Chapter 15

I really enjoyed our conversation Wednesday about whether college is needed or not in today’s society. I thought that there were very valid points brought up from both sides and that ultimately, it depends on the individual and the situation that they are in. I also thought that each person/ individual’s definition of success was interesting because they each had an important point, but many of them had overlapping ideas. The client’s definition is the only one that matters in the counseling setting, and the counselor needs to be very aware of their client’s definition.

The definition of success ties over nicely with Brown’s idea of career development programming. There are a variety of different programs that companies can implement to help their company be more successful, but it is up to the company to deicide which one fits best with the employees and companies goals (Brown, 2012). In order for a career development program to be successful, everyone needs to be onboard and engaged in the process. It is very important for the managers to know their staff and what they need from the managers (Brown, 2012). For instance, when planning activities for the employees to complete, the managers need to be aware of any employees who may feel uncomfortable answering certain questions, such as those having to do with their own personal interests and values (Brown, 2012). As the program is being designed, employees should be aware of all of the great opportunities the programs have to offer (Brown, 2012). One program that has been a success is the Livermore Labs program in California. This program provides a resource center where employees can access all types of information as well as get their resume reviewed by specialized people, individual counseling and career exploration (Brown, 2012).

Brown (2012) also discussed the importance of mentors in the work environment. I think that this addition is very beneficial for employees, especially when they are just starting the job. They can have someone right with them so that they are able to learn the tasks of the job accurately and gain feedback right away (Brown, 2012). Mentoring also gives a sense of significance to the person who is mentoring because it shows that the managers believe in the person and he or she can be a positive role model (Brown, 2012). One thing that struck me with this section was the fact that it seemed as though only males could be the mentor and the females were always the mentees. I believe that the cross-gender situations can go both ways with the male or the female being in the mentor role.

Organizations who have implemented career development programs have found big successes (Brown, 2012). A few of the successes they found include that these programs have decreased the turnover rate and increased the productivity and profitability of the company (Brown, 2012). These successes have seemed to make the costs of the programs worth every penny.

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