Career and the Unexpected

 Krumboltz writes that, "The counselor's job is to facilitate the learning of skills, interests, beliefs, values, work habits and personal qualities that enable each client to create a satisfying life in a constantly changing work environment."

 Economic situations, unexpected personal events, unexpected information throw everyone for a curve, right?

How do you look at that curve? Is it a normal aspect of career choice or something that results in a strikeout? 

By viewing unplanned events as opportunities for learning, you are changing the game.

 Not only do you wait for the curve, but perhaps you should take action to generate and find those "curveball" opportunities.

The other day I saw a bank manager in a public forum trying to drum up business. I initiated a conversation about the future of retail banking. His response surprised me and I gained a perspective I did not have before. I also gained his email to follow up with for a couple of my projects. Who knows, right?

9 Ways You Can Create Positive Chance Events For Your Career

1. Take a risk(sometimes)

2. Accept  that no one can predict the future with accuracy

3. Reflect on how unpredictable events have shaped your career in the past

4. Think about how job descriptions are changing, some occupations are becoming obsolete, and unforeseen                          occupations are being created

5. Don’t use magical thinking or reliance on fate

6.Re-frame indecision as open-mindedness

7.Develop an exploratory attitude

8. Develop your skill of asking questions just to know

9. Avoid foreclosing  possibilities with job titles

(Based on the writings of Dr. John Krumboltz and his Planned Happenstance Theory)

Some ways to prepare yourself for a career intervention

Some ways to prepare yourself for a career intervention

•  Seek role models,
•  Expand your knowledge of self

•  Become open to reflecting on your life experience
•  Halt negative thoughts
•  Seek support from family members
•  Formulate realistic expectations

Five Reasons Why Doing An Internship Is Valuable

1. Helps focus your career interests, abilities, values, etc.

2. Gives you a dry-run with the job search process (resumes, networking, interviewing, etc.)

3. Gives you real-life experience that employers value

4. Helps you learn about a company you might be interested in working for in the future

5. Develops your professional network

Do you know what a Informatics Nurse Specialist does?

O*NET just comprehensively updated 105 occupations on their website. Here is a link in case you want to check it out. http://www.onetcenter.org/listings/18.0/updated.html

Having a strong interest in What Do People Do All Day? http://amzn.to/ammpVg, I could spend all day exploring all these different jobs. Some occupations stuck out as jobs that were relatively new. Do you or your parents, teachers, etc. know much about the following jobs?

Chief Sustainability Officers

Distance Learning Coordinators

Informatics Nurse Specialists

Wind Turbine Service Technicians

Because all of these occupations are relatively new, they might not have been on your radar in your career exploration.  The world changes and so should your knowledge of what people could do to make a living. You might find a great occupational fit...

The Last Samurai or why professional development is important

I watched The Last Samurai last week. You know that movie with Tom Cruise where he plays a civil war-era American soldier and winds up in Japan fighting with/against the samurai?

I thought it was a great movie and piqued my curiosity. I looked at the wikipedia page for Samurai and read up a little. At the end of the article there was this link (http://bit.ly/1574yW3) for a list of obselete occupations.

The risk of your profession becoming obsolete is low, but not keeping up with professional trends is much higher.

Do you know the latest technology? The newest theories? Best practices?

Professional Development is important for many reasons including making sure you are relevant in the world of work. Becoming the next alchemist is an extreme example, but it is a good point. By not keeping up with the trends in your field, you risk becoming less of an attractive worker.

So you want to be a commercial fisherman?

Related Occupations

What is it about being a [fill in career] that interests you?

If you click on the link below, you will be taken to the career profile of a commercial fisherman. If you scroll down you will see a section labeled “Explore More”.

http://bit.ly/11YCre5

There are several different careers that are similar to commercial fisherman and two different fields that have similar careers.  There is a cement mason, truck operator, etc.

If, for whatever reason, the commercial fisherman thing isn’t working out. (i.e. it is dangerous, you can’t get past the seasickness, the industry has tanked ) there are other options that might give you satisfaction.

One way to figure that out is to think about why you would want to be a commercial fisherman and then see if the other options fit.

Know thyself, right?

