Chapter 1 Blog

I must admit that after leaving class on Wednesday, I still had no idea what we were going to learn throughout the semester. I was still under the impression that this course would entail learning about theories as to why individuals choose their career paths and factors (racism, discrimination, culture etc.) that shape one’s occupation. I was still unclear about the roles of professionals in the field of career development. In my mind a career counselor ultimately relies heavily upon objective measures to determine personality traits of an individual in order to find jobs that would be suitable for that person. I was intrigued during class when we started to discuss subjective experiences (values, motivation, interests, etc.) that can also be used to aid in the career development process. This discussion already started to shift my perspective of this course and I find myself more curious about this subject matter.

After reading this chapter, I not only had a better idea as to what the field of career development entailed, but also became aware of the encompassing and possibly global roles that individuals in this field may fulfill. I did not realize that career counseling/development extends to education and laws (IDEA), advocacy, and social reforms. I was also unaware that there is a plethora of career interventions that are currently utilized within this field including career guidance, education, counseling, information, and coaching (Brown, 2012). Even though these interventions are currently used for career development, they can ultimately be used in other disciplines and will be increasingly needed within the future as the job market changes. Brown’s (2012) discussion of future job trends further puts into perspective the necessity for the career development field to continue to evolve and enhance practices to better serve changing populations and the evolving job market. At first I was a little confused as to why this course was a requirement but it is becoming clear that this course is necessary to augment the core of our current education.

I was rather disheartened and shocked by the statistics of social injustice that were stated in this chapter. I did not realize that there is still a large discrepancy that persists between salaries, employment rates, and poverty levels of Caucasians and minorities in the United States (Brown, 2012). I was also perplexed and outraged by the percentage of individuals that fall below the poverty line including those that are classified as working poor. I understand that there are many factors that contribute  to the millions of Americans living in poverty including education, international trade and business policies, economics, and social reforms but I cannot help but wonder if poverty, social injustice, and the working class are even noted when new legislation and business transactions occur.

 

Brown, D. (2012). Introduction to the Global, Economy, and Social Justice, and Career Development. In Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10th ed., pp. 2-23). Chapel Hill, SC: Pearson.