Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Blog 10: Granello, Chap. 13 & 18



First, I would like to comment on last week’s class.  While I think the peer review was helpful in some ways, I think we would have been better off reviewing only one or two literature reviews, and then having more time to review the feedback with our group and then also discuss our plans for the presentation.  With such a large group project, I think it would be extremely beneficial to have time in class to work on them.  I also think the presentation of Granello’s article would have been more helpful before writing our literature reviews.  Granello’s article is the first thing I have read since high school about how to write a paper.  The papers I have been writing in graduate school are different than what I wrote in high school and even much of my undergraduate years, so I think the article will help me in the future. 

Moving on to Brown (2012), I was blown away by the amount of nontraditional students entering postsecondary education (2/3rds!!)  For these students, career development may need to be tailored differently because of their different needs as compared to students starting college right out of high school.  These students have likely already been in the work force for a number of years, giving them a better idea of what they may or may not want to do.  I’m wondering if these students are also more dedicated and driven in their schoolwork.   Another important topic is the issue of underemployment.  Since the economic recession, I think a lot of people are underemployed.  These workers are not able to utilize the skills and knowledge they have from their education.  Some are also only able to find part-time work, as opposed to full-time.  I have been in this situation, working as a part-time sales associate in retail, with a bachelor’s degree, making just barely over minimum wage.  As Brown states, it is important that graduating college students have access to quality career services, so that they don’t find themselves being under or unemployed. 

An important trend in Brown’s chapter 18 is the change in the job hunt.  Just within the last few decades, the way people search for jobs has changed dramatically. Nearly everything is online now.  And networking is also a very crucial step in the job search.  It’s all about who you know!  From my understanding, face-to-face interviews are becoming a thing of the past.  This can be helpful for those who live out of the area, but I still think the in-person interview is important, especially in certain career fields.  If I’m hiring someone who is going to be interacting with the public for example, I want to see how that person handles themselves and interacts with other people.  Career counselors need to pay attention to the changing job trends so that they know how to best help their clients. 



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

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

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