THE GOLDEN RULE FOR CAREER CHOICES: A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO APPLIED CAREER COUNSELLING
European Scientific Journal February 2014 /SPECIAL/ edition vol.1 ISSN: 1857 - 7881 (Print) e
THE GOLDEN RULE FOR CAREER CHOICES: A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO APPLIED CAREER COUNSELLING
Theodore Katsanevas 0
Professor in Economic Studies Ioanna Tsiaparikou 0
Candidate in Economic Studies 0
0 University of Piraeus , Greece
Career counselling will be analysed in an interdisciplinary and holistic manner focussing on the common denominators between the psychology of work and labour economics. In an attempt to develop valid guidelines for applied career counselling, we will concentrate upon basic critical factors that influence career choices, such as: personality interests, abilities and will, labour market, family and financial data, random events. All the above factors interact with each other under the umbrella of the so-called “golden rule for career choices”, an original approach introduced in this paper. Basic assumption of this notion is that persons with great abilities and strong will have their choice of a wider range of professions that match with their personality type, including professions not comprising other positive factors. Conversely, people with subpar abilities and a weak will would be advised to choose professions that firstly match their personality and secondly, include positive factors mentioned above.
Interdisciplinary; golden rule; applied career guidance
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Introduction
Throughout the relatively short history of career counselling as a separate scientific
field, many theoretical concepts have unfolded. All of them have had the same goal, to
explain human behaviour as it relates to career orientation and to assist individuals with
moulding their life in the most optimal way. Nevertheless, career theory has been criticised
for its tendency to be formed within a complex context and by the accretion of discrete
segments (Patton & McMahon, 1999). Super (1992) acknowledged that his theoretical
formulation was segmental and represented an effort to bring together concepts from various
branches of psychology. Osipow and Fitzgerald (1996) commented that “theory in career
psychology has increasingly moved toward a collection of miniature theories, each dealing
with circumscribed, explicit segments of vocational behaviour, to be woven into a broad
theory after the smaller theories have been shaped by empirical findings” (p.338). Each
theory or model offers explanations about differing parts of the process of career
development. As Super (1992) has stated, it is not valid to ask which group of theories is the
best one, since neither is “sufficient without the other” (p.59).
The Need for an Interdisciplinary, Holistic Contemporary Approach
The need for an interdisciplinary and holistic approach has been emphasised by many
scholars. Patton and McMahon (1999) mentioned that the adoption of an integrative
framework could provide coherence to the field, by providing a comprehensive
conceptualisation of the many existing theories and concepts relevant to understanding career
development. The proponents of the recent movement toward convergence have emphasised
the importance of viewing career behaviour and the relationship between all relevant parts to
each other and to the whole. This approach requires considering contributions from all
theories when exploring an individual’s career decision making processes (Patton, McMahon,
1999). However, while the complexity and controversies of various theories reflects the
complexity of career behaviour, all writers do not support the need for a corresponding
complex grand theory, or group of theories. Vondracek et al. (1986) commented that “the
ultimate result of embracing an interdisciplinary, systems theory type view of career
development will be a shift from simplicity to complexity” (p.6), with related research and
measurement concerns. Nevertheless, it is clear that, we are experiencing the emergence of a
paradigm shift from theories based on logical positivism (e.g. trait-factor), to postmodern
perspectives emphasising counsellor-client collaboration. It is also clear that, although no
single theory is superior to the others, the field is stronger because of the multiple
perspectives currently espoused (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2009). As a general trend, career
development theories have been moving toward holistic approaches. Savickas et al (2010)
mentioned that, “21st century theories should approach careers as individual scripts” (p.129).
Beilin (1955) pointed out the tendency for human behaviour to move from general,
dependent, self-oriented, and isolated to specific, independent, social, and integrated. Career
development has been construed by many writers as one aspect of this maturing process.
However, constructivism itself faces the challenge of being more developed theoretically and
philosophically (Reid, 2006). The division between theory and practice has been the topic of
considerable debate. Although there has been extensive research on ca (...truncated)