The chapter this week opened my mind to many career development resources that I was not knowledgeable of in the part. However, before discussing the different resources that are available, I have to pull out one fact that was displayed in this chapter that sparked anger in my mind. “Approximately 22 percent of the occupations in this country require a bachelor’s degree (Brown, 2012, pg. 178).” In a society that displays that college as being essential in becoming successful, I believe that percentage is lower than I expected. Why are people not being educated on the other 78 percent percent of jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree? These percentages are very disheartening to me. I do not understand this large push for college when many who enter the workforce will have spent money on a degree that will not benefit them in the job that they end up having. The degree that is not being used will always be able to be used by the individual, however, it will take at least five to ten years getting rid of their college debt.
To avoid this issue there are many major types of occupational information that can benefit anyone looking to start a career or change into a new one. I was completely unaware of any of these resources as a student in middle and high school. The Occupations Information Network (O*NET) which can be accessed online or in print shows six domains of information. The domains include: worker characteristics, worker requirements, experience requirements, occupational requirements, organizational context, occupational-specific requirements, and occupation characteristics. Looking at these domains remind me more of the traditional theories about skills that people possess. By looking up occupations on the O*NET it gives you skills that are needed to complete this specific job, tasks that you would be completing, the education and experience that you would need as well as the average wages and demand of that specific job. I believe this would help students who already have an idea of who they are, and what career paths they are looking into. I do not think this database would be beneficial for someone who has no idea what they want to do in the area of a career. However, after reading about the resource, Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Systems (CACGS), this resource might cater to the individuals who need intense guidance in the area of career development. These systems are more interactive for students and can include assessments and career exploration. These two topics are key for younger students and adults who are not sure what career they would like to pursue. The resources posted in the chapter for children occupational information is very helpful as I continue my career and work becoming a school counselor. I took a look at the online materials from BLS which had a link on page 188 in our text. The site was very interactive and had information that was important when for career exploration, statistics, and videos. This would be a place that I would start with my students in the areas of career development. I look forward to looking into all of these resources and figuring out which would benefit me in attaining knowledge as a school counselor, and which would benefit my students when exploring career paths.
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