In this book, career counselling history, best practices as well as contemporary models and methods are brought together. In reflecting on the past, present, and future of career counselling, the story of the postmodern, narrative or career construction approach and the model and methods used to advance careers in the 21st century is told. A meta-reflection concept is proposed, based on career construction principles and practices and aimed at providing an examination of repeated reflection in career counselling. Overall, an attempt is made to craft a text that is not just specifically instructive but also more generally so. Whereas the theory section includes much that is hands-on and practical, the inclusion of narratives in the practice section turns theory into practice. Narratives illustrate the complexity and contextuality of partnering with clients toward (re-)designed lives. Ultimately, the volume aims to demonstrate how Mark Savickas’ counselling for career construction approach can be used by clients to connect life themes in order to construct life portraits under the guidance of counsellors.

Academic textbook paper backDescribes a theory of vocational behavior

This book sets out to provide context for innovating counseling for self- and career construction. It gives readers insight into the theory underlying an innovative, integrative qualitative-quantitative approach to career counseling. Three key ideas recur throughout the book. First, the idea of not dispensing “advice” to people—instead, enabling them to advise themselves. Second, the idea of listening for instead of to people’s stories to help them choose and construct careers and themselves and shape their career identities. Third, the idea of helping people connect what they know about themselves consciously with what they are aware of subconsciously. The book confronts some of the main challenges posed by Work 4.0 on the workplace but also foreshadows the imminent advent of Work 5.0. It endeavors to promote career counselors’ ability to help people “thrive” at a time when many speculate that work itself is at risk, occupational contexts no longer “hold” workers in the way they used to, and the coronavirus pandemic is disrupting the workplace.

Career Assessment: Qualitative Approaches will assume a seminal place in the field of career development as the first book to focus solely on qualitative approaches to career assessment. This book represents a timely and important contribution to career development as it seeks to meet the needs of increasingly diverse client groups. Part 1, Foundations strongly positions qualitative career assessment in its historical, philosophical, theoretical and research contexts. The book is innovative by considering qualitative career assessment through the lens of learning. Part 2, Instruments, presents the first collation of chapters on a comprehensive range of qualitative career assessment instruments and processes written to a standard format to enable readers to compare, contrast and evaluate approaches. Part 3, Using quantitative career assessment qualitatively, mitigates against depicting an unnecessary divide in the field between quantitative and qualitative career assessment by considering their complementarities. Part 4, Diverse Contexts, considers qualitative approaches to career assessment in contexts other than able western, middle class settings. Part 5, Future Directions, reflects on the chapters and poses suggestions for the future. With high profile authors from nine different countries, the book represents a truly international contribution to the field of career development. In its focus on qualitative career assessment, this book holds a unique position as the only such text and will therefore assume an important place in the libraries of researchers, academics, and career practitioners.

This essential primer, amply illustrated with case studies, presents the latest research and developments in the field and explores an exciting postmodern theory and approach to career counseling.

"This is a must-have for any researcher in vocational psychology or career counseling, or anyone who wishes to understand the empirical underpinnings of the practice of career counseling." -Mark Pope, EdD College of Education, University of Missouri - St. Louis past president of the American Counseling Association Today's career development professional must choose from a wide array of theories and practices in order to provide services for a diverse range of clients. Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work focuses on scientifically based career theories and practices, including those derived from research in other disciplines. Driven by the latest empirical and practical evidence, this text offers the most in-depth, far-reaching, and comprehensive career development and counseling resource available. Career Development and Counseling includes coverage of: Major theories of career development, choice, and adjustment Informative research on occupational aspirations, job search success, job satisfaction, work performance, career development with people of color, and women's career development Assessment of interests, needs and values, ability, and other important constructs Occupational classification and sources of occupational information Counseling for school-aged youth, diverse populations, choice-making, choice implementation, work adjustment, and retirement Special needs and applications including those for at-risk, intellectually talented, and work-bound youth; people with disabilities; and individuals dealing with job loss, reentry, and career transitions Edited by two of the leading figures in career development, and featuring contributions by many of the most well-regarded specialists in the field, Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work is the one book that every career counselor, vocational psychologist, and serious student of career development must have.

This book examines a topic widely regarded as the most pressing in career counselling today, i.e., how to ensure that everyone receives career counselling and that all workers have the opportunity to engage in sustainable, decent work. The author holds that career counselling should not only advance workers’ self- and career construction, helping them design successful career-lives and make social contributions, and live purposeful lives – it should also expound new theoretical approaches and interventions. Furthermore, the book criticizes global society for overlooking the basic needs of many workers, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. An important feature of the book is its emphasis on promoting a creative and innovative approach to career counselling so as to better answer contemporary career-related questions. It offers guidance on how to advance entrepreneurship and help workers develop critical thinking, curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills. In this way the book promotes innovation in career counselling and maps the way forward in a theoretical and practical manner that helps clients ‘flourish’ rather than merely ‘survive’ in turbulent times impacted by the fourth wave in psychology, career counselling, the economy, as well as the 4th industrial revolution (Work 4.0).

Academic book that reports research on the psychology of career adaptability

While personality traits and talents may help to predict a predisposition to a career type, this method of analysis neglects the influences of human purpose, passion, and life history. In Career Counseling, author Larry Cochran fills the void by introducing the theory of narrative construction, a method of counseling that injects personal identity into career development in a practical way. Cochran demonstrates how literary models and constructivist methods can be used in career development to provide the essential subjective dimension that has been lacking in practical counseling. In addition, he provides the innovative materials that are necessary for making this process both efficient and effective. This volume will be widely used by scholars and professionals in the fields of career counseling, clinical/counseling psychology, social psychology, and management.

Current career counselling needs a shift away from the practice of modern counselling approaches, and narrative therapy is likely to be particularly appropriate, since it is part of the culture and way of life of the majority of our clients. For the very first time, current approaches have been brought together in one publication. Eminent scholars, including Larry Cochran, Mark Savickas, and Norm Amundson, Paul Hartung and John Winslade, contributed to the publication. Personal narratives of some exceptionally eminent people, including Robert Sternberg are also included. The publication is concluded by Reuven Bar-On and Maurice Elias, who delineate the connection between storied counselling and social and emotional learning. This book provides a priceless resource for scholars, academics, researchers, psychologists, teachers and clients. It § critically analyses germane questions, such as "How vital and feasible is it to build on life stories in career counselling?" § examines the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of hermeneutic-narrative, postmodern and constructivist approaches to career counselling § provides practical guidelines on the practice of narrative counselling in different contexts § presents ideas on how to engage clients actively § suggests ways of using life story counselling (including the Career-Story Interview) to produce new identities for career practice