This was a really interesting and insightful way to end or PP2 classes’. It was good to see other people’s ideas and also reassuring that our main ideas focused around the same areas; local guidance, catering to all ages, and having continued personal development. I thought that was really a mature idea if i am honest from all groups and reflects maybe the influence that certain theories have had on us- for instance the constructivist approach where we build our own knowledge. I think its easy for a lot of individuals in their work to get very comfortable and possibly become a ‘know it all’, so it was great to see that we all acknowledged the idea of keeping up to date with ideas and with where we ourselves would be at.
One area I, and others felt strongly about was the need to have our managers or supervisors still taking on one-to-one guidance, group work- or really simply to be doing what they as managers were telling their staff to do. I feel that in order for them to run and manage an organisation and team of employees, they have to be up-to date with how to deliver guidance if they are to ‘preach’ to their staff.
Personally an area that I felt strongly about was the starting of career lessons in the primary school. I feel that in an ideal world there would be far more time spent on careers in school and at an early age to incorporate the idea that careers is an important part of our lives. This may allow children to start thinking more early on about what a career means to them and be more equipped to deal with the decisions they will need to make in life. The lessons would also incorporate self-esteem building, recognition of skills and attributes, etc –all the provisions needed throughout life to apply for jobs, know where to look for them, write a CV, be confident about ourselves, take part in an interview, work as a team member, and much more- all the issues that need to be addressed after leaving school for many people could be addressed gradually throughout their lives while still at school.
The government would also be supportive of long-term guidance and understand that the real benefits may take years to show in the individual. There wouldn’t be target setting or time-constraints, the guidance would be individualistic and the client would set their goals (with help if needed) - as what they wanted to achieve would be most important.
This is my idea of guidance- it would be great if this was the case and I think we would all have the perfect job :) !!
Monday, 18 May 2009
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Not long to go- what theory will stay with me??
I have already blogged on my like for the Happenstance theory; however I think that the idea that will stay with me the most when I leave is the idea of multiculturalism.
All the placements which I have been on have incorporated diverse groups and individuals. I have seen the SERVE project in action which aims to help young men/women out of the gang culture in the east end of Glasgow; I have been to a group for young teenage mums looking to get back into education or work, careers Scotland now translates their materials into a number of languages, observed how gender bias is addressed in career lessons and many more relevant examples.
I think as a career adviser it is important that we are aware of any assumptions or bias that we may have when giving guidance and I think personally it is important to do this continually throughout your career as more multicultural issue crop up. I think it would be dangerous to simply try to fit multicultural groups/individuals into the box which you want them to fit into. It is important that we allow there to be individualistic guidance as much as we can and respect the differences that people bring to our society and simply not try to integrate them fully into our society as then everybody would become the same; more or less.
All the placements which I have been on have incorporated diverse groups and individuals. I have seen the SERVE project in action which aims to help young men/women out of the gang culture in the east end of Glasgow; I have been to a group for young teenage mums looking to get back into education or work, careers Scotland now translates their materials into a number of languages, observed how gender bias is addressed in career lessons and many more relevant examples.
I think as a career adviser it is important that we are aware of any assumptions or bias that we may have when giving guidance and I think personally it is important to do this continually throughout your career as more multicultural issue crop up. I think it would be dangerous to simply try to fit multicultural groups/individuals into the box which you want them to fit into. It is important that we allow there to be individualistic guidance as much as we can and respect the differences that people bring to our society and simply not try to integrate them fully into our society as then everybody would become the same; more or less.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Finally understanding the narrative theory
Our last tutorial really condensed everything that we have being covering in our classes. Sometimes its easier to understand a concept when it is simply defined to you in a couple of simple sentences and I think Grant going over the theories that we had looked at in class helped me to eventually get my head around the narrative approach. I think also writing our CDT essay gave me an opportunity to try to put the contemporary theories into my own words and this also really helped.
Gothard, et al (2001) suggests that ‘the use of narrative methods would seem to have a high degree of congruence with the practice of mentoring,’ this idea really helped me to see how a narrative approach would work into today’s guidance centres. It gave me the idea that a lot of Key Workers may unknowingly use a narrative approach.
