Happy Holidays!

All of us here at the Career Counseling and Assessment Clinic wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

Career Counseling and Personal Counseling

How intertwined are career and personal counseling?

Some counselors and researchers have argued that these types of counseling should be completely separate and the required training and agencies should be separate.

However, others believe differently.  John Krumboltz, a researcher and professor at Stanford University, argues that career and personal counseling are related, and it is important for counselors to recognize this.

While some clients present issues that can be strictly related to the career or personal realm, many issues are related to both.  Without recognizing that problems can influence both the career and personal realm, there is the potential for a client to not receive the best quality of counseling. 

One of the main points of discussion within the article is that problems related to careers often have an emotional aspect, which has an effect on an individual’s personal life as well.  Krumboltz discusses that the emotional effects of career problems can have an impact comparable to stressful personal events.

Many counselors today recognize that an individual’s life cannot be separated neatly into a career and a personal life, and this is beneficial to both parties.  The counselors are able to better understand the client, and the client is able to express the entire picture and receive better counseling.

Within the process of counseling, the intake session* is often a time counselors ask questions pertaining to an individual’s personal life.  These questions are asked to get a better understanding of the whole situation.

While personal and career counseling are titled differently, it is important to recognize that career decisions and problems have an impact on an individual’s personal life and vice versa. 

*Intake session – The first session of counseling in which a large amount of background information is gathered in addition to information relevant to the current issue(s).

Krumboltz, J. D. (1993). Integrating career and personal counseling. The Career Development      Quarterly, 42(2), 143-148.

Exercise and Depression

How can an individual face and relieve the difficulties brought on by depression?

In a recent article, I detailed various methods to help cope with unemployment.  The loss of a job or being in a state of career transition can lead to experiencing depression or depression-like symptoms.  These can include, but are not limited to, feelings of sadness, insomnia or loss of energy.  One highly researched way to reduce symptoms of depression is through exercise.

The body of research that exists that all types of exercise has the potential to be beneficial and capable of reducing the effects of depression.  Exercise can include more typical exercises, such as walking and jogging, as well as activities that are not referred to as exercise as frequently like window washing. 

While no exact formula has been determined for optimally reducing negative effects, it is often recommended that three to four sessions a week for approximately a half hour can have positive effects.

Some research even suggests that exercising may help to even prevent some forms of mental difficulties, but there may be other factors affecting the results.

It is very important to note that while exercise is important for physical and mental health, it is not a replacement for therapy.  If you are experiencing mental health difficulties, please be sure to seek the appropriate services.

www.mentalhealth.umn.edu  

Ströhle, A. (2009). Physical activity, exercise, depression and anxiety disorders. Journal of neural transmission, 116(6), 777-784.

Mentoring Millennials

How can those who belong to previous generations satisfy the desire for feedback Millennials crave?

In a recent post found here, I discussed a few differences in attitudes between Millennials (people born after 1981) and those of previous generations.  With the acknowledgement of these differences and the rapid growth of Millennials entering professional positions, some workplaces have begun to implement strategies to satiate the need for building relationships and giving feedback more frequently.

Jeanne Meister and Karie Millyard, writers for the Harvard Business Review, discuss three types of mentoring programs specifically targeted at Millennials.

·         Reverse Mentoring – This is a program in which the Millennials mentor older employees on topics they may not be as familiar with.  This could include training about the importance or how to utilize social media.  This method of mentoring exposes Millennials to different people of the company they may not otherwise have the chance to interact with.  Additionally, it serves to build relationships throughout the company.

·          
Anonymous Mentoring – Some companies have begun to use a method of mentoring in which the mentor and the mentee are matched through the use of different tests concerning psychological style as well as vocational background, and communicate through an online communication system.  This method of mentoring can be extremely beneficial, because of the anonymity and the amount of detail that can be shared between both parties.  Both mentors and mentees have reported positive outcomes, including getting feedback in a timely manner, and feeling that the mentor has a good amount of knowledge and advice.

