Abstract
John Holland’s Theory of Career Choice suggests that most people look for jobs that will enable them to be around the people who have the same character traits and desires. This means that people want to make changes in society using their skills; however, they would be more comfortable working in an environment where they are happy and feel welcomed. In my work, I will be using Juan, a fifty-one-year-old man, to explain why the theory I selected plays a significant role in determining where a person chooses to work.
Career Counseling Theory Case Study: Juan
Career Counseling is a program designed to help people make the right career choices by helping them understand the different choices to make during different stages of their life. The counselor in charge of the client needs to understand the general background of the client before coming up with the most relevant career path. This can only be done when the counselor can apply the right therapies through communication with the client. In this paper, I will be using the different experiences and characteristics of Juan, a fifty-one old man, to develop a solid argument as to why I choose John Holland’s Theory of Career Choice.
John Hollands Theory of Career choice suggests that most people prefer to work with people who have the same characteristics (Zainudin et al.,2020). This will help them settle in fast and perform their work without any fear of discrimination and judgment. Below I will be explaining further the specific details of the theory and why I choose the theory for Juan.
Career Counseling Theory
As we get to the peak of our years, deciding on a career path can be very hard. John Holland came up with this theory to help many people come up with ways to choose where they would properly fit in the professional line. Many people have benefited from this theory, most especially students fresh from college who are yet to know where they would like to start their professional journey (Zainudin et al.,2020). In this theory, we learn that six characteristics define a person’s capability to work with other people; that being a person must be realistic, social, conventional, enterprising, artistic, and realistic (Nauta,2010). Hollands intended to help job seekers find the right environment that suits their personality traits. It is very important for a person to feel comfortable working well and performing highly in his workplace.
This theory will, however, not guide a person to what they are passionate about but to the career field that they would most likely to survive in. being aware of this information from the beginning of your career journey is very important as it will allow you navigate through the whole job-seeking ordeal with ease. Taking this test is very important as it will help you during the onset of your career and at the end of your career. Many people find it hard to make career choices, which is very normal(Nauta,2010). Holland’s theory has become a great help for many people as it helps them decide on a place where they will fit in easily and learn from the people around them.
Client Characteristics
Juan is an ex-military man, which means he has been exposed to different conditions of life. Working in the military made him gain various characteristics such as teamwork, respect, hard work, curiosity, and many others. He is also a married man and has been able to keep his marriage intact for twenty-nine years, and from this, we can clearly say he is a patient and a responsible man. However, he has been discriminated against several times due to his origin. This has made Juan feel insecure, for we learn that after one of his interviews where he got discriminated against, he wished that he was still working in the military where people were given credit for the effort they put into their work and not for their looks and origin.
The components in Holland’s theory match Juan’s characteristics for several reasons. One reason is that Juan is older than most people working today. Such a person needs to be in a group where he will fit in as soon as he enters. He is a real man, for he has been through different life-threatening situations in life, and he knows when to do some things and when not to do them. Juan has even taken the responsibility to help his mother-in-law as the wife got to work. We can see that he is a reasonable man and a hardworking one. However, we also see that Juan is a traditional man. Even his first choice was to work in a traditional work setting where Juan believes he could settle in first. Juan is used to the way things work in the military. This can pose a challenge for him as he will have to work with a new set of rules. This is why this theory would work best for him, as he will be able to find a place where he will settle in very well and feel welcomed.
Multicultural Application of Theory
Juan is a person of color, making it very important for him to find a place where he will not be marginalized for his origin. According to Margret Nauta, a person like Juan needs to undergo this process to help his psychological readiness for any job.
His job also plays a significant role in explaining why such a theory would work for him. Today’s workplaces are full of young people who are used to the new way of doing things, and Juan will have quite a hard time adjusting to this. However, his characteristics and achievements in life make him capable of surviving in any given environment.
One of the greatest weaknesses of this theory is that people can easily change who they are to influence the people and the environment around them. The man has been exposed to different life situations, which means he can easily change and be comfortable with the work environment. This becomes a challenge as it will harm their work performance.
Advocacy
People of the same characteristic help each other grow and develop their skills much better. The counselors need to get a clear picture of the client before suggesting the appliance of any theory. This will help them in their career choices in the short and long run. When the wrong test is used on a client, they are most likely to be miserable for the rest of their lives (Meyers,2014). Councesolrs, too, are faced with these challenges; however, it is very important for them always to pay keen attention to their clients to avoid mishaps in their sessions which can lead to many negative effects on both sides.
Conclusion
Holland’s theory suggests that most people prefer working with people who have similar characteristics. This helps them adapt to the new working environment, and as time passes, they can work with others properly. However, several challenges come with applying this theory, which calls for the councilors to be very keen and particular when choosing things for their clients. Juan is a classic example of a person whose characteristics go hand in hand with Holland’s theory. This explains why it is also very important for individuals to go through this process to get help in determining their best career paths.
References
Meyers, L. (2014, May 5). Advocacy in action. Counseling Today. https://ct.counseling.org/2014/04/advocacy-in-action/
Nauta, M. M. (2010). The Development, Evolution, and Status of Holland’s Theory of Vocational Personalities: Reflections and Future Directions for Counseling Psychology. https://www.counseling.org/docs/david-kaplan’s-files/nauta.pdf?sfvrsn=2.
Zainudin, Z. N., Lee, W. R., & Nor, A. M. (2020, May 1). (PDF) The relationship of Holland theory in career decision making: A systematic review of literature. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344337010_THE_RELATIONSHIP_OF_HOLLAND_THEORY_IN_CAREER_DECISION_MAKING_A_SYSTEMATIC_REVIEW_OF_LITERATUR
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