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Marginalized Group Career Counseling Paper

For this assignment you will work with this specific group:

• College students

Write a paper of 1,750 to 2,100 words that can be used as a resource when working with an individual from the selected group. Use scholarly resources to support your use of a specific career theory as well as interventions with this population. The paper should include the following:

• An explanation of who the population is and why it is important for this group to receive career counseling (CACREP 2.F.4.e)
• Statistics on the group (e.g., how large, how many have employment problems, how many utilize career counseling) (CACREP 2.F.4.c)
• Discussion of career counseling theory to be used with the group (e.g., Minnesota theory of work adjustment). Include evidence supporting the use of this theory in the general population as well as within the group. Please note: If none is available, it is important to indicate that as well. (CACREP 2.F.4.a)
• Basic plan for counseling utilizing chosen theory (e.g., interview, use of assessment tools, explanation of theory) (CACREP 2.F.4.a, CACREP 2.F.4.i)
• Environmental/personal barriers that may prevent the client from finding work (e.g., disability, substance use history, felony, transportation, limited computer access) and specific intervention plans to address barriers (CACREP 2.F.4.b, CACREP 2.F.4.g, CACRE 2.F.4.j)
• Relevant and local resources available to help the client obtain work (e.g., job center, training programs, support groups) and a description of activities and supplemental materials that can be used by the individual (CACREP 2.F.4.h)
• Based on the information listed above, provide some recommendations with regard to your plan to include your opinion on whether this plan is tenable and if you think if it can work. (CACREP 2.F.4.f)
• A discussion of how spirituality can be incorporated into career counseling. As examples, when counseling a Jewish client that observes the Sabbath, the counselor would want to talk to them about considering the work schedule when looking for employment or the counselor could ask questions about purpose and value as it relates to finding employment. Please refer to the Vocation and Lifelong Spiritual Formation: A Christian Integrative Perspective on Calling in Mid-Career article for your response.
• A minimum of eight scholarly references.

Marginalized Group Career Counseling Paper: College Students

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Marginalized Group Career Counseling Paper: College Students

Counselling refers to a professional relationship that focuses on helping individuals, families, and different population groups to improve or achieve good health, career goals, and education. The career counseling process entails helping clients through the process of achieving self-awareness about themselves including their interests, abilities, talents, and personality and how they can be incorporated when making choices regarding a specific career path. Career counselors provide career education and vocational guidance through coaching, skill assessment, and connections to professional networking services. One of the population groups that benefit the most from career counseling is college students (Keshf & Khanum, 2021). The purpose of this paper is to describe the population, a specific career counseling theory that may be used with the group, barriers that prevent college students from finding work, and resources available to help them find work. The paper will also describe how spirituality can be incorporated into counseling.

Explanation of the Population

College students are individuals who are students in higher learning institutions including universities or colleges on either a part-time or full-time basis. Most students go to college with little to no understanding of the job market and what they aspire to be when they graduate. Therefore, they spend a lot of time exploring their educational and career goals (Gallup, 2017). Career counseling is very important for college students because it facilitates successful decision-making regarding career choices and motivates students to complete their courses. Decision-making skills are important life skills for students and decisions about career counseling prepare students for all major life transitions they are likely to encounter in their lives. Through career counseling, students understand the specific choices they have and the proper ways of pursuing them. Moreover, counseling facilitates understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses which further influences decision-making. Counselors provide college students with a platform to talk about their aspirations and the barriers that may prevent them from achieving them. Identifying such barriers is necessary since students may work with the counselors to find effective solutions. Career counseling also boosts the confidence of the students about their future careers. Students also learn how to communicate effectively with others in a professional manner and also access the knowledge and resources provided by the counselor (Miller et al., 2018).

Group Statistics

As of 2020, there were approximately 19 million college students in the U.S. with 5 million enrolled in private higher learning institutions and about 14 million enrolled in public institutions. Most college students need jobs for personal and household income (Duffin, 2022). The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant employment issues including job losses in some sectors and labor shortages in other sectors such as the healthcare and technology sectors. Given such trends, it is difficult for students to navigate the employment market and make good decisions based on their interests, skills, and job market trends (Lau et al., 2021).

