3 Chapter 2: Career Perspectives
Chapter 2 Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Define career development and employability.
- Describe how chaos theory applies to career planning.
- Critique career myths that create barriers to career development.
Priming the Mind:
Beginning of class pre-write or pre-discussion questions
2.1 How do you know what sort of work is “right” for you?
2.2 What events in life (big or small) have lead you to be sitting in this class/taking this class right now? Did you anticipate this is where you would be five years ago?
2.3 What would you do and how would you feel if you were suddenly let go from a job you loved? How would you move on to find new employment?
2.4 Who is involved in your career decisions? Who do you take into account and who do you seek advice from?
2.1 Theories of Career Development
- 20th century work was characterized by stability and bureaucracy. Employees could keep their jobs if they did them well.
- Now, individuals are expected to experience unemployment during their careers.
- Organizational or employee loyalty is scares so individuals need to always be prepared for the possibility they will need to or want to seek new employment.
- Self-managed careers, often termed boundaryless, require individuals to be proactive and adaptable
- Trait and Factor Career Models:
- Focus on matching individual abilities to job requirements.
- Assumption of linear career progression (school -> job -> retirement).
- Emphasis on vocational guidance and aptitude testing.
- Examples of early career counseling practices (e.g., Parsons’ vocational guidance model).
- Limitations of Traditional Career Models:
- Inability to account for career changes and non-linear career paths.
- Overemphasis on occupational choice rather than career development.
- Neglect of the role of social and contextual factors in career success.
Exercises
- Have students take the O*Net interest profiler (https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip) and compare results.
- Discuss the utility of the assessment and its limitations.
2.2 Chaos Theory and Career Development
- Chaos Theory Basics:
- Chaos theory is the “study of the behavior of complex dynamical systems”
- Place an emphasis on preparation instead of planning
- Focus on adaptation, not deciding (de-emphasize the finality of choices)
- Develop short-term, flexible goals
- Grow self-awareness and build transferrable skills
- Application of chaos theory to career development (unpredictability, complexity, and emergence).
- Chaos theory is the “study of the behavior of complex dynamical systems”
- Implications for Career Planning:
- Embracing uncertainty and adaptability.
- Developing a flexible and resilient mindset.
- Building a strong foundation of transferable skills.
- Importance of continuous learning and skill development.
2.3 Employability: A Multifaceted Construct
- Defining Employability:
- Employability is the likelihood an individual could obtain employment.
- Key components: career identity, personal adaptability, human capital, and social capital.
- Career Identity:
- An individuals’ understanding of who they are and who they want to be in the world of work.
- Career identities are formulated with values, beliefs, hopes, fears, goals and work preferences, which may change with new experiences over a lifetime.
- Career identity acts as a “cognitive compass” guiding individuals to seek out particular career opportunities
- Personal Adaptability:
- The ability to adjust to changing work environments and challenges.
- Key competencies: optimistic, open to change, propensity to learn, internal locus of control
- Human Capital:
- Individual characteristics such as a person’s cognitive ability, age, education, breadth and depth of skills, and work experience
- Social Capital:
- The information and influence inherent in one’s social network.
- The size and diversity of a network, and the strength of relationships with those in one’s network influence its value.
Activity
Employability Self-Assessment
- Provide a worksheet with four quadrants on it, labeled with the dimensions of the employability model (career identity, personal adaptability, human capital, and social capital).
- Have students evaluate and categorize their skills and experiences within the employability model presented.
2.4 Debunking Career Myths:
Myth 1: There is one perfect career for everyone.
- Individuals possess diverse skills and interests suitable for multiple roles.
- Career paths are often non-linear and involve multiple jobs.
- Personal values and beliefs influence career choices.
Myth 2: Your major determines your career.
- Many majors develop transferable skills applicable to various careers.
- Employers value a broad skill set beyond major-specific knowledge.
- Career paths can evolve independently of initial major choice.
Myth 3: Career assessments provide definitive career paths.
- Assessments offer insights but should not be relied on solely.
- Assessments may not accurately reflect individual strengths and weaknesses.
- Self-reflection is crucial for effective career planning.
Myth 4: A college will get you a good job.
- A degree increases earning potential but doesn’t guarantee specific jobs.
- Employability skills and job search strategies are equally important.
- Career paths may involve unexpected twists and turns.
Myth 5: Passion should be the primary driver for career choice.
- Finding meaningful work is important, but passion alone may not sustain a career.
- Aligning personal interests with career goals is beneficial but monetizing your passion could turn what was enjoyable into something no longer enjoyable or make a person work in exploitive circumstances or lead to burnout.
- Exploring various career options is essential for finding fulfillment.
Myth 6: Money will make you happy/is the ultimate measure of career success.
- Financial security is important, but it’s not the sole determinant of job satisfaction.
- Work-life balance and personal fulfillment are also crucial.
- Long-term career satisfaction often involves a combination of factors beyond salary.
Activity
- Assign the career myths to groups of 3-4 students. Ask them to create a 2-minute presentation explaining why some might think the myth to be truth and why it is considered a myth.
