Chapter 18

            In chapter 18, Brown notes the trends specific to career development and the like. One thing that I did notice is the increased use of technology in the future. Online job information, services, assessments, and openings will continue to increase. This makes sense because of the development of technology over the past 10 years. Also, it was interesting to see that the many theories that we learned will still be of interest in the future. Holland’s theory will continue to dominate, Super’s, Krumboltz’s, and postmodern theories will continue to have an impact in career counseling. It seems that using an eclectic method of career counseling (depending on the client) will be the best method going forward.

            I was glad to see that Brown recognizes that career development programming will be secondary to the school reform movement that grips many of this country’s public schools (Brown 2012, page 380). I am not glad because as a teacher I will not have to worry about it, I am glad because Brown understands the state that we are in right now with school reform. Like we have discussed in class, implementing a career development program in schools would be beneficial, but it is very difficult to do. This does not mean that it is impossible to do. I feel that a teacher could choose to teach his or her students about career development during social studies, but of course, the teacher would have to run it by the administration. The teacher could do this by showing any research based studies that have shown student growth due to the program.

            Lastly, I would like to comment on the way Brown set up this chapter. I like the list format on his predictions for the future. Also, I liked how he listed one issue at the end of each list. It made me stop and think about it. I do think career counselors will rely on free online information issued by the government. We have been moving towards a paperless society, and I think that will continue to grow. I also think that many more people will use the internet to search for jobs. I do think virtual job interviews will increase (especially if it is an interview that is in another state or country). At the same time, I think face to face interviews will still be prevalent. I think that quantitative and qualitative research strategies for assessment will continue to be used in the future. One will not limit the other because both types of research are important to finding out which assessments are best. I do think that there is a need for a more holistic approach to career counseling. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, it seems that career counselors are trying to be more eclectic to help meet the needs of their clients. I think that the emphasis on career development programs will stay the same (neither grow nor contract) due to the 2007 – 2010 recession. Now, if the government takes control of the current educational situation by pushing for career development programs, obviously, I would change my answer to grow. But, until that happens, career development programs will continue to be ignored in most states, districts, and schools.

           

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