The constructivist approach to career counseling employs active listening and puts the counselors in a role to act as a mirror to the client. This particular approach's goal is to help clients in reflecting on their lives, their experiences, and how those things effect their career choices.
One of the basic concepts of the constructivist approach is "meaning-making", which refers to the client's ability to promote self-awareness of the processes underlying meaningful career decisions. This approach helps the client create a narrative for their life, pinpointing important events in their life that helped to shape their current world view, and in turn, their opinions on career choices.
While this approach can often be seen as vague, it is efficient is empowering the client through increased self-awareness, particularly in work life issues.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Linda Gottfredson
Gottfredson's career development theory focuses on the concept that we "inherited" our career, using the notions of self-concept, circumscription and compromise. Self-concept consists of how our attitudes, beliefs, skills, and interests are strongly influenced by out shared experiences, while we also remain in control of our own development. Gottfredson names the stages of circumscription as follows:
1) Orientation to size and power (ages 3 to 5)
2) Orientation to sex roles (ages 6-8)
3) Orientation to social valuation (ages 9-11)
4) Orientation to internal, unique self (ages 14+)
Gottfredson suggests that during this time an individual eliminates certain occupations based on gender roles, etc. During compromise, an individual relinquishes their preferred occupations for less compatible or more accessible ones. Gottfredson suggests that an individual:
1) Works with their core traits
2) Sample a broad range of experiences
3) Surround yourself with people, activities, and settings that bring out the best in them
4) Acknowledge that each person and situation is unique
5) Keep an open mind about their options
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