Career Counseling With A Reluctant Decision-Maker by Nina Bingham

In this article I present the case of Joe, a reluctant decision maker. Self-efficacy has been a barrier to Joe's educational and ultimate career success. Because his family did not model a value for higher education, Joe is skeptical that he could succeed at college. Super (1957, 1990) identified a major counseling concern as "readiness" (career maturity), which is optimal for career decision-making. In Joe's case, he may not be college-ready, therefore: "Counselors are to focus on all barriers that may diminish one's development of career maturity and self-concept" (Zunker, p. 85). Super (1990) outlined a 5-step developmental model (Zunker, 2010, p. 85)  for assessing career and college readiness, which includes:

1. Intake interview
2. Career development assessment and counseling
3. Data integration and narrative interpretation
4. Establish counseling goals
5. Counseling procedures and process.

"This model is designed to help clients: (1) develop and accept an integrated picture of themselves, (2) test the concept against reality (3) convert it into reality by making choices that implement the self-concept and lead to job success and satisfaction, as well as benefit society" (Super et al., 1996, pp. 158-159).

During the initial interview, I would take into consideration Joe's developmental stage (young adulthood), and inquire about his goals for the future: marriage? children? school? I would then assess Joe's readiness for college, his personality and aptitudes. I would explore possible career paths with Joe, once we had established his interests and aptitudes. I would have Joe discuss the career paths/possibilities, and narrate his feelings about them. Once we were in agreement about which direction to take, I would assist Joe in establishing career goals. Ultimately, I would step Joe through the process of applying for school, or applying to, and interviewing for jobs.

Joe was a high-school drop-out who had taken career tests in high school, but was under the impression then that, "...someone would decide for me or provide a recipe for choosing a job." Due to lack of family support, Joe had never educationally reached beyond earning his GED, and felt he would not succeed in college. I administered the "Career Beliefs Inventory" (CBI) (Krumboltz, 1988), and results showed excessive anxiety which could lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, and fears about the reactions of others. I probed to uncover Joe's feelings about further education, and decided to administer an achievement test to determine Joe's academic deficiencies. Over the next 4 months, Joe devoted time to learning to be a college-ready student. Eventually Joe's family supported his attempt at community college, as Joe's confidence and study skills had grown. Joe's case is a good example of how a counselor can intervene with a client who is self-doubting. Joe presented with a lack of self-efficacy. "Self-efficacy deficits can
lead to procrastination in or avoidance of a career decision" (Zunker, 2012, p. 42). Hackett and Bentz (1981) believe that social expectations are the "mechanism through which self-efficacy deficits are developed." Because Joe's family had never modeled a value for higher education, Joe may not have developed that value.

An individual's aptitudes, interests, and personality can be submitted for standardized assessments. Based upon tests results, "...one should consider a number of occupations that match their needs and abilities found in particular work environments rather than just focus on one specific occupation" (Zunker, 2012, p. 33).
After Joe had identified jobs he had an interest in and aptitude for, an achievement test was given to determine Joe's readiness for college. If a client needs to improve his study skills, remedial courses in math or reading and writing can be taken to improve readiness for college. Lastly, an important follow-up appointment to judge school and work adjustment and satisfaction is advised for career counseling clients.

References:

 Super, D.E. (1957). The psychology of careers. New York: Harper & Row.

Super, D.E. (1990, 1996). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown, L. Brooks & Assoc., career choice and development:Applying contemporary theories to practice (2nd ed., pp. 197-261).

Zunker, V.G. (2012). Career Counseling: A Holistic Approach. Eighth Edition. BROOKS/COLE CENGAGE Learning.

Krumboltz, J.D. (1988). Career Beliefs Inventory (CBI). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.

Hackett, R.D., Benz, N.E. (1981). A self-efficacy approach to the career development of women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 18, p. 326-329.

Williamson, E.G. (1939). How to counsel students: A manual of techniques for clinical counselors. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Williamson, E.G. (1949). Counseling adolescents. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Sharf, R.S. (2010). Applying career development theory to counseling (5th ed.). Belmont, CA, BROOKS-COLE CENGAGE Learning.

Prediger, D.J. (1995). Assessment in career counseling. Greensborough: ERIC Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse, university of North Carolina.