Effort and commitment to the young person is needed on behalf of the key worker and the work involved at times can be stressful and have many hurdles, and I think in order to overcome these hurdles and episodes the young person needs to trust the key worker and this does mirror the idea of a mentor and I think for a lot of young people this kind of relationship works and is needed. What is created between this individual and their key worker should be the ability to talk the key worker through their life story; what has happened, where they are at now and how they may want to move forward- I do think that this is a good way of looking at how the narrative approach can or would work.
Gothard, et al (2001) suggests that ‘the use of narrative methods would seem to have a high degree of congruence with the practice of mentoring,’ this idea really helped me to see how a narrative approach would work into today’s guidance centres. It gave me the idea that a lot of Key Workers may unknowingly use a narrative approach.
Effort and commitment to the young person is needed on behalf of the key worker and the work involved at times can be stressful and have many hurdles, and I think in order to overcome these hurdles and episodes the young person needs to trust the key worker and this does mirror the idea of a mentor and I think for a lot of young people this kind of relationship works and is needed. What is created between this individual and their key worker should be the ability to talk the key worker through their life story; what has happened, where they are at now and how they may want to move forward- I do think that this is a good way of looking at how the narrative approach can or would work.
If we Career Advisers Cant Even Get A Job!!!
Looking for jobs is extremely daunting, i am finding myself applying for jobs and talking myself out of them almost instantly- i suppose thatfear of rejection, not getting a reply, etc starts kicking in.
Even for us so called 'career advisers' it is a really difficult process to put yourself out there, to be measured on a bit of paper that you have constructed about yourself . Ive realised it really isn't a nice process, especially when you are applying for jobs that you have already invested yourself in. I wasnt that bothered at University about being knocked back for part-time jobs a i knew that wasn't my 'career'; now however its an almost a knock to yourself to go for a job that you have studied for, put your effort into and think that you can do- for someone to say "no, actually you not what we are looking for."
I just thought that it must be a really really difficult experience for people who have multiple barriers to employment. I mean to constantly be rejected, as most people would see it, could put most hardened and confident people off- never mind people who are struggling with so many issues in their life already. It does give new meaning to all the schemes/pilots and non-profit orginisations that help these individuals intensively.
Even for us so called 'career advisers' it is a really difficult process to put yourself out there, to be measured on a bit of paper that you have constructed about yourself . Ive realised it really isn't a nice process, especially when you are applying for jobs that you have already invested yourself in. I wasnt that bothered at University about being knocked back for part-time jobs a i knew that wasn't my 'career'; now however its an almost a knock to yourself to go for a job that you have studied for, put your effort into and think that you can do- for someone to say "no, actually you not what we are looking for."
I just thought that it must be a really really difficult experience for people who have multiple barriers to employment. I mean to constantly be rejected, as most people would see it, could put most hardened and confident people off- never mind people who are struggling with so many issues in their life already. It does give new meaning to all the schemes/pilots and non-profit orginisations that help these individuals intensively.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
One Rule for New Starts, and Another for Others?
I have been taking part in a few interviews on placement and it has been commented a few times that i should remember to go over confidentiality with the client at the beginning of the interview. However, not one interaction i have seen so far involving a member of the employed team have yet to do this!
Now i know I'm not covering it either (as i keep forgetting!!) but the fact that i am am almost getting into trouble for something that doesn't seem to be getting covered anyway seems odd to me. Is it because the employed staff are so eager to be authoritative to a student or is it that they themselves have become oblivious to how they conduct their own interviews, almost assuming that they are doing everything right, when in actual fact they are not doing as they preach!!
I was thinking today that too many professionals now get away without reflecting or evaluating on their own practice, it seems to fall by the way side after a professionals 'probation' year on a job. Does this suggest that no one needs help or guidance in their ob after that, are all people who have been in a job after their probation year experts needing no help or advice on how they are conducting themselves in their job?....personally i think not!
Another clear example comes to mind of teachers who have been in the same post for 20 years, they are seen as experts in their field and on paper that may be so but are they actually up to speed on how to keep a class in the spirit of learning or has it all become routine and dull for them?
I'm starting to think that maybe professionals should be critiqued by the new 'probation' students surely they are the new starts coming to it with a fresh head on their shoulder, eager and willing- maybe they shouldn't be seen as a threat as they so often are.
