The Educational, Social, The Educational, Social, and Economic Value of and Economic Value of

Informed and Considered Informed and Considered Career DecisionsCareer Decisions

““Never memorize Never memorize what you can look what you can look up.”up.”

Albert Albert EinsteinEinsteinPresentation on the web Presentation on the web

at at www.encouragementservices.org/icwww.encouragementservices.org/iccd.htmcd.htm

Mark TwainMark Twain

Explore.Explore.

Dream.Dream.

Discover.Discover.

Comic courtesy of glowport.com. Source: Aaaha! Jokes, http://jokes.glowport.com/Comic courtesy of glowport.com. Source: Aaaha! Jokes, http://jokes.glowport.com/

Volatility in the World of Volatility in the World of WorkWork

Contingent workforceContingent workforce

One in five laid off in last three One in five laid off in last three yearsyears

Changing jobs, careers, Changing jobs, careers, employers with greater employers with greater frequencyfrequency

Volatility in the World of Volatility in the World of WorkWork

14 million workers need career 14 million workers need career planning assistance annuallyplanning assistance annually11

17 percent of workers change 17 percent of workers change jobs annuallyjobs annually11

Changing economic structure Changing economic structure requiring higher levels of skillrequiring higher levels of skill

11Herr, 2003.Herr, 2003.

Coping with Volatility in the Coping with Volatility in the World of WorkWorld of Work career self management skills career self management skills

informed and considered career informed and considered career decisionsdecisions

Career Self-Management Career Self-Management ((nn.).)

InternalizationInternalization of career development of career development process that enables an individual to process that enables an individual to prosper in a work world in whichprosper in a work world in which

Employment is in a constant state of Employment is in a constant state of fluxflux

Changing jobs and employers is the Changing jobs and employers is the normnorm

Informed and Considered Informed and Considered Career DecisionsCareer Decisions

Career informationCareer information Career information systemsCareer information systems Career information processesCareer information processes Career information networksCareer information networks

Information ModelInformation Model

Career Development Career Development Information ModelInformation Model

Career InformationCareer Information

Occupational informationOccupational information Industry and employer informationIndustry and employer information Education and training informationEducation and training information Financial aid informationFinancial aid information Career development processCareer development process And more…And more…

Career Information Career Information SystemsSystems

Comprehensive, integrated Comprehensive, integrated information resources that information resources that enable career development and enable career development and make career self-management make career self-management possible.possible.

Career Development Career Development ProcessesProcesses

Career counselingCareer counseling Career guidance Career guidance

programsprograms Career educationCareer education

Speedbump used with permission of Creators Syndicate.Speedbump used with permission of Creators Syndicate.

Career NetworksCareer NetworksCulture of Research and Culture of Research and PracticePractice

ACRNACRN O*NETO*NET CIS Operators CouncilCIS Operators Council ACRNAACRNA NCDANCDA Counseling associationsCounseling associations and many more…and many more…

Career Self-Management Career Self-Management

career information + career servicescareer information + career services

career development process career development process

Career Self-Career Self-Management Management

→ → career self management skills career self management skills → →

informed and considered career decisionsinformed and considered career decisions

throughout one’s lifethroughout one’s life

Career Development Career Development Processes:Processes:Analyzing, organizing, and processing Analyzing, organizing, and processing information and experienceinformation and experience

Creating awareness of possibilities,Creating awareness of possibilities,Exploring possible career pathways,Exploring possible career pathways,Reviewing available information, Reviewing available information,

Career Development Career Development Processes:Processes:Analyzing, organizing, and processing Analyzing, organizing, and processing information and experienceinformation and experience

Clarifying interests, values, and skills Clarifying interests, values, and skills through assessment, through assessment,

Reflecting upon experiences, Reflecting upon experiences, Relating education and training options Relating education and training options

to occupational goals,to occupational goals,

Career Development Career Development Processes:Processes:Analyzing, organizing, and processing Analyzing, organizing, and processing information and experienceinformation and experience

Experimenting through work sampling, Experimenting through work sampling, volunteering, or employment, volunteering, or employment,

Consulting with knowledgeable people Consulting with knowledgeable people in the field of interest,in the field of interest,

Career Development Career Development Processes:Processes:Analyzing, organizing, and processing Analyzing, organizing, and processing information and experienceinformation and experience

Formulating plans for education, Formulating plans for education, training, career entry, and retraining,training, career entry, and retraining,

Decision-making and refinement of Decision-making and refinement of plans….plans….

Speedbump used with permission of Creators Syndicate.Speedbump used with permission of Creators Syndicate.

MeasurementMeasurementWhat is the value of a $10 What is the value of a $10

wrench?wrench? On the shelf?On the shelf? In the hands of an experienced In the hands of an experienced

mechanic?mechanic? Who works in a top-notch repair shop?Who works in a top-notch repair shop? That is part of a world-wide network That is part of a world-wide network

of technical support?of technical support?

