NCDA Exploration
Review the minimum competencies for career counselors in the Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey (2012) text. With the proliferation of information available via the internet, it has become increasingly important for career counselors to be knowledgeable of resources accessible through virtual sites. This week you will begin the process of utilizing the internet to obtain career-related information. Visit the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Website via the URL listed under Websites in the Readings section of this week. After you have thoroughly explored the site, discuss a component which you found particularly valuable. Share your insights. Finally, analyze the component as it relates to the work of a Career Counselor. Post should be at least 300 words.
Introduction to Assessment Instruments
After reading the Patton and McIlveen (2009) article and paying particular attention to the Assessment section, critique at least one of the career assessments currently being utilized in the career counseling field. Address the following questions in your response: What specifically is the instrument used for? In what situations might this instrument be most appropriate to use? What are the strengths of the instrument? What, if any, weaknesses have been identified? You may need to conduct follow-up research to adequately address these questions. Post should be at least 300 words.
Values Sorting Exercise
Understanding values is integral to finding career satisfaction. Research shows that when values and decision making are misaligned, individuals tend to have challenges in their careers. To help gain perspective in this area, complete the values sorting exercise in the Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey (2012) text. Following the exercise guidelines, identify your top ten values first. Then, narrow your values down to five and include definitions. Refer to the example in the textbook. Consider the ways in which you express your top five values on a daily basis. In what ways could you improve the alignment of your values with your daily activities? Share your insights on this process in the discussion forum. You may share your values if you choose. How might this particular exercise help in the career counseling process? Post should be at least 300 words.
Case-Study of Ronald
According to Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey (2012), “careers are person-specific and created by choices we make throughout our lives. Careers emerge from the constant interplay between the person and the environment”. The authors also state that “careers are personal and encompass the total constellation of life roles that we play. Thus, managing our careers effectively also involves integrating roles effectively”. Considering this information, review the case study of Ronald in the Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey (2012) text. After reading the case study, select one of the recent theories from Chapter 3 and write a response indicating how you would apply the theory to describe the career development of Ronald. What interventions might work in this case? Post should be at least 300 words.
Group Career Counseling
At a time of economic hardship, employee shortages, and resource constraints, more and more group counseling sessions are being utilized as a means to reach larger groups. As a result, career counselors must become knowledgeable in group counseling techniques, topics, and/or interventions that are appropriate in a group setting. With this information in mind, address the following questions:
a. What are the advantages of conducting career counseling groups? What are the disadvantages?
b. Which career development concerns do you think might be most appropriate for a group counseling experience?
c. What career development concerns do you think might be inappropriate for a group career counseling experience?
Post should be at least 300 words.
Counseling Specific Populations
During the past two decades many scholars and researchers have focused attention on determining how human interaction is impacted by differences such as age, race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, etc. While it is evident that these factors do impact our day to day interactions, many debate the extent to which career counseling outcomes are affected or whether some counseling methods and techniques may be more effective with specific populations than others. Some scholars and researchers believe counseling techniques and intervention strategies should differ depending on the specific population. Do you agree? Give an example that justifies your response. How can we address different needs without stereotyping? Post should be at least 300 words.
Cybercounseling
The internet has become a powerful tool in the delivery of career counseling and information services. Among the developments in computer-based counseling is cybercounseling. As a result of the proliferation of cybercounseling, ethical guidelines have been created from which career centers and Counselors can gain guidance. Three key organizations, National Career Development Association (NCDA), American Counseling Association (ACA), and National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), have each developed their own set of ethical guidelines. Review the ethical guidelines in the Harris-Bowlsbey (2012) text. Prior to addressing the questions of this discussion, conduct brief research on cybercounseling. Based on the information you found and considering the ethical guidelines from the textbook, address the following questions: Do you see cybercounseling as an asset to counselors? What are the potential benefits to the client? What concerns do you have about conducting cybercounseling? Post should be at least 300 words.