A 50 and a 18 year old walk into a Guidance Counselor's Office

I saw this quote in an old(er) Journal of Counseling and Development in an article entitled “Translating Career Theory to Practice:The risk of Unintentional Social Injustice”(Sampson,Dozier, Colvin).

Such services [Career Guidance] need to be widely accessible on a LIFELONG BASIS, to serve the needs of individuals, the economy, and wider society.

---European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

People figuring out where they belong in the world of work isn’t a one-shot deal. It is not typical to go into your high school guidance counselor’s office and come out knowing what your career is going to look like until you are dead.

Donald Super developed a theory that deals with the ever changing self-concept.

Check it out http://bit.ly/18ciocb

Career Exploration can be a part of a 55 year old’s life as it is to a 18 year old.

My email is jonathangoldstein@ymail.com

Dick Van Dyke, John Sebestain, and Dr. John Krumboltz

Dr. John Krumboltz has a  social learning theory that postulates that career transitions result from an uncountable number of learning experiences made possible by both planned and unplanned encounters with the people, institutions and events in each person's particular environment.

Happenstance= A circumstance due to chance

Planned Happenstance= A chance circumstance that was created due to flexibility, persistence, curiosity, and optimism.

John Sebestian- front man for the Lovin Spoonful

John was a guest at the Woodstock Festival, and never expected to play, but rather enjoy the sights and sounds. One of his friends told him that Woodstock was going to be a great thing and that he had to be there. Sebestian ended up backstage interacting with colleagues when one of the festival promoters asked him to perform. Between bad weather and other logistical nightmares, the promoters needed a solo artist to go on stage. This musician who was trying to mount a solo comeback (after his band Lovin Spoonful) went from being a curious spectator to an artist entertaining half a million fellow music lovers.

Dick Van Dyke- internationally recognized and accomplished performer

This excerpt is from Dick Van memoir “My lucky life in and out of show business”(p.27)

It was about then, the summer of 1947, that I crossed paths with Phil Erickson...He had been active in dramatics and then developed an act called the Three Make-Believes. They lip synced to songs and turned into a novelty that did quite well.

But they’d recently broken up following a booking in Chicago. One of his partners decided to go to law school and the other guy made plans, too. So Phil returned to Danville and came into the theater one afternoon looking for a new partner. I was rehearsing The Philadelphia Story. He introduced himself and asked, “Do you want to do an act with me? I have a booking in California.”

I wanted out of there so badly that I didn’t bother asking about specifics. I just said,”What time will you pick me up?”

These two stories illustrate how you can “plan” happenstance or chance encounters. By maintaining levels of flexibility, persistence, curiosity, and optimism doors will be opened.

Questions/feedback? Shoot me an email! jonathangoldstein@ymail.com

Thinking about becoming a journalist? How do you feel about self-employment?

Thinking about becoming a journalist? How do you feel about self-employment?

The O*NET program is the nation's primary source of occupational information and they have a section called Wage & Employment Trends.

By clicking on the link below, you can learn that the two top Industries that employ journalists are the Information industry and the Self-Employed. This means that if you go into this field there is a significant chance that you will be self-employed.

http://bit.ly/VWTMwA

Exploration Questions

Are you looking for a situation where you can work for yourself? If not, how do you better your chances working for a company? What is being a self-employed journalist like? Would your passion for journalism outweigh your dislike for Self-Employment? 

By having this information, you can now make a more educated career decision

Shoot me an email if you want to talk about this or any other career-related items.

jonathangoldstein@ymail.com

Advice

Advice

It is wise to be discerning when receiving advice because anyone can give it. Using a trained career practitioner instead of your best friend/uncle/random old guy on a bench has several potential advantages including

Receiving help in non-judgmental and unbiased manner.

A best friend/uncle/random old guy on a bench might be a bad source of advice because 
 

• they have certain ideas about what job is wrong or right for you (you should be a doctor/actuary/accountant).
• They might disapprove of some of your career values ( e.g. wanting to make a lot of money).
• They might not be familiar with your strengths, interests, and abilities and try to give advice notwithstanding.

By working with a  trained career practitioner, you are working in a non-judgmental environment without preconceived notions so that you can figure out what career best fits you.