Career Counseling in Colleges and Universities

Characteristics of Higher Education Students as Related to Career Decision Making

Developmental theory is the foundation on which career services at colleges and universities are based. Developmental theorists describe students' cognitive maturation as progressing from dualism, where [Page 1459]students view career choice as an irreversible, once in their lifetime decision, to relativism, where students realize that choices are complex and have multiple aspects. Similarly, students' growth can be conceptualized as moving from low commitment to and exploration of options, to having a successfully resolved and integrated ego identity. Career theorists link in to these psychological models by characterizing career development as people progressing through a series of life stages with attending coping behaviors and tasks. Most college and university students find themselves in the exploration stage, a time in which they sort out career choices. Others describe a process of differentiation, where people through life experiences become increasingly aware of their unique types of interests, skills, and values.

In addition to students' broad-spectrum developmental issues described above, university students may have specific concerns related to disability, gender, age, or cultural differences. Through society's prejudicial attitudes and because of their limited life experiences, students with disabilities may make inadequate career choices because they may lack occupational information and/or have an incompletely defined self-concept. Women's career development, research shows, involves attention to personal issues including low self-esteem and self-efficacy, low expectancies for success, math avoidance, and family-career conflict. In addition, gender bias in education and occupations and a lack of role models play a role. People of color may not have the endless opportunities implied by the term career choice. Overt and covert racism and a negative self-image may limit their number and kind of career decision-making choices. Finally, adults returning to college to seek retraining or more advanced training may experience stress related to transitions and unmet expectations.

Types of Services Offered

Career services at colleges and universities tap into students' differential levels of maturation and special needs by providing career decision-making support ranging from individual and group counseling for self-exploration and exploration of the world of work to resume writing and learning job interviewing skills. The services are guided by theory and typically consist of three focal points: knowledge of self, knowledge of the world of work, and ways to match these personal traits with job characteristics. For those in the early stages of development or for those who have special needs, the model's first focal point may be of most relevance.

To learn more about oneself, individual career counseling is available, an option that may help students examine how the environment and their reactions to its expectations have created their belief systems and notions about career decision making. This kind of career counseling, which most typically happens at university counseling centers, encourages students to examine the role work plays in their life, to problem solve, and to develop a clear picture of their values, skills, interests, and goals. Furthermore, students' interests, values, and skills can be explored using formal and informal assessment devices such as interest inventories, values checklists, card sorts, and computerized career guidance systems. Individual counseling as well as interpretation of assessment profiles likely shape students' academic pursuits, which in turn help students further test and refine their career decision making.

...