Reflection #2 Gibson Article and chapter 2

The topic that stuck out to me the most after our class discussion, Gibson’s article and chapter two, was that although some people may not have made the best choices, or have the “good” genetics or the best upbringing, there is still something in each person that is unique and beneficial (Baker, 2013).  In class, we talked about how some people who have disabilities or those who become incarcerated are expected, by society, to fail continuously. We tend to judge them based on their past and their physical appearance, when in fact; there are a number of other considerations, such as their positive traits or abilities and their social environment that should be evaluated.

            I really enjoyed reading Gibson’s article about genograms. According Gibson, genograms provide a positive communication between the parents and the child as well as a way for the parent/s to be involved with what their child is doing in school (Gibson, 2005). I believe this is important because being in the education system, I find that it is very difficult to provide a child with an education without a parental support system to reinforce it. The genogram also allows for change as the child grows and changes their outlooks on what they may want to pursue as a career (Gibson, 2005). As the child matures and changes, the genograms can provide a mean of deeper conversation with their parents/ guardians about why they chose the career path they did and at what age they decided that the career path they chose was right for them (Gibson, 2005).

            I really like the Holland Code. As an undergraduate student, I studied Holland and was able to take the Strong Interest Inventory and receive my three-letter code. I found that it gave me a nice basis to go off of and it reiterated that I was moving in the right direction based on others interests and job satisfaction rates. Although the instruments do not guarantee satisfaction, I think that they have a high accuracy rate of pulling out one’s interests/ values and from there, assisting the person in pursuing a job that meets those interests. I related the following sentence to our class discussion last week, when we talked about what it means for an individual to find a meaningful job; “… individuals must select vocational environments congruent with their personalities to maximize their job satisfaction and achievements” (Brown, 2012).  I think that this sentence sums it up in that if one finds something that they enjoy and value, they will find a greater satisfaction and gratification in what they pursue as their career. 


References:

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

Gibson, D.M. (2005). The Use of Genograms in Career Counseling With Elementary, Middle and High School Students. The Career Development Quarterly, 53, 353-362.