Career Information and Resources Publisher to insert cover image here Chapter 6 Career Information and Resources Developed by: Jennifer Del Corso

Relationship Between Data and Decision Making Having reliable data is essential to career decision making. Data may be acquired from print sources, computer-assisted career guidance systems, websites, and/or people. The counselor’s role is to assist clients/students to turn data into information. 2

Types of Data Needed by Clients • Descriptions of programs of study (post-secondary) • Military programs • Apprenticeships and internships • Occupations • Schools • Private (proprietary) vocational- technical schools • Public Community colleges • Four-year colleges and universities • Graduate schools • Financial aid • Jobs 3

Barriers and Decision Styles Clients/students may have difficulty dealing with data because of physical, mental, or emotional deficits. because of their usual decision-making style. Planful . Compliant Agonizing . Delaying Impulsive . Fatalistic Intuitive . Paralytic 4

Client Information and Diversity Clients may bring a myriad of diversity related issues to career counseling requiring flexibility on the part of the counselor to provide appropriate resources or accommodation. 5

Assistance Obtaining Data for those with Disabilities Some students of clients who seek career information may need assistance in the form of (but not limited to): One on one assistance Special software or hardware Avatars Language translation Assistance reading (reading disability) Screen readers or related software (visual impaired) 6

Client Roles Complete the data-gathering homework given by counselors. Apply data collected to personal career choices and engage in activities, aided by the counselor. Assume responsibility for their own decision making. 7

Counselor Roles Select sources for data that are of high quality. Make sources of data known to clients and assist them to know how to use them. Assist clients to make meaningful use of data. 8

Other Methods of Collecting Data Career days Mentoring Internships Job Shadowing Part-time jobs

Ways to Organize Occupations Holland’s system (R, I, A, S, E, C) ACT’s World-of-Work Map clusters and job families O*Net Classification system U.S. Department of Education clusters 10

Career Centers A career center houses all the resources (videos, journals, books, assessment instruments, and a variety of software programs) in one physical place. The career center should: be centrally located. be user-friendly. contain computers for use of software and websites. have equipment for viewing videos. be staffed with trained persons such as Career Development Facilitators (CDF) have materials organized by type, content, career planning step, or life role. 11

Virtual Career Centers May include: assessment linkages to websites that provide data resources cybercounseling assistance 12

Helping Clients Turn Data into Information The most difficult and most essential role of the counselor is to assists students and clients as they make sense of all the data Career data and assessment results should not be interpreted as “right/wrong” Trained career counselors should help students process the information they receive following NCDA Ethical Guidelines 13