Learning Theory of Career Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Learning Theory of Career Counseling - Essay Example Technically, career counseling is a dominantly verbal process between a career counselor and counselee which focus on the counselees goals and aspirations in life (Bandura, A. (1989). The process of career counseling generally involves four elements namely (1) to help the person attain greater self-awareness in the areas of values, abilities, personality style and work interest, (2) to connect the person to resources that can help them be more prepared to tackle certain types of jobs and occupation (3) guide the person towards a decision-making process to choose a career path that suits their values, interest, abilities and personality style and (4) to help the person become an active manager of his or her career path and become lifelong learners in professional development through his or her life (Herr & Cramer, 1996). There are a number of counseling theories that are used by career counselors today. One of the first and perhaps simpler ways to explore career opportunities and learn problem-solving behavior is through Krumboltzs learning theory pf career counseling (Krumboltz 1979). The social learning theory of career counseling suggests that the interplay of factors such as the genetic endowments and special abilities of the person, the environmental conditions and events, the learning experience of the person and the magnitude of the task at hand has significant impact on the career choices of a person (Krumboltz, 1979; 1994). The perception of the person of his or her abilities can shape his or her choice of a career and may contribute greatly in establishing his or her career beliefs. In some cases, career beliefs become so deeply ingrained in the culture of a community that it now guides the career choice of the person who belongs to such a community (Krumboltz, 1994). A good example of career belief can be seen in the way family members decide to become doctors because their forefathers