Answer:Answer: value of any tool increases value of any tool increases dramatically when used in the context dramatically when used in the context of systems, processes and networksof systems, processes and networks

MeasurementMeasurement

Value of every car repaired?Value of every car repaired? Engine damage prevented?Engine damage prevented? Jobs kept because of reliable Jobs kept because of reliable

transportation?transportation?

How do you measure the How do you measure the value? What do you value? What do you count?count?

Career Information is Career Information is our basic our basic tooltool

Basis for systems, processes, and Basis for systems, processes, and networksnetworks

Essential information for career Essential information for career developmentdevelopment

Career Information is Career Information is our basic our basic tooltool

The intelligence that guides The intelligence that guides students and workers (plus the students and workers (plus the people who help them) in people who help them) in comprehending and deciding comprehending and deciding about education, work and life.about education, work and life.

Career development Career development helps people make helps people make informed and considered informed and considered career decisionscareer decisionsPositive outcomes in three Positive outcomes in three

domainsdomains EducationEducation SocialSocial EconomicEconomic

Educational OutcomesEducational Outcomes

Improved educational achievementImproved educational achievement Improved levels of postsecondary Improved levels of postsecondary

preparation and participationpreparation and participation Better articulation among levels of Better articulation among levels of

education and between education and workeducation and between education and work Shorter time to graduationShorter time to graduation Higher graduation ratesHigher graduation rates

Educational OutcomesEducational Outcomes

Informed and considered career Informed and considered career decisions decisions are linked to improved are linked to improved educational achievement, attainment, educational achievement, attainment, and efficiency. Students who make and efficiency. Students who make informed and considered career informed and considered career decisions are more likely to graduate decisions are more likely to graduate from high school and to succeed in from high school and to succeed in postsecondary education.postsecondary education.

Social BenefitsSocial Benefits

Family, peers and communityFamily, peers and community Higher levels of worker Higher levels of worker

satisfactionsatisfaction Reduced unemployment and Reduced unemployment and

under-employmentunder-employment Shorter path to the labor marketShorter path to the labor market Reduced workplace stress, Reduced workplace stress,

depression and violencedepression and violence

Social BenefitsSocial Benefits

Informed and considered career Informed and considered career decisionsdecisions reduce the likelihood of reduce the likelihood of occupational mismatch and unemploy-occupational mismatch and unemploy-ment, increase the likelihood of career ment, increase the likelihood of career satisfaction, and result in lower satisfaction, and result in lower incidences of work-related stress and incidences of work-related stress and depression.depression.

Economic OutcomesEconomic Outcomes

Higher incomes and tax revenuesHigher incomes and tax revenues Lower rates of unemploymentLower rates of unemployment Lower costs of worker turnoverLower costs of worker turnover Lower health care costsLower health care costs Lower criminal justice costsLower criminal justice costs Increased worker productivityIncreased worker productivity

Economic OutcomesEconomic Outcomes

Informed and considered career decisions Informed and considered career decisions lead to higher incomes, fewer bouts and lead to higher incomes, fewer bouts and shorter durations of unemployment, better shorter durations of unemployment, better matches of person and work resulting in matches of person and work resulting in less turnover, better health for the less turnover, better health for the employee and the employee’s family, and employee and the employee’s family, and fewer instances of work-related stress, fewer instances of work-related stress, depression, and violence, which lead to depression, and violence, which lead to savings in social welfare, criminal justice, savings in social welfare, criminal justice, and health-care costs.and health-care costs.

What if…What if…

Informed and considered career Informed and considered career decisions…decisions…

Were the Were the normnorm??

BenefitsBenefits

More efficient use of education and More efficient use of education and training resourcestraining resources

Increased student engagementIncreased student engagementHigher productivity Higher productivity Greater job satisfactionGreater job satisfactionLess frequent and shorter durations of Less frequent and shorter durations of

unemploymentunemployment

BenefitsBenefits

Higher levels of education and trainingHigher levels of education and trainingBetter fit between individuals and their Better fit between individuals and their

workworkLess work-related stress, depression, Less work-related stress, depression,

and violenceand violenceSignificant savings of public and Significant savings of public and

private resourcesprivate resources

SavingsSavings

Unemployment compensationUnemployment compensationEmployee health careEmployee health careSocial welfare programsSocial welfare programsEducation and re-educationEducation and re-educationCorrectionsCorrectionsCommunity mental health Community mental health

Directions for the FutureDirections for the Future

Investing in career information and Investing in career information and services at a level that ensures services at a level that ensures universal competency in making universal competency in making informed and considered career informed and considered career decisionsdecisions might be might be thethe national national investment strategy to enable full investment strategy to enable full participation in the Twenty-first participation in the Twenty-first Century workplace. Century workplace.

Dilbert reprinted by permission of United Features Syndicate, Inc.Dilbert reprinted by permission of United Features Syndicate, Inc.

Work can be more than Work can be more than work.work.

As career professionals we As career professionals we knowknowthat when we…that when we…

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