Blog #14: Chapter 18

                 I felt like this final chapter in the book was very fitting.  It is so beneficial for us to have an idea of not only the job market for our clients, but also for ourselves.  It was interesting to see what some of the predictions were years ago and how they relate to what we are going through now.  Overall it seems like technology is having the largest impact on career development practices.  The internet and online databases have changed the nature of the position entirely.  Career counselors are no longer just focusing on their counseling on the career aspect, but they also need to counsel individuals on the personal level as well (Brown, 2012). This holistic approach is becoming more common as counselors tend to move towards a more modern approach to counseling (Brown, 2012).

One of the trends that Brown identified was the decline of print materials (2012).  I absolutely agree with this and I am familiar with it in my work.  As an Admissions Representative, I am responsible for going out to high school guidance offices and updating our school’s file.  In this file we put information about our programs, program costs, applications, etc.  Each year I simply take out the old information and put in new information because no students are taking any of this information.  These files are useless because students are going online to look at information and they will fill out applications online as well.  Additionally instead of mailing out information about a school, individuals can just visit their website.  Although I do believe this is a positive trend in general, it makes it really hard to get information to these students. 

With all of the changes coming to the job market, more people are relying on the internet for their information rather than going to get help from a counselor (Brown, 2012).  This is not only bad for the career counselors, but it is unfortunate for the job hunters as well because there is so much information out there and sometimes it can be confusing.  Job hunters are now on their own to interpret this information, apply for, and negotiate potential jobs.  In addition to adults, this also affects high school students that are seeking information on colleges.  They are relying solely on the internet rather than seeking advice or help from their school counselors.  This is unfortunate for them because there are so many options out there that I am certain they are unaware of.

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