QUESTIONS

 

• How do the occupational characteristics and requirements fit with your current interests and values?

• How do the occupational characteristics and requirements fit with your career goals?

• What advantages/limitations do you see in using O*Net in your future career as a counselor?

• List the occupation you have chosen to explore. Also, include your 3 primary Holland Codes and the O*NET SOC Code.

The Nature of the Work for this career, including such things as:

• Duties,

• Skills,

• Activities, and

• Typical work day.

 

Working Conditions for this career, including such things as:

• Work environment,

• Hours,

• Work alone or with others

• Type of supervision,

• Populations worked with (age, socio-economic level, presenting issues), and

• Psychological aspects of work setting (stress levels, crisis situations, deadlines, multiple tasks, etc.).

Preparation and Qualifications for this career, including such things as:

• Education,

• Skills,

• Experience, and

• Personal traits.

Opportunities and Future Outlook for this career, including such things as:

• Occupation workforce size and composition,

• Geographic distribution,

• Large/small firms, and

• Security/advancement/related opportunities.

Economic and Non-Economic Benefits for this career, including such things as:

• Entry-level/average annual earnings (locally and elsewhere),

• Related benefits (insurance, vacation, sick leave, education), and

• Non-economic benefits:

o Personal satisfaction factors,

o Associated lifestyle, and

o Psychological rewards.

Disadvantages and/or Special Situations for this career, including such things as:

• Irregular work hours,

• Seasonal work,

• Overtime or night work,

• Travel, and

• Hazards.

Conclusion

• What aspects of the occupational characteristics and requirements appeal to you? Which aspects surprised or disappointed you?

• How do these occupational characteristics and requirements fit with your current interests and values?

• How do the occupational characteristics and requirements fit with your career goals?

• Describe the advantages and limitations of using O*Net in your future career as a counselor

 

                                                            SAMPLE SOLUTION

My chosen career is marriage and family therapist. The occupational traits and requirements for this career are largely aligned with my present interest and values. As an individual I am always interested in socializing with other people and establishing relationships of trust that would enable be to help them if the need arises. Through this career, my interest in the welfare of others is met as I will primarily provide counsel to couples or families that are on the verge of breaking and therefore require mending. Additionally, as an individual it is imperative to me to be the best version of myself and accomplish something significant. I have a visceral intuition that this career would give be a strong sense of accomplishment by allowing me to shine in the areas that I consider myself to be the most competent. Perceptibly, O*Net may be substantially useful in my career as a counselor since it provides guidance concerning such things as the acceptable code of conduct, values, and activities of counselors among others (National Center for O*NET Development, 2010). Notably, my three primary Holland Codes are Social, Investigative, and Artistic. Unless otherwise cited, the career information presented in this paper was obtained from O*NET On-Line (National Center for O*NET Development, 20XX).

Marriage and Family Therapist

The nature of the work of a marriage and family therapist is basically trying but manageable. Marriage and family therapists aid individuals in the management and overcoming of difficulties with their family among other relationships. “They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives” (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2015).

There are certain duties required of marriage and family therapists. Firstly, they may refer their clients to alternate services in the community like support groups. They should also aid client in developing skills and strategies to improve their behaviors and cope with problematic circumstances. Additionally, they guide their clients through the decision making process concerning their future.  Moreover, they help their clients in processing their reactions and adjusting to hard life changes like divorce. Furthermore, they encourage clients to express their experiences and emotions. Lastly, they diagnose and treat emotional and mental issues like depression and anxiety.

The general activities of marriage and family therapy are: “establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships; assisting and caring for others; documenting/recording information; making decisions and solving problems; and getting information among others” (National Center for O*NET Development, 2010). Relatedly, the detailed work activities are: developing treatments for clients, maintenance of client records, teaching life strategies and skills to clients; counseling clients concerning interpersonal matter; and counseling clients concerning personal matters. Additionally, the skills of a marriage and family therapists include: speaking, service orientation, judgment and decision making, social perceptiveness, and active listening among others (Careeronestop, 2017).