Chapter 18, Final Blog

It is very difficult to predict what the future of the job market is going to be. It has changed so much since I attended high school and I know that it is going to keep changing. Jobs are pushing more heavily on going to college and attaining a 4+ year degree. Chapter 17 of Brown’s text showed that there is could be a shift in availabilities of jobs that do not require a college degree and require on the job training. But like the previous statement it is hard to say what exactly the future of jobs is going to hold.

            The importance of looking to the future for career development programs, assessments, career information and job searches is to be as informed as you can. Career information is essential, even for those not old enough to get a job. Understanding what jobs are and what they require of an individual is important to know. With the boom of the internet and everything going viral, accessibility to individuals has increased dramatically and Browns’ text states that in will continue to increase and online sources will completely replace print resource, (2012, pg 376). The only problem I see with this is if individuals do not have access to a computer, however they can look to others for help such as a counselor.

            I was a little shocked to see that graduate courses will continue to decrease their emphasis on occupational information as well as a basic understanding of how to select a career using career information. O*NET is a very useful source and understanding how to use is it so important. Before this class I did not even know what O*NET was and when we first started using it I was a little confused about it. I can see how counselors need to have a good understanding of its usefulness and how to help others with their career search.

            As far as trends in career counseling goes, I feel it is important that counselors pull from a variety of theorists. Holland’s theory is used widely today in assessments of interests, but we are social creatures and others can also influence our decisions, especially ones that we hold high opinions of. A counselor needs to understand their client and where they are at in their career search, and what methods will be most useful and beneficial to their clients. The saying in out with the old and in with the new doesn’t really apply with career counseling because the world is always shifting. I hope that Browns Statement, “we are many years away from a time when career development practices will be driven by research” (2012, pg 380), is not true because career development practices are so important, and you can not rely solely on career specialists. Everyone needs to play a role from the schools to the employers and everyone in between.

 

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