·          
Microfeedback – A company in Canada, Camilion Solutions,  recently set up an assessment system in which feedback could be provided by multiple employees, but was limited to only 140 characters.  This Twitter-esque tool allows for quick feedback and careful choice of words to help other employees .

While programs such as these are on the cusp of utilization, it seems that more and more methods will continue to be brought in to provide feedback to employees in a more timely and frequent manner.  The article mentions that these programs have been perceived positively by both millennials and older generations.

Different programs have been developed to appease the appetite of younger workers, who desire more frequent feedback and interaction.  These programs differ greatly, but the implementation of them is greatly beneficial to those employed.

Meister, J. C., & Willyerd, K. (2010). Mentoring millennials. Harvard business review, 88(5), 68-72.

Encore Careers

How has obtaining a career during retirement age changed?

Many used to consider the second half of their life a time strictly for retirement, but with economic problems and a desire to remain working, the popularity of creating careers for those aged 50+ has risen.  

These careers are often referred to as “encore,” “twilight” or “bridge” careers, and many of those not involved with an encore career right now, place doing so as a high priority for the future.  The addition of this occupational situation into an individual’s life not only can bring more income, but can be very rewarding as well.

 

This gain in popularity has resulted in an emergence of programs working toward making opportunities and spreading information.  One such resource for Minnesotans can be found here. 

The information relayed by the resources may relate to the creation of new programs or projects as well as information regarding how to be involved.  The larger the range of people these types of programs are able to reach, the more beneficial they can potentially be. 

 

Additionally, new educational programs are being put together by those within the educational system.  These educational programs are often completed more quickly and are relatively inexpensive.  The focus is to get those seeking a career to a career. 

·         The ability to acquire work in a new field has become more accessible in recent years.  These careers are known as encore careers, and the creation of programs, both information and educational can help those who strive to find one.  

Goggin, J. (2009). Encore Careers for the Twenty-First Century Aging-Friendly     Community. Generations, 33(2), 95-97.

Millennials in the Workforce

Can a generational gap make a significant difference in a work environment?

The short answer is yes.

In a recent literature review, Myers and Sadaghiana suggest that successfully integrating millennial workers (people born after 1981) into a vocational setting depends to some extent on the varying attitudes expressed by people of older generations.    Specifically, how older workers view work-life balance, workplace confidence, and workplace communication can all impact levels of productivity and conflict between employees.

The reviewers identify the following attitudes:

·         Work-life balance – This term encompasses what an individual sees as an appropriate amount of time to be working and to be doing other activities.  Older generations may lose sight of finding a work-life balance, and tend to work more hours, striving to build a career based on their efforts.  In contrast, Millennials are often motivated toward having work-life balance, and being flexible with locating a career.  This difference in opinion may lead to varying negative attitudes toward each other.

·         Confidence Levels – It has been shown that many of those within the Millennial generation are highly confident.  However, the literature review details, “The idea of [Millennials] paying their dues by working hard to demonstrate their worth before they are given significant tasks is likely to be resisted” (Myers & Sadaghiana, 2010).  In other words, Millennials may not see the purpose of working on smaller, less meaningful tasks.  Instead, they may be more motivated to work with larger goals and projects. This resistance may lead to older generations of employees seeing the Millennial worker(s) as overly confident in their abilities as they have not been interested in working on less difficult tasks.

·         Communication Levels – Studies have provided evidence that Millennials prefer frequent feedback and communication about various relative subjects with supervisors.  Despite the desire to build a stronger line of communication, this may feel “burdensome to many senior and seasoned organizational members” for understandable reasons (Myers & Sadaghiana, 2010).

Despite the information provided here, it is important to note that this is not a hot to guide to bridging the generational differences within a workplace.  However, a fairly recently posted blog article about methods regarding the generational gap can be found here if you are interested in further reading. 

While other attitudinal differences exist between generations in a vocational setting, the most important piece of information is to be aware of these differences.  Awareness can lead to a better understanding, and potentially help to sidestep different forms of conflict which may arise.      

Myers, K. K., & Sadaghiani, K. (2010). Millennials in the workplace: A communication perspective on millennials’ organizational relationships and performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(2), 225-238.

