Gender and Age Immediately Influences

¶ … Gender and age immediately influences all social interactions, including counseling relationships. A client might subconsciously view a female counselor as more nurturing, and be more willing to share his or her feelings about careers and life stresses, versus a male counselor with whom the client might be more apt to discuss the technical aspects of career searching, such as salary and social prestige. An older career-changer might feel uncomfortable with a younger counselor vs. A recent graduate who wants someone he or she can relate to; a younger client might view an older counselor as 'unhip' and unaware of the volatility of the modern marketplace.

Culture can also influence interactions, as clients from high-achieving, recent immigrant cultures where certain professions and degrees are privileged might feel alienated from a counselor who advises him or her to 'follow your heart.' But social-economic status is perhaps the most powerful determinant of the relationship -- someone who lacks a college degree, only technical qualifications, might feel that a counselor with a degree from a prestigious business school does not understand his or her concerns. A counselor cannot change his or her fundamental characteristics, but must do all he or she can to put the client at ease and minimize such conflicts.

Assignment 2 & 3: The Internet can be a valuable source of information for job-seekers in terms of the data it can provide about prospective employers. An individual interviewing at a company can go online, learn about the company's mission and philosophy, and thus be able to present his or her skill set and experience in amore engaging fashion to the HR person with whom he speaks. However, submitting resumes via Monster.com and other major job search boards is often counter-productive, given the volume of resumes such highly-publicized boards deal in -- it is better to tailor one's specifications to the needs of a company's mission, than to offer a generic resume to a generic-sounding job posting.

When exploring different career possibilities with clients as a career counselor, suggesting websites such as the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, which offers information about jobs and general career areas, can give job-seekers an idea of which fields are likely to be expanding and contracting in the near future. The Internet can be a valuable informational resource, but should not be the only resource used by clients.

Assignment 4: All too often, it is assumed that older job-seekers have obsolete skill sets or are nearing the end of their usefulness in the workforce. However, as noted by Harper & Reschly (2002), older workers can still make a valuable contribution to the workforce and can draw upon their past experiences to lead an enriching and fulfilling retirement after they leave full-time employment. Being sensitive to a client's life stage is essential when recommending the types of work he or she might enjoy, but age should not subsume other characteristics relevant to the counseling process such as "skills, abilities, needs, values, interests, and personality style" (Harper & Reschly 2002). This is also essential when counseling, for example, LGBT clients or clients whose life stages and societal treatment may have been impacted by prejudice -- a counselor should not stereotype an individual based upon his or her social 'category' but should instead be mindful of the client's individuality.