Chapter 11 & 16

Chapter 11 highlights the important impact careers have on individual’s self-esteem. I have certainly witnessed this in my own life, as I have encountered many individual’s stuck in occupations they are unsatisfied with (i.e. many individuals who are not using their college degrees). Our occupations impact our identities, as they encompass a significant portion of our life roles. Traditionally, most of us work close to forty hours a week which is a very substantial portion of our lives. We must find this work to be meaningful or fulfilling in some fashion in order to be happy.

This chapter also elaborated on strategies to improve marketability which seemed very obvious to me. The more unique skills one possesses, one would assume increases marketability and provides applicants with a competitive edge. Obviously, one must be proficient in job hunting, writing cover letters, composing a resume, and interviewing in order to be successful.

I enjoyed toying with the idea of placement offices in colleges and high schools. Mostly, I feel this may promote too much handholding. Perhaps the job market is meant to be competitive. I believe it is helpful and necessary to provide students with informative resources in terms of job options and possibilities as well as the tools necessary to find jobs. However, I often feel many people in our society have a sense of entitlement; they feel that they are owed something (i.e. someone else should make things easier or do the hard work for them). I realize this sounds cynical, but I truly believe that often times people in our society rely too heavily on others to “fix” their problems or to find the solution for them. I would like to think that the majority of us are capable of utilizing our own resources in order to seek opportunities. I believe in providing the tools and strategies to students, but allowing them to spread their own wings and apply the knowledge they have been taught in order to utilize those skills. Placing students seems too easy. I think job placement may be more pertinent in lower SES areas perhaps though, for populations with limited education and resources.

 

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

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