Use of Technology in Delivering Career Services Worldwide

Abstract

The authors review the trends in the use of computers in the delivery and support of career guidance and counseling identified at the symposium International Perspectives on Career Development. The papers presented emphasized that 20th-century computer-based systems continue to be used, mainly delivered via the World Wide Web. These systems are enhanced through audio, video, graphics, strategies to provide needs assessment, and support by cybercounselors or expert system design. The papers also revealed a new trend: the use of elegant Web sites to store and search immense libraries of resources needed by professionals and clients and to facilitate communication and collaboration among professionals in cyberspace. Concerns, issues, and resources related to many areas, including the readiness of clients to use computer-based systems, were also raised; existing sources of guidelines are noted.A discussion group of approximately 20 participants considered the topic of the use of computer technology in delivering and supporting career guidance services worldwide. The purposes of these discussions were to (a) establish a benchmark concerning the current state of the art by learning about applications worldwide, (b) identify promising new applications and trends, and (c) highlight problems and needs. This article summarizes these proceedings by addressing these three topics. Historical PerspectiveComputer-based career guidance systems had their genesis in the late 1960s shortly after the invention of the cathode ray tube, a device that allowed a system user to be physically separated from a computer and to respond to scripted messages, thus simulating an interview. Early developers-Donald E. Super, Martin Katz, and David Tiedemanviewed this technology as a means to operationalize their theories of career development, choice, and decision making. In other words, it was their dream that users, through interaction with the system, would learn the concepts of their theoretical positions, practice them as they made choices, and even incorporate them into their understanding so that future choices might be made without the support of the machine.

ICT – the new frontier? Pushing the boundaries of careers practice

“…As noted above, the potential of web technologies as interactive spaces for careers guidance is now well documented (Barnes & La Gro, 2009;Bimrose et al, 2011;Harris-Bowlsbey, & Sampson, 2005). Less explored in the research literature are the factors that contribute to the effective design of interactive online career guidance interventions, where practitioners and clients engage online in a guidance relationship.…”

International Handbook of Career Guidance

“…Most presently available CACGS (e.g., CIS, DISCOVER, CHOICES, MBCD) can be used for both the prescreening stage of locating promising options and the in-depth exploration stage of collecting comprehensive information on these options (Payne et al, 1993). The status of the use of computers for career guidance and counselling was reviewed by Harris-Bowlsbey and Sampson (2005).…”

addressing career issues online: perceptions of counselor education professionals

“…Its presence is evident from computer-aided guidance systems (Harris-Bowlsbey & Sampson, 2005;Zunker, 2006) to online job applications . Fueling this technological revolution is the development of the Internet (Jones, Harbach, Coker, & Staples, 2002;Kirk, 2000;Stevens & Lundberg, 1998;Zunker, 2006) .…”

“…The pervasiveness of technology as a medium for the delivery of career development services continues to increase (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002;Pope, 2000;Sampson, Kolodinsky, & Greeno, 1997) . Its presence is evident from computer-aided guidance systems (Harris-Bowlsbey & Sampson, 2005;Zunker, 2006) to online job applications . Fueling this technological revolution is the development of the Internet (Jones, Harbach, Coker, & Staples, 2002;Kirk, 2000;Stevens & Lundberg, 1998;Zunker, 2006) .…”