Online Custom «Career Counseling in School Setting» Essay Sample

The issues of diversity with the reference to the cultural background may impact career development, professional relationship, and personal efficiency. Arthur and McMahon (2005) present the Systems Theory Framework (STF) that is designed to improve job development due to the constructive “multicultural career counseling” (p. 209). The purpose of the study is to analyze a case that illustrates the challenges and peculiarities of career counseling under the impact of cultural diversity issues.

The case of Taneka is a vivid example of how the variety of factors influence the life choices, educational achievements, and career development. First, the age will become a drawback in the process of career counseling. Taneka comes from a different world in terms of culture and social status if compared to the life she is determined to build in the future. Thus, the transition she is willing to make is a complicated and challenging. The counselor is expected to acquire a role of a guide for the patient during the particular stage of career counseling as the diversity issues can impact the whole process and lead to the negative results. According to Arthur and McMahon (2005), “there is growing recognition by career counselors of the importance of changing environmental condition that affect their clientele” (p. 217). Hence, the counselor should focus not entirely on the patient, but dedicate time and effort to the issues and forces that either have already been experienced, or will be experienced by the client during the course of career development and may impact the relationship with colleagues, the level of efficiency, self-enhancement, and future ambitions.

Taneka will face troubles related to her age and gender. The patient is a young female with a considerable life experience. There are different potential hazards for her future career development: the situation in the family, the vocation of the female gender, and lack of actual knowledge and skills as a result of poor educational performance. The counselor should work with the stereotypes of the client. The patient is expected to broaden the vision of the future not only theoretically, but also in accordance with the practical activities. Consequently, the counselor should employ a conscious-raising program and find a link between the issues that Taneka currently faces and the situations of other people who overcame the obstacles and achieved a primary target in the career. For instance, communication with these individuals will be efficient for the patient because she will learn that it is possible to build the future she sees vaguely and hesitantly on the present stage of counseling.

The differences in culture may also impact the relationship between the client and the counselor. For instance, Taneka may be reluctant to acknowledge particular barriers or make particular changes in her life unable to remove constraint and understand the intention of the counselor to help that will be perceived as an intrusion.

Arthur and McMahon (2005) underline that particular influence of diversity issues may be either a barrier to the constructive career development or a facilitating factor that trigger regular changes and improvements. Thus, what influences Taneka’s development are the age, family, and personality that, in fact, may be transformed with the motivational forces. For example, the value of the shift in her life will bring a paramount value for her family. In addition, her age should be regarded as a relevant starting point for the formation of a life that Taneka is determined to have in the future. During the course of counseling, the abilities will also be important. The core target for Taneka on the initial stage of career development should be a constant enhancement of her skills. Finally, life cycle development model should be employed in order to demonstrate the crucial difference between the current perceptions and the ideas she should acquire in order to succeed.

Finally, the range of diversity issues should be addressed and treated properly, constructively, and timely. The aim of the career counseling for Taneka is to transform the major influences into the driving forces and change her mind for better.