Despite the high rates of college enrollment, career choice is still a significant issue among college students in the U.S. According to a nationally-representative survey on college students reported by Gallup (2017), only about 34 percent of students are confident that the skills they gain in college will translate to success in the job market. Only 53 percent of college students believe that their selected major will increase their chances of getting reasonable employment opportunities. Students who are above age 24 demonstrate better confidence that the knowledge and skills they gain in college will translate to success in the job market. Despite the lack of confidence in their courses and career decisions, less than 20 percent of students at the undergraduate level utilize career centers in their schools for career counseling. Most students tend to prefer consulting with family members or friends when making decisions such as selecting a major. 39 percent of college students have never utilized career services in their schools including online resources. Notably, college students who receive career counseling feel most prepared to join the workforce. Career services in colleges are mostly helpful to students from underserved and underrepresented populations including Hispanic and African American students.

Career Counseling Theory

The career counseling theory that is most suited for college students is the trait factor theory developed by Frank Parson. The theory posits that people can make decisions about their careers after they gain an understanding of their traits including their abilities, interests, and aptitudes, and have adequate knowledge of the job and labor market. This information is used to make an objective and rational judgment based on the association between personality traits and the job market. The trait-factor theory provided a conceptual basis for other career development theories including the Minnesota Theory of Work-Adjustment and the person-environment fit paradigm (Leung, 2022).

Several research studies have illustrated the link between individual traits and career choices. Betz and Borgen (2009) conducted a study that examined the use of career exploration systems based on the trait-factor and self-efficacy theories in improving career decision-making among university students. The findings illustrated that a career exploration system based on the trait-factor theory improves decision-making among students from diverse racial backgrounds including white, Asian American, and African American students. Leung (2022) examined the effectiveness of career guidance systems based on trait-factor approaches in career selection among students aspiring to go to college. The findings illustrated that students who used these systems reported better decision clarity, reduced decision-making difficulty, and a higher understanding of the significance of career planning when compared to non-users.

Other studies illustrated the link between personality traits and career selection. Li et al. (2022) examined the link between personality traits and the selection of entrepreneurship as a career choice. The study determined that students with traits such as openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness are more likely to have entrepreneurial intentions. Additionally, apart from personality traits, knowledge of the market and corporate performance also play a mediating role in career choice.

Plan for Utilizing the Selected Theory

The trait-factor theory can be utilized by encouraging students to gain a better understanding of their personality, values, and skills before making career decisions. As per Atli (2016), counselors can use assessment tools such as the Holland Code (RIASEC) tool which assesses six personality types realistic, social, artistic, conventional, and enterprising. This tool will enhance the student’s self-knowledge. After administering the tool, it is important to help students sort out their skills and values to determine which ones are the most important to them and what they enjoy using. The next step is to provide job information regarding specific industries and jobs that the student is interested in including current job market trends and future expectations. Clients should use this information to choose prospective career choices. The counselor should provide clients with the opportunity to test the reality of the career choices they want using information such as the chances of getting employment based on job market trends.

Environmental/personal barriers to Employment

College students experience numerous barriers that may prevent them from accessing employment opportunities. Some students may lack the support they need to seek and apply for employment opportunities. Others may lack the financial resources required to complete their education and gather adequate skills required in the employment sector. Even for students who complete their studies, barriers linked to career exploration and planning are common. Students from poor backgrounds may lack the financial resources needed to seek career advice from professional counselors. Other barriers may include mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and physical disabilities (Toyokawa & DeWald, 2020).

The provision of free career counseling services for college students is a significant intervention that can help needy students access career advice. All students should be informed about the availability of these services and their advantages as soon as they join college. Career services should also be included among the units taken by all students, especially during the freshman year when students are still making decisions on their majors (Schlesinger et al., 2021). Lam and Santos (2017) add that colleges should also provide quality and comprehensive mental health services including therapy for all students to ensure that mental health issues are addressed before students enter the job market. For students with disabilities, career counselors should help them select careers which align with their abilities and also provide information on legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits employers from discriminating against potential employees with disabilities.

Relevant Resources

Students can utilize both online and local resources to obtain employment opportunities. Online resources are readily available and cheap for students. Online platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed provide online training and access to employment opportunities advertised by different organizations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good online resource that provides information on specific job positions and their characteristics including training, education, and qualifications. The handbook also provides supplemental information including geographical data on jobs, job trends, and average salaries for different professions. Students should also make use of state-based career resources available online which include resources such as job opportunities, online courses, labor market information, vocational rehabilitation services, and personalized support services. At a local level, students should also make use of career service centers in their institutions. These centers provide students with the necessary help they need when searching for internship placements or jobs. Some colleges also provide online career support events in which students can participate (Schlesinger et al., 2021).

