- previous experience influences current needs and interests: recognizing and
putting to use previous valuable acquisitions is important for career
development; - social context influences opinions of the individuals: the expectations of
colleagues, teachers, parents, relatives, other noteworthy persons or societal
perception of a profession can have a significant impact on formulating
decisions related to one’s career; - the myth of “the unique suitable profession” is harmful and inexact: any
person can be successful and satisfied in more than one occupation or field; - positive and realistic self-image, confidence are paramount in formulating
options and pursuing career development; - chance can be “prepared” not just awaited for; being proactive increases the
likelihood of a successful career.
Many approaches applied by counsellors use such principles as benchmarks and the
lifelong counselling is viewed as a whole: beneficiaries of the information, counselling
and guidance services must be open to new learning experience, be flexible
professionally, adaptable and willing to approach new occupational perspectives. On the
other hand, counsellors need to encourage clients to take on responsibility, incorporate
the new competence acquired through practice, be ever more independent and apt to
learn.
As regards the new job market (Peterson, Sampson, Reardon, 1991), counsellors must
take into account the fact that it will be characterized by: a larger number of older
working people, more immigrants, more varied ethnic and racial groups, more disabled
people, more working women, etc. On the other hand, the organizational culture of work
will likely be characterized by: the relative diminution of the distance between those in
charge and those carrying out instructions, less uncertainty regarding the back end of the
work performed, the increased importance of individual work to the disadvantage of
group work, etc. and all this in a global perspective marked by the massive invasion of
new technology in every aspect of jobs, an increased importance of communication,
lifelong training, rational energy consumption and scarcity of resources, etc.
Under such circumstances, clients can be offered the following work options:
- creating personal jobs;
- full-time or part-time jobs;
- continuous work (in shifts);
- flexible hours;
- working overtime;
- holding several jobs;