Unemployment and its Effects

How can being unemployed impact you and how can you combat the potential effects?

The loss of a job can cause significant distress within individuals.  A recent meta-analytic study* by Paul and Moser (2008) has indicated that the amount of distress one experiences in relation to unemployment can vary based on socioeconomic status, gender, and length of unemployment. 

The article details a variety of experiences one may face in the event of unemployment. These experiences can range from anxiety, lack of self-efficacy, depression, and even an impact on physical well-being.

Despite these potential outcomes, the University of California – Davis offers several methods to help overcome and cope with the loss of a job:

·         Stay in touch with those around you - Be open and honest with family and friends about the loss of the job and any feelings.  This will create supportive social networks, which can improve mental health and efficacy.  Additionally, others may offer advice or know about vocational opportunities.

·         Take this time as a positive opportunity -While searching for a job will require some effort, the amount of free time available will increase significantly.  Discover a new hobby, spend some time with family, and take care of yourself.  Remember that additional stress from sleep-deprivation or lack of a proper diet will have an impact on your physical well-being. 

·         Plan appropriately - Financial stress is one of the most common sources of distress in the loss of a job.  By planning accordingly, one can determine the essentials and alleviate some stress surrounding financial woes.

*Meta-analysis is a method of research that allows for synthesis of a large number of previously-existing studies.  Essentially, it is research about research!  Meta-analysis is regarded as one of the best methods of study, because it allows researchers to investigate large amounts of data and a large range of populations in one study.

Coping with the Stress of Layoff and Unemployment - ASAP - Human Resources. (n.d.). Welcome to UC Davis Health System . Retrieved October 5, 2013, from http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/hr/hrdepts/

Paul, K. I., & Moser, K. (2009). Unemployment impairs mental health: Meta-analyses. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(3), 264-282.

The Narrative Approach

How does the career counseling process use the past to look towards the future?

The use of the narrative approach within career counseling serves to investigate past events to create a plan to achieve desirable outcomes. 

The first step in the process of creating a career narrative begins with identifying a career problem or problems and setting vocationally-oriented goals.  These issues a client identifies can focus on variety of events including unsatisfactory work environment or salary.

Following the identification of problems and goals, the client is asked to give histories of the(se) issue(s) in order to allow the client and counselor to have a better understanding.  The histories of these career issues detail how the problem arose, what initiated this desire for change, and how the issue has looked over time.  As the client tells his/her story, the counselor and the client work as team to discuss the meanings of these histories to help the client determine how the problem has contributed to the big picture.  This is important in understanding the impact the issue has had.

Next, the counselor works with the client to revisit and explore certain events described within the story to identify a more ideal career situation.  The conversation focuses upon what pieces of the client would like to specifically change or see change to.  This step is crucial, because by revisiting the story, the client is more likely to evaluate the story, and see the story from a different perspective.  This could be as simple as finding a job that has a higher salary in order to alleviate stress surrounding financial issues. 

By creating a different perspective and a more solidified idea of an ideal career situation, the client and counselor can return to the initial problems and discuss how to go about solving them.  Within the narrative approach, the counselor and client work to create a detailed plan in working towards a career goal.  The plan is detailed in the sense that it includes what activities may lead the client towards their goals in addition to potential obstacles s/he will face along the way.  These goals could include returning to school or applying for jobs outside of the client’s current occupational field.  The obstacles a client may identify within this plan could potentially include monetary issues or a decline in level of motivation over time. 

The narrative approach to vocational counseling allows the client to take a step back, and look at their stories more closely. 

·         Investigation of past events can lead to the identification of what needs to change, and potential methods to change it.

Howard, Kelli. (2012, November). Postmodern therapies: solution focused & narrative. Counseling Psychology.  Lecture conducted from University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
  
Savickas, M. L., Nota, L., Rossier, J., Dauwalder, J. P., Duarte, M. E., Guichard, J., Soresi, S.,     Esbroeck, R.V., & van Vianen, A. E. (2009). Life designing: A paradigm for career construction in the 21st century. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75(3), 239-250.