11/6/12
Like other class members have mentioned, reading this
chapter definitely made me really take a closer look at my own career path and
how I came to be headed in this direction…this seems to be a common theme in my
responses to class readings and discussion for this course.
I found it interesting when Brown (2012) mentioned that,
“whereas one of the primary reasons for pursuing a college education is to
train for a career, only approximately 54 percent of college graduates report
being in their present career as a results of following a conscious plan” (p.
293). I can really relate to this statement because even though I started
college with a conscious plan to become an elementary school teacher—and I have
a plan now about how I want to become an outpatient therapist for children and
families—getting from point “A” to point “B” was not a manner of careful
planning by any means. When I withdrew from students teaching, I knew I
couldn’t just drop out of college—I was so close to a degree! So I chose a new
major based on how quickly I could complete the necessary credits and
requirements, and it just happened to be psychology. I literally made this
decision in a 36-hour time frame. Of course, now I realize that it was most certainly
the best possible thing for me to do, and it has made my current plan possible.
Brown (2012) noted the importance of receiving help and
guidance along the path to career decision-making; I never really had that as
an undergraduate, and I never really sought it out as a prospective graduate
student. I do think that, had I looked more seriously into possible careers as
an undergraduate, gone to career services to simply get another opinion, or
even looked up elementary school teacher on O*NET, for example, I could have
come to the decision to switch much quicker, and more thoughtfully. I attended
MU for my undergraduate degree as well, and even though MU’s counseling
services division is phenomenal—offering regular workshops and seminars on a
wide variety of career-related topics and skills, in addition to internship
opportunities, career-exploratory software, and advice on resume-building—I
never took advantage of that as an undergraduate, and I feel like I missed out.
Even as a graduate student, I have a plan of things that I
intend to do as I move forward that will usher me towards my long-term career
goal, but that plan is the result of much critical thought, consultation with
peers and professors, and trusting my instincts and hunches—not the result of a
carefully laid out plan made in collaboration with a career counselor, for
example. While I do not have any doubts in the efficacy or legitimacy of my
plan, I’m sure there are things that I’m not thinking of, or things that come
up that I haven’t “written” into my plan, and perhaps I would be better
prepared for those things if I did seek out career services.
I guess my main point is that even though Brown (2012)
stresses the importance/necessity of a certain amount of career guidance as a
postsecondary student, my experience has been that you can do well enough without
seeking those services; those services would certainly improve your
understanding and make your expectations more realistic, but are not absolutely
imperative to career success or career satisfaction.
Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career
counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson
Education, Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment