Chapter 11, 16 and group presentations

I very much enjoyed class today.  For me, it felt like a foot in both doors, on one hand I lead activities directed towards elementary school, a future position I hope to hold one day, and on the other hand I participated in higher education related activities, which I used to lead in my former job. I like the take that the Higher Education Group took on this workshop. The Focus 2 results and activity was really engaging.  

    The re-entering citizens is an important population who need customised employment services due to the barriers in the job search and the mental health or substance abuse issues the individual may need to deal with while simultaneously looking for employment. The steps Brown (2012) lay out for executing the job search were similar to the steps the higher ed presentation group gave us during the workshop.I usually saw the step most young adults left out of their job search was step 2: Investigating the Job Market. It is important to investigate the job market to know how to target your skills and have realistic expectations.  

    I would improve on the resume examples in the textbook.  First, I would recommend that the name be more prominent on the top of the resume in order to create a brand for an individual which they can use on the cover letter and the reference page.  Secondly, on the Chronological Resume Format, a lot of space is wasted with the deep indentation.   Some other recommendations I have heard recently is to no longer put “References available upon request” if it is a job you are very serious about, but to just go ahead and include references in the application packet. May job posting already request references or the application includes reference sections. Another training workshop I attended recently recommended a “Summary” section in lieu of an “Objective” section. The College of Business Administration at Marquette University recommends an objective statement for those entering the workforce and a summary statement for professionals with experience (Business Career Center, 2013). This chapter also did not touch on cover letters, which are crucial in the job search process.

Chapter 16 applied research to career development programs for the purpose of program evaluation and evidence-based practice.  It is important, especially in colleges and primary schools to have an objective for each lessons, activity, and program. Writing those objectives in a measurable format will help with the program evaluation process at the end. The setting and resources often influence the type of study which can be conducted about a program. Program evaluation data helps advocate for the profession to stakeholders, the community, and clients. 

References

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

Business Career Center (2013). Objective or Summary Statement. Marquette University College of Business Administration. Retrieved from http://business.marquette.edu/Content/Uploads/bcc/resume/Resume-Guide-Objective.pdf

Blog 12- Chapter 11 & 16

After reading Chapter 16 (Brown, 2012), I did not realize that the evaluation of a program can be broken down into two categories: formative and summative. I understand that summative evaluation looks at the overall outcome and benefits of the program. I am still however unsure about the meaning of formative evaluation. In the textbook, the example questions given to explain formative evaluation included content about finances. I am wondering if formative evaluation also pertains to the worth of the program for the individual. Formative evaluation has been related to the “process” of a program but I am still not sure what Brown means by this description (Brown, 2012, p 306). I think I would be able to further differentiate formative and summative evaluation if additional examples were given in the text.

I thought it was really interesting that grade point average was ranked number eight in the chart on page 241 (Brown, 2012). I have interviewed for multiple positions since high school and undergraduate and not once was I asked about my academic standing. The only time I was asked about my grade point average was during my undergraduate and graduate entrance interview. In my job interviews there was an emphasis on experience, skills, training, and theoretical orientation for practice. I was also taken aback by how much money an individual would have to pay to utilize a private for-profit employment agency. I would think it would be very difficult to give the agency one month of earnings especially if the individual has been unemployed for a long period of time.

I found the section on résumés really helpful. I was unaware that there was a difference between paper and internet résumés and that paper résumés have two main formats. These include the chronological and the functional résumé (Brown, 2012). I had to submit an online resume applying to internships. This was a completely new experience and I had no idea how to format the résumé because most of the formatting tools did not register on the online form. This led to so much frustration and I had to end up redoing my résumé. If I would have known that the formatting had to be different beforehand, it would have saved me a lot of time. Brown (2012) also notes in his chapter that résumés should approximately be one page in length. I know my resume is twice that from all of the trainings that I have accrued over the years. With this in mind, the functional résumé would be better. I was unaware that the functional résumé format was an appropriate format for résumés until I read the chapter.

 

Brown, D. (2012). Facilitating the Global Job Search: Employability Skills and Placement Services. In Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10th ed., pp. 234-254). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

 

Brown, D. (2012). Program Evaluation and Evidence-Based Practice. In Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10th ed., pp. 349-359). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 12

            I really enjoyed the higher education workshop last week. They offered such good resources that I think are useful to my own career development. I have never actually made a list of career goals in order to plan my future. Doing this would have been immensely helpful as an undergrad, especially when I switched majors. The group counseling was also a great experience. Even though we were all acting, I could see how beneficial this could be. I kept thinking about how I wish that I had this experience when I was in the process of switching majors. I may have had an easier time during the transition if I had a support group at the time. Additionally, I thought the group did a really great job seeming passionate about these interventions, especially during the small group session!

            Before reading Brown’s (2008) Chapter 11, I had no idea what resources were available to the unemployed. Just as the group session during the higher education’s presentation seemed to be helpful, I can see the value in groups for the unemployed population. Losing one’s job can be extremely stressful it would be comforting to know you are not alone. It also seems like a fairly inexpensive way to help the unemployed. Knowing, however, that interventions do not always result in long-term success, Brown (2008) also brought to light the importance of other interventions that may be used in conjunction with career interventions. People with substance abuse problems, for example, may also need to be in therapy for their addictions.

            I was very interested in the section about secondary school placement services. I do not believe my school offered this service, however, I believe that it can be vital for the career success of the student body. The transition from high school to the “real world” brings about huge changes in independence. Students who do not continue to a postsecondary school may be in need of a meaningful job. High schools can act as buffers during this transition.

            Utilizing evidence-based practice seems like common sense, but I realize that it may be easier said than done. As a school counselor, I will most likely have a very busy schedule. Taking data on top of everything else I am doing will definitely be a challenge. Even though it will add more tasks to my workload, I understand that gathering data is essential in ensuring that my interventions are working. It will also allow me to share this information with others as well as ensure that I can use it going forward in my position.

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

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

Week #12

      I would like to start off with saying that both the elementary and higher education workshops were both very interesting and informative. I really enjoyed the hands of activity and revisiting elementary school. I also enjoyed the presentation of the elementary school group with the dressing up as a pilot and answering questions by pretend elementary school students.  Also liked the closing activity of a group session with the higher education workshop. I think that hearing other people's fears and concerns and their coping strategies is an effective way to gain knowledge from people that are experiencing the same issues. I wish that more of those activities would have been available to me during elementary school and college.

     Brown's (2012) chapter on Facilitating the Global Job Search was very interesting. The section about resume writing caught my attention the most. The paragraph that talked about the least important items on a resume were nonsense things such as spouses occupation, number of children and information regarding their parents. I cannot believe that some people would actually put that information on their resume. I am constantly changing my resume to make it more applicable to the job that I am applying for. I have taken off all of my high school and undergraduate jobs as those would be of no help to obtaining a position in the mental health field. I also change my references according to the position because I want the people talking about my work habits and personality to be referring to skills that the position I hope to obtain would acquire.

   I am also surprised with the number of websites to help create a resume. I did not ask for help from my parents or experienced relatives for help to create my resume. I simply typed the required information into a web generator that automatically created my resume; I just chose the layout and could edit it to my liking. I think technology has come a long way and is a great tool for researching jobs as well as for social networking to help find careers.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling and career development. (10^thed.). New York: Pearson Education Inc.

Blog 12

        I really found the higher education groups presentation very interesting. I really think the Focus 2 is a very valuable resource that could be used with students who are undeclared or seniors who are looking at entering the job force in a few months. I liked the idea of having a workshop that lasted four weeks. I think breaking all of these items up over that time period would be really beneficial for students so they have time to comprehend what they have learned in the previous session. I really like the idea of using a group narrative approach at the end to wrap up everything that has been covered in the previous session. I think this group session could really help to show these students that they aren’t the only one alone in their struggle, and they would also be able to provide insight for the other members. Overall I found that presentation very enlightening and I feel like it would be super useful with people in higher education.

                As for this week’s readings, I guess what really stuck out for me in chapter 11 was the idea of outplacement services. I did not realize that companies even offered outplacement services if they were to let a position go. I think this is a really useful service as long as the person uses it to its full potential. I know after reading that they likely only last for about a month but still they provide the individual with useful skills to be able to find another job. I was also thinking about job placement facilities that charge for their services if you are successful in finding a job. I think that there should be some sort of public service announcement that alerts individuals to the dangers that could arise through the use of these programs. I understand that most do not really take a full month’s salary upon finding a job, but I feel that people deserve the right to know that some of these companies are only out to make money and not be truly helpful.

                Chapter 16 I felt was very important. As we enter into our desired fields we are going to be developing programs and seeing how they work with individuals. This may be with career counseling or behavioral programs. I think it is extremely important for us to collect data. In today’s world your efforts only count if you can show improvement. If you cannot show that your program helped lead to a desired result no one will find it impressive. Our society is impressed by cold, hard, facts and data. So it is extremely important for us to become familiar with the different styles of experiments and ways of collecting data, because it could mean job security for us.

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

Class Discussion/ Brown Chapters 11 &16

After reading chapter eleven and sixteen of Brown’s (2012) text, I was able to make connections between the content of the reading and the group presentations on November 20^th. In chapter eleven, Brown (2012) addressed one aspect of career-seeking action and facilitation: the strengthening of employability skills and the utilization of placement services. Fostering a vast collection of employability skills can help to ease the job seeker’s mind throughout the process, finding comfort in knowing that he/she could be an asset to any company. In addition to developing these employability skills, it is vital for career counselors to address economic, psychological, and emotional needs while facilitating job searches, as the process can evoke much stress, anxiety, and wavering of self-worth. To make the job search more manageable, Brown (2012) divided the process into three steps, including creating career goals based on knowledge, skills, and capabilities; exploring and understanding the job market; and fostering employability skills. I believe Brown may have glossed over another important step: making connections to the world of work and adjusting goals and job seeking processes as necessary. These modifications could include preparation for relocation, commuting to/ from work, holding multiple jobs, decreasing or increasing standards for sought occupation, etc.

In chapter sixteen, Brown (2012) addressed program evaluation and evidence-based practices. Program evaluations help to assess the career programs offered; goals, objectives, and interventions proposed; and the effectiveness of the implementation (Brown, 2012). Reflecting back to the content from chapter eleven, Brown (2012) noted that one of the oldest and largest online job placement services today is Monster. I do not question that Monster would pass a quantitative program evaluation, having assessed the many jobs marketed to the job seeker. However, I would be curious to view the results of a qualitative evaluation, having assessed the face-less vehicle by which employers seek employees and the lack of relevance of the positions offered to potential employees. In my experience, Monster offered me many potential positions for employment. However, the positions offered seemed to be only abstractly related to my knowledge, skills, and capabilities (i.e. UPS Delivery Driver, Insurance Sales, CDL Driver, etc).

In class on November 20^th, both the elementary school and higher education career development workshop groups did an excellent job promoting awareness, exposure, preparation, marketability, networking, and employability skills at an age-appropriate level for their client population. Each group supported and enforced the importance of the P-E concept, making connections to the life-long career development process within the world of work. The higher education group helped their student population to strengthen their resumes, prepare for the interview process, and foster employability skills in college to prepare for the work force, just around the corner. 

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

chapter 11 & 16

I thought that the presentations on Wednesday went really well. They were informative and applied the career aspects to their age group appropriately. I found that the Focus 2 assessments were really interesting and could be a great resource for many clients who are facing career indecision. The elementary group added a unique component of having speakers in the classroom that an elementary school student would find interesting and engaging.

As both groups mentioned, self-awareness and personal interest are key components in finding a career that will satisfy a client’s needs. Brown (2012) provided a great deal of information about how to go about finding and receiving a job. Networking is a word that has been stressed to me since my undergrad career. We were always encouraged to go to conferences and seminars and introduce ourselves to the people who attended. I was intrigued by Siliker’s (1993) study that unemployed people over the age of 50 who were in the more Conventional, Enterprising, and Realistic occupations found jobs through networking with relatives and friends, whereas those who sought the more Social, Artistic, and Investigative occupations found jobs through newspaper advertisements or agencies (Brown, 2012). I also found the section about resumes helpful. Knowing the style and the specific items that employers look for is important since resumes are only looked at for a very brief amount of time (Undergrad notes, 2012).

As with every new program, and even existing programs, such as career programs in the work field, it is important to get the participants feedback. Such career programs cost a significant amount of money, and the investors want to be sure that the money they are putting into the program is worth it (Brown, 2012). Evaluations are ways that investors can determine whether or not the program is achieving its’ objectives (Brown, 2012). Evaluations must be done in a user friendly way so that the participants understand exactly what the questions are asking and they can be answered without difficulty. Also, there should be as little outside variable interference as possible. Brown (2012) gives a descriptive design example of an evaluation that uses “yes” or “no” questions and then based on those answers he asks more in-depth questions. He evaluation also uses a Lichert Scale, which based on my experiences with evaluations, makes it very easy to complete. Personally, I am much more willing to answer evaluations that are short and to the point. The focus groups were a great way to collect information as well (Brown, 2012). I think that the face-to-face contact and group setting could be beneficial, but the evaluator would have to watch out for participants who give in to group conformity.

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

Chp 11 and 16

Chapter 11 had a lot of interesting and surprising information in it.  For Example, the different styles of resumes preferred by different employers ranged from chronological, plain text, or functional (Brown, 2012).  These different styles of resumes were never taught to me in high school or college.

Another interesting note Brown (2012) wrote in this chapter was the twitter job search.  I was astonished that there is an actual Twitter Job Search Guide.  This is a good thing for individuals who have access to the internet and are capable of maneuvering through twitter in order to take advantage of their resources.  Twitter connects people all over the world and this strengthens the claim Brown (2012) made about the global economy.  Twitter can provide a fast way of effectively communicating in the world of work for employers, employees, and job seekers.  However, those who are technologically disadvantaged suffer because they do not have access to twitter.  The digital divide can be seen within our own country and across countries (Brown, 2012).  There are still “classic” ways to find job openings, but it is likely that there are businesses whom only post jobs on their website, search engines (i.e. monster), and twitter.  Therefore, people who do not have access to the internet have fewer options when perusing job openings.

What’s more, Eck (1993) discovered that the more one’s education had prepared one to perform a job the more likely one is to secure a job.  The implications of this study are vast.  First, underemployment is the result of a mismatch between education and occupation. These individuals are prepared by their education to perform a job, yet the job they secure does not require them to use their skills, abilities, and knowledge.  Furthermore, underemployed individuals likely have low satisfaction; whereas, their employer has high satisfactoriness (Theory of Work Adjustment via Brown, 2012).  Second, the educational system is instrumental in the future of its students.  Those who receive an education that does not prepare them to perform a job will be less likely to secure a job.  Third, the results indicate a strong need for the educational system to integrate career and the world of work with one’s education.  Lastly, since not everyone goes to postsecondary schooling it is the job of elementary, middle, and high schools to prepare these adolescents for a job and the work environment.

A final surprising and interesting discovery was made by Hall and Parker (2010).  Their study concluded that clients with disabilities felt misunderstood, and received little help by counselors in the One-Stop Career Center.  The findings support the early assertions made by Brown (2012) in previous chapters.  The traditional model and underpinnings of career development ignore marginalized and disenfranchised individuals (Brown, 2012; Blustein, McWhriter, & Perry, 2005).  Moreover, Goal-oriented change is not possible in the United States for oppressed and disadvantaged individuals (Blustein, et. al 2005; Peterson & Gonzalez, 2005).  Career counselors need to recognize their prejudices, assumptions, and stereotypes in order to best serve their clients.  Every client has different needs and is at varying thresholds; thus the career counseling interventions should be tailored on an individual basis.

Furthermore, in Chapter 16 Brown (2012) discusses the different styles of experimental design; thus, evidence-based practices.   Purposefully selecting participants and developing focus groups can allow practitioners to gain insights into a specific subject and environment.  Presumably Hall and Parker (2010) used a qualitative evaluation, in the form of a focus group, to understand the perspective of clients with disabilities.  This is an appropriate strategy used by the researchers in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the One-Stop Career Center for individuals with disabilities.  Therefore, Chapter 16 was focused on strengths and weaknesses of differing experimental designs in order to evaluate evidence-based practices and being mindful when selecting a strategy (Brown, 2012).

Blustein, D. L., McWhriter, E. H., & Perry, J. C.  (2005).  An emancipatory communitarian approach to vocational development theory, research and practice.  Counseling Psychologist, 33, 141-179.

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

Eck, A.  (1993, October).  Job-related education and training:  Their impact on earnings.  Monthly Labor Review, 21-38.

Hall, J.  P.  & Parker, K. (2010).  Stuck in a loop:  Individual and system barriers for job seekers with disabilities.  Career Development Quarterly, 58, 246-256.

Peterson N. & Gonzalez, R. C.  (2005).  The role of work in people’s lives:  Applied career counseling and vocational psychology (2^nd ed.). Belmont, CA:  Brooks/Cole.