Adult Career Counseling in a New Age Essay

Adult Career Counseling in a New Age Essay

Adult Career Counseling in a New Age



The changing workplace – a by–now familiar litany of economic, demographic, organizational, and social changes – has made ambiguity the only certainty in work life. Many adults had little or no career education, guidance, or counseling when they were "in school " and often seek such help now, making job or career changes spurred by their personal stage of development or by the "postmodern" workplace. Although career development is a continuous lifelong process, "media and some scholars continue to dramatize crisis in midlife" (Lea and Leibowitz 1992, p. 8). Crises and transitions can occur at any period, however. Hoyt and Lester (1995) found that the career needs of adults aged 18–25 are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...Their clients' career issues are complicated by family responsibilities and work and life experiences that color their attitudes, values, and decisions. Some may already have made the decision to change, have a great deal of self–knowledge, and need information or assistance in coping with the new context of job search. Others may have drifted into their jobs with little planning or guidance, have difficulty making decisions, and lack awareness of their skills, abilities, and interests. Some may be self–directed learners who just need to be pointed in the right direction; others may want to be given the answer to their career conundrum in a structured way.



Clearly, counselors must be familiar with adult development and adult learning theories and need varied approaches for these different types of clients. They can guide adult clients in mining their life experiences as a source of career information. For experienced clients who already know what they don't want, traditional resources such as the Dictionary of Occupational Titles or Occupational Outlook Handbookmay be of little help. Washington (1993) suggests broadening their occupational horizons by identifying the special knowledge and technical skills they already possess, using job families instead of traditional

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