Recommendations concerning the Plan

The plan for implementing the trait-factor theory focused on improving students’ self-knowledge using the Holland Code (RIASEC) tool which examines personality traits and provides information on labor industry trends to influence decision making. This plan is tenable because the resources described facilitating its implementation. For instance, the Holland Code (RIASEC) tool is readily available online and students can access it whenever they want to and use the findings along with information on market trends to make career decisions. Students should seek help and support from the career services centers in their institutions if they have more questions about the link between personality traits and career choice.

Spirituality and Career Counseling

Spirituality can be incorporated into career counseling by considering that many people view their career choices as a calling. According to Lemke (2020), the perception of a career as a calling is reported among 50 percent of adults in the employment industry and 44 percent of college students. Callings can be nurtured and developed with time but can also be diminished if students do not have the opportunity to live them. Factors such as availability of support, motivation, career commitment, work meaning, and person-environment fit influence students’ abilities to nurture their callings. Mintert et al. (2020) add that when providing career counseling, it is important to assess spiritual values and beliefs as part of the individual’s personality and determine how they influence career interests and choices. It is also important to assess how spirituality has supported the client through stressful periods and whether this support will be available when faced with career challenges in the future. If a client feels that they were called to pursue a specific career, the counselor should motivate and encourage them to pursue it.

Conclusion

College students require career counseling because they need to make choices about their career goals and how to meet them. Many students do not fully utilize career support services in their institutions and they should be encouraged to do so. The trait-factor theory posits that people make career decisions after considering their personality traits and the characteristics of the labor market. Counselors can implement the trait-factor theory by administering personality assessment tools such as the Holland Code (RIASEC) tool and providing information regarding job market trends. Students should be informed about online resources that provide career information and support. When assessing their clients’ personalities, counselors should ask them about what spirituality means to them and how it influences their career choices.

References

Atli, A. (2016). The Effects of Trait-factor Theory-Based Career Counseling Sessions on the Levels of Career Maturity and Indecision of High School Students. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 4(8), 1837-1847. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2016.040813

Betz, N., & Borgen, F. (2009). Comparative Effectiveness of CAPA and FOCUS Online. Journal of Career Assessment, 17(4), 351-366. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072709334229

Duffin, E. (2022). U.S. number of college students 1965-2020. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183995/us-college-enrollment-and-projections-in-public-and-private-institutions/.

Gallup. (2017). 2017 College Student Survey: A Nationally Representative Survey of Currently Enrolled Students. https://www.fcis.org/uploaded/Data_Reports/Strada-Gallup_January_2018_Student_Survey_Report.pdf.

Keshf, Z., & Khanum, S. (2021). Career Guidance and Counseling Needs in a Developing Country’s Context: A Qualitative Study. SAGE Open, 11(3), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211040119

Lam, M., & Santos, A. (2017). The Impact of a College Career Intervention Program on Career Decision Self-Efficacy, Career Indecision, and Decision-Making Difficulties. Journal of Career Assessment, 26(3), 425-444. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072717714539

Lau, S., Wan, K., & Tsui, M. (2021). Evaluation of a Blended Career Education Course during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Students’ Career Awareness. Sustainability, 13(6), 3471. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063471

Lemke, D. (2020). Vocation and Lifelong Spiritual Formation: A Christian Integrative Perspective on Calling in Mid-career. Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 17(2), 301-324. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739891320923562

Leung, S. (2022). New Frontiers in Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Systems (CACGS): Implications from Career Construction Theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.786232

Li, L., Huang, J., & Gao, S. (2022). The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Entrepreneurial Intention Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Creativity. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.822206

Miller, A., Osborn, D., Sampson, J., Peterson, G., & Reardon, R. (2018). The Impact of a College Career Course on Students’ Career Decision States. The Career Development Quarterly, 66(4), 371-377. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12157

Mintert, J., Tran, A., & Kurpius, S. (2020). Religious and/or Spiritual Social Justice Advocacy: Guidance From the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies. Counseling and Values, 65(1), 2-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/cvj.12119

Schlesinger, J., O’Shea, C., & Blesso, J. (2021). Undergraduate Student Career Development and Career Center Services: Faculty Perspectives. The Career Development Quarterly, 69(2), 145-157. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12255

Toyokawa, T., & DeWald, C. (2020). Perceived Career Barriers and Career Decidedness of First‐Generation College Students. The Career Development Quarterly, 68(4), 332-347. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12240