Vocational Self Guidance

The Theory and Practice of Vocational Guidance: A Selection of Readings is a compilation of papers that discusses theoretical foundations and practical applications of vocational guidance. The book presents 36 articles that cover various concerns in career counseling, both in theory and in practice. The first part of the text deals with theoretical concerns in vocational guidance, such as model for the translation of self-concepts into vocational terms; social factors in vocational development; young workers in their first jobs; and the criteria of vocational success. In the next part, the book presents the practical issues, which include needed counselor competencies in vocational aspects of counseling and guidance; an occupational classification for use in vocational guidance; psycho-social aspects of work; and key concepts in the use of psychological tests in vocational guidance. The book will be of great use to any professionals, but will be most useful to those involved in career counseling, such as human resource practitioners, school counselors, and college career advisers.

Helping others to make occupational choices requires a combination of skill and a deep understanding of the world of work as it is today and will be in the future. Unlike texts that focus only on skill, Careers Guidance in Context is designed to develop understanding of the factors that shape both the labour market, and careers guidance as an occupation in itself. Careers Guidance in Context re-evaluates the concept of `a career′ in the light of economic restructuring, globalization and the growth of information technology. It draws together up-to-date theories about guidance work and debates the importance of integrating theory and practice. Examining the processes in which practitioners engage when working with individual clients, the book also explores careers guidance within a group setting - an area that has previously been neglected in the literature. The book will be invaluable to students on courses in careers guidance, counselling and education. It will also be of great interest to professionals who need to keep up-to-date with current thinking and practice.