Savickas Article

Although we did not have any class discussion to reflect on, this article provided plenty of information to blog about. In this article, Mark L. Savickas (1995) presents ideas on the Constructivist view of career counseling and examples of how to implement the technique. I was definitely intrigued by this view and especially enjoyed reading the case study example he described as it helped me to apply and truly understand the concepts.

What I thought about most after this reading is that the Constructivist point of view somewhat describes how my career path has gone. The view of counseling describes indecision as a normal experience that occurs when people are about to lost their place. A transformation then occurs and a new identity is formed. For me, like many, this is what college was all about. As I’ve said in class before, I started my college career as a broadcasting student. While I was on that path, I was very hesitant and unsure that it was truly what I wanted to do. I went into that major with much encouragement from others telling me it would be something I’d be good at. While that may have been true, I wasn’t as passionate about it as I should have been. During this time I began working in a job that helped me realize what my true life-themes were and re-defined myself as “a helper” with a strong desire to build relationships with people and serve them in any way I could. Although I went through this process without an actual counselor, I can see how my story of career development relates with the Constructivist view. My story shows that I’ve continuously always wanted to serve others and work with people, but was hesitant to pursue a career doing so for whatever reason. I was able to resolve any doubt about becoming a school counselor because I was reaffirmed by the stories that my pattern of living told and therefore could move towards that goal.

I think that the case study described in the article is a theme commonly found in many students, like myself. Some feel pressure to go into a certain field because of their parents and therefore lose meaning leading to indecision. It’s amazing how much our past events and stories can affect who we are today, regardless of us knowing it or not. The fact that the young woman described was able to reach her career goals after hearing her own story reveals that self-awareness is at the heart of fixing one’s problems and reaching one’s goals, which I’m beginning to realize is a common theme in any counseling situation. Savickas (1995) notes that client's must become aware of their narratives so they can see the future as a continuation, get past hesitations, and author their next chapter. 

Savickas, M. L. (1995). Constructivist counseling for career indecision. The Career Development Quarterly,43(4), 363-373.