group career counselling, sofia, 10-12 oct 2012

GROUP CAREER COUNSELING

Dr. Andreea Szilagyi

Dr. Amalia Stanciu

European Board for Certified Counselors

GROUP CAREER COUNSELING

History and Types

Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”October 11, 2012 - Sofia

Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”

History

Group career counseling:

• Is among the most used career interventions

• Has been mentioned in the first writings related to

career guidance (Parsons, 1909)

• Has various purposes, addressing a variety of

career related issues

October 11, 2012 - Sofia


Purposes• Teaches participants how to:

• Make decisions

• Acquire job-search skills

• Helps people to:

• Develop self-awareness and occupational awareness

• Deal with uncertainty

• Better adjust their occupational choices after they have been

implemented

• Develop a framework to cope with school, job and personal stress

(Guichard, 2001; Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005)



Types of Group Career Counseling

• Structured groups

Another term used:

Group Guidance

• Unstructured groups

Also known as:

Process Oriented Groups



STRUCTURED GROUP CAREER COUNSELING



Characteristics • Format:

• Workshops and Courses with more than 8 members

• Scope:• Information and Didactic oriented • Skill building

• Duration: 3 – 7 sessions

• Topics - specific issues of common concerns to the group members:• Job search strategies• Choosing an educational path• Career decision making strategies• Career planning

(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005; Oliver & Spokane, 1988; Watts and Sultana, 2004 )



The Group Leader• Main Role:

• Teacher

• Necessary Knowledge and Skills:

• Teaching principles for the age category served (children, adolescents,

adults)

• Setting goals and measuring outcomes

• Career theory and practice

• Detailed information regarding

the topic of the group(Pyle, 2007)



Structured Group Career Counseling: An Example

Session 1:

Overview of Job Search Strategies

Session 2:

Active and Passive Job

Search Strategies

Session 3:

Different Styles of Curriculum Vitae

Session 4:

Job Interview Skills

Session 5: Managing the Job

Search Effectively


(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005)


GCDF as a Group LeaderGCDF Competency Areas:


1. Helping skills

2. Labor market information and resources

3. Assessment

4. Diverse populations

5. Ethical and legal issues

6. Career developmental models

7. Employability skills

8. Training clients and peers

9. Program management/ implementation

10. Promotion and public relations

11. Technology

12. Consultancy


UNSTRUCTURED GROUP CAREER COUNSELING



Characteristics• Format:

• Support group of 5 - 8 members

• Scope:

• Addresses clients’ intrapersonal and interpersonal concerns related to

career development

• Skill building

• Duration: longer periods of time (up to 6 months)

• Topics - specific issues of common concerns to the group members:• Career transitions • Choosing a career • Career development

(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005)



The Group Leader• Roles:

• Facilitator

• Counselor

• Teacher

• Necessary Knowledge and Skills:

• Helping skills (active listening, paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, challenge) used to:

Build trust

Ensure comfort of group members to disclose

• Ability to process the emotional components of the group

• Career counseling practice and theory

(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005; Pyle, 2007)



BENEFITS OF GROUP CAREER COUNSELING

For Group Members and Group Leaders



For Members of Groups

• Feedback received from group leader

• Development of knowledge and skills

• Group members can realize that others

have the same problems and can:

• Support each other

• Feel hopeful when noticing success of others

• Share useful information with each other

(Pyle, 2007)



For Members of Unstructured Groups

• Feedback – about values, interests, abilities - received from group members, not only from the leader can lead to:• Increased self-awareness and occupational awareness • Insight in regard to issues of interests • Development of decision skills

• Increased assistance and

support in :• In making decisions• In going through transitions

(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005; Pyle, 2007; Yalom, 2005)



For Group Leaders• Compared to individual career counseling, groups:

• Are time and cost efficient• Offer opportunities for developing skills that supports

counselor’s professional development


Questions?


Visit us at: www.europeanbcc.eu

E-mail us at: [email protected]


http://www.europeanbcc.eu/

mailto:[email protected]

group career counselling, sofia, 10-12 oct 2012

Career

sofia euroguidance

sofiaeuroguidance

group members

common concerns

niles amp

specific issues

development

awareness