, machines can do by themselves without machine operators (Brown, 2012, p. 364).

            With all of the different statistics, the economic and population factors, it is important to be informed about the direction in which the job market is heading. It is important to know where the growth and decline are occurring. While I don’t believe one should base their entire occupational/educational decision on what is going to be most available, I do think it is an important consideration. 

Reference

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^thed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.