Career Goals and Career Development Essay Example

had never had any structured career guidance in their lifetime and over 75% had never utilized any career resources on campus prior to the intervention (Williams, 2011).

Students are more likely to succeed academically if they have a long-term reason to commit to their goals and are able to connect their interests and abilities to their plan of study (Antonio & Tuffley, 2015). The presence of defined career goals is linked to increased self-esteem, self-efficacy, and academic performance, and students who understand the connections between college success, career goals, and the world of work are more likely to be retained (Hull-Blanks et al., 2005). Career exploration in the first year can help students develop career goals and build confidence in their career decision-making skills, while also promoting the development of a future time perspective and a vocational self-concept (Gore, Metz, Alexander, Hitch, & Landry, 2004). When students feel as though they are moving purposefully towards their future career, they are more apt to invest emotional energy into their studies, succeed academically, and persist through college (Antonio & Tuffley, 2015; Hull-Blanks et al., 2005).

Although freshmen report a need for help with career decision-making, few actually utilize services provided on campus (Fouad et al., 2006). There is not an overwhelming amount of research done on the topic of barriers freshmen face in seeking career guidance. Preferring to speak with others, uncertainty about the process, and a focus on adjusting to university life were three common themes that stood out in the literature I reviewed. Students have indicated that they are more likely to seek help from family, friends, academic advisors, professors, and the media rather than utilizing career

services. Part of this issue may be the lack of awareness surrounding the professional career support that is available on campus (Fouad et al., 2006). Parents and family members seem to have a large influence on the career choices of freshmen. In one study, over 32% of participants had sought career-related guidance from parents, family, and significant others (Fouad et al., 2006). In another study on first-year student career choices, over 55% of students surveyed indicated that their most frequently used source of career information was their family (Walck & Hensby, 2003), and yet another study revealed that over 30% of students made career choices based on their relatives’ career paths (Williams, 2011).

Freshmen are uncertain about the process of structured career counseling and report a belief that it would not be helpful. Despite showing psychological distress due to difficulties in career decision-making, over 35% of survey respondents said that they did not seek guidance from a campus career office because they felt it would not be beneficial (Fouad et al., 2006). As first-year students transition to university life, they are focused on adjusting to their new surroundings and career issues are not a high priority (Walck & Hensby, 2003). Their immediate needs include making a successful transition, meeting new people, and performing well academically. Career decision-making is seen as less relevant and freshmen students may not address career issues until their other, more immediate needs are met (Walck & Hensby, 2003).

In order to develop career goals, it is crucial that first-year students are exposed to the career exploration process, encouraged to engage in self-discovery, and have help in identifying their values and skills and then

linking those with specific career options (Gore et al., 2004; Hull-Blanks et al., 2005). It is suggested that career development initiatives for freshmen students should be treated as a high-impact practice and involve multiple stakeholders (Stebleton & Diamond, 2018). Because so many students rely on their families for career guidance, it may be valuable to provide information and assistance to parents and family members on how they can support their students through the career decision-making process (Walck & Hensby, 2003). It is also important to consider embedding career development materials into orientation activities so students are exposed to these resources early on (Walck & Hensby, 2003). Career planning courses have also been shown to be effective and faculty can play a critical role in their students’ exploration process by embedding career materials into existing coursework (Stebleton & Diamond, 2018).