Analysis of Career Development - Case Study Example

Analysis of Career Development Scenario 1: “Joe is currently in 12th grade. He is unsure about his career goals following graduation and comes to you for career counseling. Joe reports that he is under enormous pressure and feels stressed. He is an honor roll student and has high grades in math, history, and art. His parents are both lawyers and want him to eventually attend law school so that he can work in the family’s law firm following graduation”. While in high school, he has been a member of the debate team. However, Joe joined the debate team primarily to please his parents. Joe is artistic and enjoys his art and photography classes. He mentions that he would like to attend an art school following graduation but he has only applied to traditional 4-year universities”. 1. Understanding career development theories, in what stage would you say that the client’s problems began? 2. What decision-making model would you use with this client? 3. What assessments tools would you use with this client? 4. How would you evaluate client’s decision making skills? 5. How would you assess client vocational skills? 6. What data must you know about the client before you can develop long-term career goals? 7. What career counseling techniques would you use with this client? 8. What type of resources, planning and follow-up would be appropriate for this client? 9. What might you ask the client, to determine his support network? 10. How would you assess the impact of life roles, family, work, and mental health issues with this client? 11. How would you get information on the labor market? 12. What would be some short term career goals for this client? Answers 1. Understanding career development theories, in what stage would you say that the client’s problems began? Career development is an important process in the life of any individual. This process involves the management of learning and transitions that determines a person’s future, in this case Joe’s future. In the process of career development, there are various development theories involved. Trait factor, Holland, Constructivist, Krumboltz’s and Super’s Life-space are some of the main theories involved with career development (Zunker, 2011). According to Super’s Life-space, theory, Joe’s problem can be said to have began in the exploration stage of development. In this type of theory, self conceptualization is found with experience and changes as time passes by. It divides career development into stages according to ages of individuals. Growth, establishment, maintenance, exploration and decline are some of the stages involved in this type of theory. Joe’s case falls in the exploration stage because at this stage, the age of career development is 15 to 24. Moreover, at this stage, most individuals are trying to discover their potential through class work and hobbies. It is also at this stage that the people develop skills and make career choices for the future. For example, Joe’s realizes that he is good in art and wants to pursue this dream. 2. What decision-making model would you use with this client? There are various decision making decision making models that can be used in career development. Maslow is one of the best decision making model that can be used on the client. It involves a decision making theory that uses a hierarchy to determine human career development. According to this model, there is love, safety, psychological, esteem and self actualization. Self actualization is the highest rank in this theory and believed to be the most influential in the personality of an individual (Zunker, 2011). After satisfying the other needs in this model such as esteem and love, appropriate decisions can be made concerning the actual interest that the client wants to achieve. Therefore, this model is the most appropriate to solve the client’s problem. 3. What assessments tools would you use with this client? The client can be assessed using various career assessment tools. These tools are designed to help individuals in identification and making informed career choices. Campbell Interest, Myers-Briggs Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory and Self Directed Search are some of the assessment tools that can be used in career development. The Campbell Interest and Skill Survey assessment tool helps individuals in identifying their skills and interests in job market. This tool is effective since it gives a comparison between activities people enjoy and their respective careers (Zunker, 2011). In Myer Briggs Indicator tool, assessment of careers is done by matching personality preferences and related fields of career. This tool is suitable for self exploration as it gives students exposure to a variety of different and potential careers. Additionally, the Strong interest inventory assessment tool identifies the academic areas that a student is best in and also provides a variety of career options. Finally, the Self Directed Search aims at an assessment done personally by an individual (Zunker, 2011). It helps in identification of self skills and interests related to career choices. Therefore, these entire assessment tools can be used to evaluate Joe and help him appropriately in choosing his career of choice. 4. How would you evaluate client’s decision making skills? The client’s decision making skills can be evaluated in various ways. His performance in school in the art subject can be one way to evaluate his decision making skills concerning his career. The client scores high grades in the art subject meaning he has a passion for pursing his artistic career. Moreover, his decision making skills can be evaluated through conducting a one-on-one interview with the client. During such interviews, questions are focused on client’s reasons for his career choice. For example, why does the client love art? 5. How would you assess client vocational skills? The client’s vocational skills can be accessed through various ways. This is done to determine a person’s ability for vocational training and readiness to work. Interpersonal, cognitive and basic concerns are some of the various ways that can be used to assess a client’s vocational ability. In regard to basic concerns, clients can be assessed based on their appearance, physical health and energy levels. Physical appearance relates to how appropriate a person dresses while energy is concerned with how an individual is self driven in terms of energy levels (Zunker, 2011). Physical health is the ability or inability of a person to work. For example, the ability of Joe to sit or stand for long hours while doing his artistic work. Concentration, mistakes and decision are the elements of cognitive concerns. These concerns involve the ability of a client to focus, make informed career choices and provide correct feedback under minimum supervision. Good interpersonal concerns involve the ability of an individual to properly communicate in the work place with co-workers and managers. It also involves the ability of a person to adapt to environmental changes and work environments. 6. What data must you know about the client before you can develop long-term career goals? The client can be properly advised on his long term career goals based on vocational assessment and decision making skills. Therefore, it is important that data about his real aspirations and passion for his artistic work is known through the assessments discussed above. Moreover, the counselor must be cognizant of the client’s specific, attainable and measurable goals. For example, Joe’s artistic long dreams could be to become a manager in an Art Company or start his own company and develop it globally. 7. What career counseling techniques would you use with this client? Various counseling techniques can be used on the client. Working alliance, self disclosure, encouragement, asking open ended questions, congruence, clarification, structuring and spheres of influence are some of the techniques that can be used during counseling. Building a working alliance is essential since it creates a good counseling environment and helps in achievement of client needs (Zunker, 2011). It is found through active collaboration between the client and therapist. Congruence is the ability of a counselor to be genuine about the feedback of a client’s progress. Moreover, asking open ended questions such as client family relationship is important during counseling sessions. 8. What type of resources, planning and follow-up would be appropriate for this client? Health records, school grades and the general way a client lives are some of the resources required to properly advise the client. Appropriate follow up would be done from feedback of family members and teachers about his behavior at home and school. 9. What might you ask the client, to determine his support network? Who are some of the people that support you in achievement of your artistic dreams? 10. How would you assess the impact of life roles, family, work, and mental health issues with this client? The client’s health issues and family can be accessed from the feedback of family members, teachers and close friends. This means a counselor should be well equipped with above outlined resources such as health records in order to effectively help the client. 11. How would you get information on the labor market? From the client’s specific career goals, he can be advised on the labor market from information found in the internet, company portfolios and art magazines among others. Therefore, it can be concluded that career development theories and assessment tools play important roles in determining right career choices for individuals. 12. What would be some short term career goals for this client? Short term goals for the client could include getting employed in Art Company or doing research work on local Art Companies. Another short term career goal could be to further his education more on the art subject. Reference Zunker, V. (2011). Career Counseling: A Holistic Approach. Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. Read More