Now i know I'm not covering it either (as i keep forgetting!!) but the fact that i am am almost getting into trouble for something that doesn't seem to be getting covered anyway seems odd to me. Is it because the employed staff are so eager to be authoritative to a student or is it that they themselves have become oblivious to how they conduct their own interviews, almost assuming that they are doing everything right, when in actual fact they are not doing as they preach!!
I was thinking today that too many professionals now get away without reflecting or evaluating on their own practice, it seems to fall by the way side after a professionals 'probation' year on a job. Does this suggest that no one needs help or guidance in their ob after that, are all people who have been in a job after their probation year experts needing no help or advice on how they are conducting themselves in their job?....personally i think not!
Another clear example comes to mind of teachers who have been in the same post for 20 years, they are seen as experts in their field and on paper that may be so but are they actually up to speed on how to keep a class in the spirit of learning or has it all become routine and dull for them?
I'm starting to think that maybe professionals should be critiqued by the new 'probation' students surely they are the new starts coming to it with a fresh head on their shoulder, eager and willing- maybe they shouldn't be seen as a threat as they so often are.
Monday, 4 May 2009
Placement
I have been on placement for the last week in the Parkhead office with Careers Scotland.
If I am honest, I wasn’t looking forward to gong back onto another placement with Careers Scotland as I had already been on one previously and thought it may be repeating what I had already experienced.
However, so far I have been really enjoying myself, and have been finding out things on this placement which I hadn’t previously known, even after my previous placement in Hamilton earlier this year. I have so far been out in schools, where I have seen how different schools use their career advisers very differently. It seems that the schools in the east of Scotland want a lot out of their career adviser and they are expected to be fully integrated into their system- however, this is a constant struggle I have seen for the career advisers as many are spread over as much as 3 schools and feel that their resources and themselves are being spread very thinly.
I have been a lot more comfortable on this placement and have been enjoying it and I feel that his has something to do with the area which I am working in- I know it well and feel comfortable working with the individuals from this area as I fell that I am more in tune with them, their environment and needs.
I have seen the work that careers advisers to within Additional Support Needs (ASN) schools and I have been really taken aback by how much effort and commitment goes into this work, the work which they do with the school is tremendous and the benefits that the individuals are getting out of it seems to be really worth it. Young people with ASN are being placed into long-term work placements where the employer gets to know the individual, what their attributes are and how to work with the individual in the working environment to make it a possible transition into the workplace after school rather than into college. The careers adviser was telling me that the success stories within an ASN school are what makes it all worth while, she had one boy with Aspergers syndrome which went to work for a local restraunt chain and through mentoring, support from Careers Scotland, and the employer, he has now been there for 4 years and is a full-time supervisor.
With regards to my previous blogs about community and possibly not needing to know the community which you were working within I now do see the benefits of being able to integrate into a community quickly, as knowing the area and about the local areas needs and requirements when it comes to career decisions, employment opportunities, I now see how much more useful I would be to a client in being part of their community or living in the surrounding area.
If I am honest, I wasn’t looking forward to gong back onto another placement with Careers Scotland as I had already been on one previously and thought it may be repeating what I had already experienced.
However, so far I have been really enjoying myself, and have been finding out things on this placement which I hadn’t previously known, even after my previous placement in Hamilton earlier this year. I have so far been out in schools, where I have seen how different schools use their career advisers very differently. It seems that the schools in the east of Scotland want a lot out of their career adviser and they are expected to be fully integrated into their system- however, this is a constant struggle I have seen for the career advisers as many are spread over as much as 3 schools and feel that their resources and themselves are being spread very thinly.
I have been a lot more comfortable on this placement and have been enjoying it and I feel that his has something to do with the area which I am working in- I know it well and feel comfortable working with the individuals from this area as I fell that I am more in tune with them, their environment and needs.