O’Net Website Review
As you know, access to technology has changed the way career counselors go about providing services to clients. The breadth of resources and tools available online is exhaustive. Some information can be accessed by clients free of charge from any computer with internet access. One such site is O’Net Online. O’Net includes a wealth of valuable information on careers including electronic data on projected growth/need, salaries, and skills/education requirements. While much of this information can be accessed by clients, research shows that skilled career counselors are vital to helping individuals work through career-related decisions and challenges. Thus, being knowledgeable about such resources is vital to providing quality service.
Visit the O’Net Online site listed in your required readings for this week. From the main page, click on “Find Occupations” and select “Career Cluster”. Search for at least three different occupations on the “Browse by Career Cluster” page. After reviewing the information, address the following questions: What types of information did you find? In the capacity of a Career Counselor, would you find the information helpful? Why? Was there any downside to the website or to the way information was presented? Post should be at least 300 words.
Calling and Vocation in Career Counseling
Many clients who seek career counseling are searching for a change as a result of not finding meaning or fulfillment in their work. Much research has been done on incorporating the constructs of calling and vocation into career counseling as a means to assist clients in the process of clarifying their career goals and ultimately reaching a position of fulfillment. After reading the assigned article, “Calling and Vocation in Career Counseling: Recommendations for Promoting Meaningful Work” (2009), critique the utilization of these constructs in career counseling. How might these constructs help or hinder a client seeking career advisement? What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of these constructs? Post should be at least 300 words.
Planning Interventions
According to Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey (2012), “counselors may play a variety of roles related to the design and implementation of career development programs and services in their work settings. These roles may include advocacy, coordination, participation, design, management, and evaluation”. In Week Six, you will be developing an intervention for a special population. Interventions are also referred to as career development programs. As part of the preparation for the final summative assessment, this week you will build knowledge and background on the steps for designing and implementing career development interventions.
Evaluate one of the programs described in the Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey (2012) text. Based on the description, do you believe this program would be effective for the target population? Why? What would you add to improve the intervention? Post should be at least 300 words.
Final Project Draft and Peer Review/Self-Check
For this discussion, you will create and submit a draft of your final project, a 3-4 page draft of your final paper. Then, you will peer review at least one fellow student’s submission. The instructor may post a peer review schedule as part of an announcement and in an “Instructor Guidance Post” within the Week 5 “peer review discussion group.”
This is a peer review and the instructor will not be offering feedback on drafts.
Make sure that you do the following in your submissions:
A. Describe the target population including relevant career related statistics.
B. State the goals and objectives of your “presentation” or paper.
C. Identify and describe at least one career theory that you will use in your presentation/paper.
D. Reference two sources at a minimum in addition to the course text. (Professional/scholarly journals are peer reviewed and focus on the profession/application of psychology (located on Proquest, EBSCOHost, PsycNET, etc.). Non-scholarly articles include newspapers, periodicals, secular magazines, etc., and are not peer reviewed. Websites not approved include wilkipedia.com and about.com.)
E. Use the notes feature to add specific information that cannot be seen by the audience on the PowerPoint slides. (Note: This is applicable only if Option 1 of the final assignment was chosen by the student.)
For each component (A-E above, as applicable), provide a score of 1-5, with 5 being the “highest quality” and 1, the lowest. Also, provide written feedback for each component, particularly focusing on those in which a rating of 3 or lower is given.
When providing written feedback please do so in a way that is considerate and respectful. Focus on suggestions for improvement (as opposed to highlighting all of the “negatives” of the presentation).
You may wish to use language with each other like:
1. “I would suggest that…”
2. “You might improve by adding the following…”
3. “Clarification on this slide might be helpful.”
4. “You might be able to make the topic more clear by…”
5. “You might consider removing or rephrasing…”
Ethical Considerations in Career Counseling
All career counselors are subject to ethical standards. As you learned in Week One, the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), National Career Development Association (NCDA), and the American Counseling Association (ACA), have each established ethical guidelines for career counselors. As you might expect, you will be faced with situations throughout your career that require you to reflect on and abide by these standards. Identify a topic which could present personal ethical/moral issues for you in your work as a career counselor. There are suggested topics in Chapter 14 of the Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey (2012) text; however, you are free to select one of your own. After identifying a topic, answer the following questions:
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