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 20th
(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 11th. 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 11th 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.
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