I have seen the work that careers advisers to within Additional Support Needs (ASN) schools and I have been really taken aback by how much effort and commitment goes into this work, the work which they do with the school is tremendous and the benefits that the individuals are getting out of it seems to be really worth it. Young people with ASN are being placed into long-term work placements where the employer gets to know the individual, what their attributes are and how to work with the individual in the working environment to make it a possible transition into the workplace after school rather than into college. The careers adviser was telling me that the success stories within an ASN school are what makes it all worth while, she had one boy with Aspergers syndrome which went to work for a local restraunt chain and through mentoring, support from Careers Scotland, and the employer, he has now been there for 4 years and is a full-time supervisor.
With regards to my previous blogs about community and possibly not needing to know the community which you were working within I now do see the benefits of being able to integrate into a community quickly, as knowing the area and about the local areas needs and requirements when it comes to career decisions, employment opportunities, I now see how much more useful I would be to a client in being part of their community or living in the surrounding area.
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Happenstance
One of the theories I actually like, I think it is a real honest and true theory.
As it is a contemporary theory it has borrowed from traditional theories, however, I can’t quite believe it took until 1999 for it to be really formalised into a theory by Mitchell, Levin and Krumboltz.
Happenstance, as a term, refers to when chance events affect an individual’s career path or planning. The theory is held in high regard, partly due to the number of people able to account for when and where chance has played a part in their own career. I myself maybe particularly drawn to this theory, as I fell that it relates to me. I had throughout school and college planned everything around becoming a primary teacher, as I thought this is what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I took a year out from the course for a variety of reasons (one being my deep dislike for what I had so far spent 3 years doing). It was on this year out that I was offered training at my current work on the Connexions Line; it was from here that I found out about career advisers, and this course. It was sheer luck that I was offered that work and that I liked it so much that I decided to do this Postgraduate course. This is a clear example of how chances lead me to find out what I truly wanted to do.
Where traditionally, vocational confusion would be considered a problem or an issue to be resolved, Happenstance actually embraces it. The theory effectively promotes uncertainty. “Work world shifts challenge career counsellors to adopt a counselling intervention that views unplanned events as both inevitable and desirable.”
However, I am able to see the weakness in this theory; I can see where some might find the concept difficult to digest. It may be that a client has never experienced any of this ‘luck’ that Happenstance bases itself upon, it may also suggest that there is no need for focussing on formal support, planning or guidance when it comes to career choices or accessing the job market. However, I still feel that as a contemporary theory it is going someway to acknowledge the other factors which now affect an individual’s career journey.
(Levin, A., Mitchell, K., Krumboltz, J. (1999) Planned Happenstance - Constructing Unexpected Career Opportunities. Journal of Counselling and Development, 77(02), P. 115 – 125)
As it is a contemporary theory it has borrowed from traditional theories, however, I can’t quite believe it took until 1999 for it to be really formalised into a theory by Mitchell, Levin and Krumboltz.
Happenstance, as a term, refers to when chance events affect an individual’s career path or planning. The theory is held in high regard, partly due to the number of people able to account for when and where chance has played a part in their own career. I myself maybe particularly drawn to this theory, as I fell that it relates to me. I had throughout school and college planned everything around becoming a primary teacher, as I thought this is what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I took a year out from the course for a variety of reasons (one being my deep dislike for what I had so far spent 3 years doing). It was on this year out that I was offered training at my current work on the Connexions Line; it was from here that I found out about career advisers, and this course. It was sheer luck that I was offered that work and that I liked it so much that I decided to do this Postgraduate course. This is a clear example of how chances lead me to find out what I truly wanted to do.
Where traditionally, vocational confusion would be considered a problem or an issue to be resolved, Happenstance actually embraces it. The theory effectively promotes uncertainty. “Work world shifts challenge career counsellors to adopt a counselling intervention that views unplanned events as both inevitable and desirable.”
However, I am able to see the weakness in this theory; I can see where some might find the concept difficult to digest. It may be that a client has never experienced any of this ‘luck’ that Happenstance bases itself upon, it may also suggest that there is no need for focussing on formal support, planning or guidance when it comes to career choices or accessing the job market. However, I still feel that as a contemporary theory it is going someway to acknowledge the other factors which now affect an individual’s career journey.
(Levin, A., Mitchell, K., Krumboltz, J. (1999) Planned Happenstance - Constructing Unexpected Career Opportunities. Journal of Counselling and Development, 77(02), P. 115 – 125)
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