Weekly Insight 3

     This week, the reading and class discussion were important in learning more about career decision making. In
class, we discussed that there is significant importance of career education, its timeliness, and being a continuous process when presented to children from
elementary to high school students.  This is important for clinical psychologists and school counselors because we can
have an enormous impact by coaching our student/client’s through their career decision making.


     Many ways of getting the information of career education in a timely manner to children and their families are getting the child involved in
thinking about what they want to do when they grow up by making discussion questions during assessment. Two other ways are to have more parent involvement
and send notes home with the children.  One limitation discussed was the difficulty getting parents from inner city involved. Many of families in those areas are single working parent homes and they do not have the time to get involved.
Another limitation discussed was parents’ understanding of material being sent home. They may not have the literacy level for the material or a Spanish
speaking only household.



     I think getting this information to children is important, but I also think children in elementary to high school should learn to know what makes
them happy and adapt to that situation. In my genogram paper, I shared that I have had many different career
choices over the last fifteen years and life situations happened around me and felt I needed to adapt to them. 
“Miller-Tiederman proposed that the focus of life should not be about finding the right career but finding the right life, with a career serving as a
complement and not as a primary goal.” (Duffy, 2006, p.56) During my early to late 20’s my belief was that I needed to find the right career and then I will
be happy.  Today, I believe that I needed to find happiness within myself and a career that fits me. Living life this way
gives me inner peace.  As I learn more about career choice making and different theories, my view may change.



     Although each theory discussed in the book is important, the decision-making theories offer individuals to think about
what is important to them in making a career choice. A few options listed on a balance sheet in the book are salary, benefits, and opportunity for
advancement. “The process of using the balance sheet as an aid to decision making begins by eliminating all but four to five of the occupations being
considered.” (Brown, 2012, p. 75) One example would be if a person wants a job making a certain amount of money, salary would be high on the priority list.
Choosing a job making minimum wage would not fit with that decision.



Brown, D. (2012). Learning Theory-Based, Postmodern, Socioeconomic, and Decision-Making Theories and Their
Applications. In Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10th ed., pp. 2-23). New York: Pearson Education, Inc. 



Duffy, R. D. (2006). Spirituality, Religion, and Career Development: Current Status
and Future Directions. The Career Development Quarterly, 55, 52-63.