Blog 3

In class, I particularly enjoyed discussing the case study. While it appeared simple on the surface, there were a lot of complexities involved. Is “R” her strongest type or does she only seem to lean that way because she wants to join the family business? I can see myself in this situation working with a student so I felt it was very applicable to what I will eventually be doing.

After reading about the postmodern theories, I cannot help but think that positivist and postmodern theories could work together even though the theorists seem to feel so opposed. The career searching process can in fact be very complex so there is value in postmodern theories proving information about its complications. In particular, I enjoyed the description of the butterfly effect in terms of careers. One promotion could either end a person’s career in a field or open a whole world of new possibilities. Even though I do not believe that the career process can be navigated completely by simply knowing one’s strongest personality traits, I believe it can help point a person in the right direction.  Working together, a counselor could help guide a person through the process while also allowing them to become more familiar with their strongest skills.

While I definitely see the value in postmodern theories, I felt a sense of elitism while reading about them. In particular, Young and colleagues want to “maintain the client’s construction and not abandon it in favor of more scientific ideas, such as traits and personality types (Brown, 2012, p. 70).” This purpose really angered me. What if the client would prefer a more scientific way of discovering his or her best career?!! What if a positivist approach works better for some people? And, I do not agree that postmodern career counseling is “ideal for use with all groups (Brown, 2012, p. 71).” People from some cultures prefer more results driven counseling and may not feel comfortable talking for hours to discover what the best path for them is. Postmodern career counseling has the feel of the typical white middle/upper class counseling that is absolutely not appropriate for all ethnic minorities.

I definitely think that the Duffy (2006) article is extremely relevant and important to career counseling. Many values stem from religious and spiritual beliefs and these values have an effect on what careers people choose. I used to be very religious and when I worked my low paying restaurant jobs in college, I wanted to glorify God in everything I did. This purpose gave me meaning in jobs that were seemingly menial. I also mentioned two classes ago that a person at McDonald’s might love serving customers, but that society places a negative label on this type of work. One’s spiritual beliefs could bring more meaning into this job. I love the idea of asking about a person’s spiritual or religious belief in order to better understand him or her and his or her career path.

Brown, D. (2012).  Career information, career counseling, and career development

(10^th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Duffy, R. D. (2006). Spirituality, religion, and career development: Current status

            and future directions. The Career Development Quarterly, 55, 55-63.