Career development involves the process through which one undergoes from the point of birth through the times of defining their thoughts in terms of the careers and extending to the final decision on the given career to pursue. Career development is consequently a lifelong process of learning, experience, work, transition and leisure with the motive to move on to a personally determined and preferred future. The learning takes place through experiences, informal and formal learning and non-formal learning. The influences of the environment where an individual is brought up really influences the kind of decisions that he makes towards his future life; and more so by the family and friends: they are very significant in the line of career development of any individual (Brown, 2002).
By giving a reflection of my career development path, it is clear that the environment, the friends and the family members influenced my decision to be a counselor. This was mainly attributed to by my father who has had good relationships with us and influenced almost everyone in our family to undertake any course that was in line with his two professions (Brown, 2002). The major concepts derived in the process of career development are the influences of the organizational structure and the family in the process to develop any career. The career counseling book presents to the learners the theoretical models of career counseling within one’s own profession. This book equips the readers with undisputable knowledge through the understanding of the career counseling by all its relevant dimensions such as the theories linked to it and the practical side of the career (Zunker, 2012).
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Through the times when I stayed with my parents and the entire family I realized how well my father related to the clients he had, and this was a source of great motivation in the adoption of the counseling career at the end of the day. This implies the innovative and holistic nature of responding to the clients who were part of his daily routines. He loved his job and gained great reputation in the line of service to the clients and the individuals he encountered throughout the duty. This is what the book is seeking to find ion the working environments, and this is the situation where the counseling profession deals with all the odds and becomes non-bias on given issues and processes of relieving the clients (Brown, 2002).
The holistic approach as per the title of the book is the demonstration of the profession on how to consider the clients values, talents, temperament and the passion to do certain things in life while in the course of determining his career. These reflect on the individual’s ability to deliver his best in the field and satisfy the clients. This is what will accompany the motivation of the counseling professional. The influences caused by the family members and the environment give it a total profile on good course to pursue given careers. In the career coaching as the author of the book might have outlined involve the description of the individual entities in the working environments and the forces of influence within the families to cause change and inspire one on given career. The picture that my father portrayed in the field of prison counseling was a factor worth the decision I made (Zunker, 2012).
The influence of the environment may be related to the relationship that the career gives between different aspects of life. This relationship portrays the career life as the influence of the career one is to pursue is presented to be allied to diverse facets of life. This link gives one the motivation to pursue the career as the realities in the relationships gives you the image of how practical the career is. This role was played by my father who was a general in the prison armies. He often dealt with the criminals in the prison, and this was the root of the knowledge of the perspective that I gave the profession. Indeed this was a very influential and practical career that I gained the morale to pursue (Brown, 2002).The big sums of money that dad carried home was an indication of how better it was even economically.
As I was taking my practicum in the prison, the interesting stories I heard from the inmates were just amazing and encouraging. This can be associated to the inspiration of the organizational arrangements and programs. This is because the prisons were managed in such a way that the prisons were free to talk and share. It is at this occasion that I came to realize that people are not born criminals and that crime can be caused by anger, misery or poverty. The holistic approach helps in the realization of talents; passion and attitude towards certain things in life that can be used to rehabilitate the person and empowerment of these aspects of life in the individuals are the very aspects of life that influences career development through proper selection and choosing (Zunker, 2012). Walking out of prison and meeting those whom I counseled as no longer criminals was the source of my pride.
Both the environment and the place of work of an individual are sources of identifying, developing and shaping of values, talents, passion and attitudes in life that subsequently change the career path of an individual. This is the role that they play. Counseling career is of no special case as the interest to be a counselor was attributed to by the role model’s presence in the same field, my father (Brown, 2002).
- Brown, D. (2002). Career choice and development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com
- Zunker, V. G. (2012). Career counseling: A holistic approach. Belmont, Calif: Brooks/Cole. retrieved from: http://books.google.com
