Career Decision Making - Essay Example

Case Analysis – Career Counseling Introduction While career decision making can be seen in terms of white and black career making decisions, deeper inspection reveals that making substantial life decisions often requires one to consider them in terms of achieving a holistic lifestyle. In terms of Anika Warren’s interview of Douglas, the need for a broader perspective including personal relationships is overwhelmingly clear. It follows that this essay considers the various notable elements of this case study and then utilizes Hansen’s theoretical integrative life planning model to aid the Douglas in progressing with his career decisions. Career Theoretical Perspective It’s within a holistic paradigm that career counseling must work to aid the individual in resolving their personal relationship conflicts to achieve a more holistic lifestyle, as this will allow them to more clearly advance with their career decision making. In these regards, it’s clear that the theoretical approach most relevant to this case study is Hansen’s integrative life planning approach. According to Hansen’s theory there is a series of four assumptions that must be incorporated into life planning decisions (Niles, & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008). Hansen states that one of the central tasks individuals must accomplish is, “weaving our lives into a meaningful whole” (Hansen, as cited in Niles, & Harris-Bowlsbey, pg. 85). In these regards, it’s clear that Hansen’s integrative life planning approach considers not simply one’s direct choice in deciding on one career over another, but also posits that any substantial life decision must be made in terms of the holistic effect it has on all aspects of the individual’s life. Hansen also indicates that an individual must consider their career goals in terms of life purpose and spirituality. When examining Douglas’ decision making dilemma it’s clear that social aspects have hindered his ability to progress with his career decisions. In examining Douglas’ dilemma it seems clear that in deciding on one career choice will have a tremendous effect on another aspect in his life, namely the relationship with his parents. Thoughts on Case I think a highly relevant and notable point of discussion was when the counselor framed the career discussion in terms of the client’s siblings. While it’s clear that the client had been strongly influenced by his parents’ work ethic, working a series of jobs and seemingly having a very career centric life, the emphasis on her siblings’ decisions contributes greatly to decisions that he might make in terms of career advancement, or purpose and meaning. In the case, the discussion of the client’s siblings unearthed issues he held with his relation to his parents in terms of his professional choices. While the client didn’t seem particularly inferior or motivated in relation to his siblings’ career choices, there was an element of his own profession that he regretted that her parents didn’t fully understand; as a result her communication with them in this regard was limited, while his siblings’ communication was described as more fluid. When considering the client’s relations to his parents a number of relevant issues were identified. Perhaps most relevantly, the client states that, “I think it would be healthier for me if I could talk to them about my work, I know that my brother and sisters can talk to them about their work.” As the discussion progresses and the counselor presses the client for more information on his relation to his parents it becomes clear that one of the central conflicts in the individual’s life is his relationship with his parents; an element that undoubtedly conflicts with his ability to make clear headed decisions in regards to future career choices. The client states, “I want them to acknowledge and understand where I'm coming from and who I am as a person.” It’s clear that the client’s conflict in regards to career decision making at least in part stems from his conflicted relationship with his parents, and inability to fully reveal his sexual orientation to them. While the client has indicated that, “I told them, ‘Oh yes, I'm working on an HIV/AIDS CBO,’ he also qualified this statement by indicating that, “I just mentioned that I was working HIV/AIDS work, never mind sexuality-based work or queer-based work.” In this regards it’s clear that there is a challenging interrelation between the individual’s career, his relation with his family, and his desire to pursue future career choices. It is no stretch then that accepting a full-time position would constitute a major step in accepting not only career responsibility, but also has connotations for the individual’s identity and relationship with his parents. It appears that it is at this juncture that his private life, being queer which has been hidden from his parents, and his public life of which they are accepting, intersects in ways that could be problematic for his parental relations. In another sense it seems the client recognizes that while his parents’ career choices were influenced by a desire for family preservation, his choices are influenced by the contemporary American environment of which he is a product. This has a variety of connotations, perhaps most notably it means that while family is clearly an important factor in this individual’s life, making something out of himself through career success and what that entails is perhaps more central to his existence than strictly family engagements. He states that, “work means the same thing but on different terms. It means making something of myself, making my own life, but also staying committed to the what I care about.” Here it’s clear that for the client success means more than simply gaining financial prestige, but also achieving a sense of purpose in terms of their career and life path. While the individual indicates that it’s important for him that his family acknowledges the importance of his work, it appears that on a deeper and more fundamental level he is seeking familial acknowledgement of his lifestyle. In great part the individual’s lifestyle is embodied in the options he has pursued for a career. Just as in college wherein he pursued a thesis that was directly related to his heritage, his career interests function within a deeper plane of meaning and purpose. Ultimately, the means for Douglas to decide on which career choice he should take are readily available to him. He is greatly concerned with the outcome his career choice would make on his relationship with his parents, indicating that in choosing a fulltime position working with HIV/Aids patients his parents would distance themselves from him. It’s clear that this is a substantial dilemma and that the importance of choosing one decision over another should not be minimized. Furthermore, Douglas has been presented with an increasingly difficult dilemma as his sexuality places him at odds with not only his parents, but large segments of society. While the choice Douglas needs to make is a difficult and challenging choice considering his situation, as well as his relatively young age, it is clear that it needs to be made. As Douglas has indicated his desire to achieve a career that is meaningful to him, it’s clear that this should be the deciding factor in whether he chooses a fulltime position within NYU or with the HIV/Aids organization. In not pursuing his true desired career out of a fear that it will result in his parents discovering his sexuality, Douglas is creating a further dysfunctional relationship with them that will only result in psychological troubles later in life; it will also cause regret that he didn’t choose the career path most suited to his innate desire and purpose. Douglas must also work towards revealing his sexuality to his parents; at the very least he must not let his fear of their discovery of it to influence his career decision. References Niles, S., & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2008). Career development interventions in the 21st century. New York: Prentice Hall. Read More