Technology and Career Counselling

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON
THE ROLE AND SERVICES

PROVIDED BY CAREER
COUNSELORS
Brief History of Technology and Career
Counselling
◦ Late ‘60s – Early developers first used the computer to assist with career planning. The early systems
that were used stored a personal record for each user in order to monitor a person’s progress through the
career planning process. The results from the assessment were then linked to occupational options for the
user.
◦ ‘70s - career information systems were developed due to the National Occupational Information
Coordinating Committee. These systems were comprised of search strategies through databases of
occupations, schools, financial aid, and military programs.
◦ Early ‘70s to 1999 - steady growth of customized versions of commercial career information systems in
the states. With the advent of common access to the Internet in the early 1990s, career planning changed
dramatically.
◦ Today, individuals can take a more active role in their own career progress, since the Internet provides a
rich source of career and job information that is accessible to almost anyone. This means that the
counselor’s role/job has changed. Today, often the counselor’s primary role is to help clients access
information on the Internet and other computer-assisted programs in an efficient and helpful manner. Of
course, it is still important for counselors to meet with clients and provide career guidance. The best
combination is using computers for assessment and then offering counseling with a vocational
practitioner. Interestingly, cybercounseling has emerged, that is, the provision of face-to-face counseling
via the Internet.
Computer-Assisted Career Guidance
Systems
◦ Computer-assisted career guidance (CACG) systems are often designed to help high school or college
students make informed and educated decisions about their future.
◦ Most computer-assisted career guidance systems offer occupational information, information about
postsecondary institutions and technical/specialized schools, financial aid information, interest
inventories, and decision-making skills. They might also include ability measures, value inventories, job
search strategies, information on job interviewing, and local job information files.
◦ Two commonly used CACG systems are DISCOVER and SIGI (or the System of Interactive and
Guidance Information) PLUS. Both systems provide multiple online assessment devices to assist users in
establishing links between their interests, values, abilities, and skills and the occupations that should best
meet their needs.
Counselors should do the following when using
computer-assisted career guidance systems:
◦ Assess needs - assess the client’s needs to determine which parts of the career program to use.
◦ Orient the client - explain the purpose and goals of the program and the mechanics of the system.
◦ Offer assistance - provide individualized help when the client’s needs are determined.
◦ Provide online assistance - provide help when different stages are explored during the process.
◦ Follow-up - encourage, motivate, set goals, and interpret outcomes to the client.
◦ Evaluate - monitor the effectiveness of the computer-assisted system.
Pros and Cons
PROS CONS
◦ A more efficient use of time for practitioners. ◦ Loss of client/practitioner interactions.
◦ Immediate access to assessment results. ◦ Assumption of a certain level of client
◦ Greater accuracy of administration and scoring. cognitive functioning and self-motivation.
◦ Potential loss of privacy.
◦ More opportunities for research.
◦ Popularity with clients, especially self-
motivated clients.
Regardless of which computer system is used, it is important for counselors to know the client’s needs and tailor the
technology to his or her needs. It is also desired that counseling assistance be provided in addition to using the
computer system, since most computer systems were not designed to be stand-alone. Furthermore, it is critical that
career counselors receive additional training to keep pace with changes in technology as well as changes in the needs
of a more diverse client population.
Career Guidance and the Internet
The Internet will continue to play an important role providing career services, because not everyone has the
time or money to seek face-to-face assistance from career counselors. The primary ways in which the
Internet assists individuals is by:
◦ Administering career assessments.
◦ Providing information on a variety of career planning topics (e.g., occupational descriptions, job
databases).
◦ Serving as a conduit for cybercounseling (where the client and counselor can see each other on
computers to conduct their meeting).
◦ Serving as a forum for group communication or networking between clients and school alumni or
employers or support group members.
◦ Enabling the creation of virtual career centers (Web sites that integrate skills or interest assessments with
training required for various jobs and job openings).
◦ Facilitating individual participation in virtual reality technology so that clients can explore potential
work activities.
Pros and Cons for Career Services
◦ Service can be available to adults 24 hours a ◦ The accuracy, relevance, and timeliness of
day 7 days a week, wherever they have access information.
to the Internet. ◦ The usefulness of the information.
◦ Multiple users can connect (alumni, employers,
◦ Adequate preparation for the user to know how
clients). to process the information, since in some cases
◦ Career services might be more accessible and the information is disjointed or not integrated.
affordable for some populations. ◦ Opportunity for follow-up to correct or confirm
the information.
◦ Confidentiality and privacy.
◦ Ethical exchange of information between sites
and users.
◦ Lack of training of counselors with the
technology.
Summary
◦ Technology has had a dramatic impact on the nature of work itself, individual applicants and employees,
employers, and career counselors. It has changed the nature of work and the types of jobs that people do
today. It has altered the knowledge and skills individuals need to be effective workers. It has transformed
how employers recruit, select, and train applicants and employees. It has also changed how individuals
gather occupational information and how career counselors work with their clients. As a result,
individuals, employers, and career counselors will need to keep pace with advancing technology and be
adaptable and responsive to change in order to continue to be successful to meet the challenges of the
21st century.
THANK YOU! 
REFERENCE: Career Research. (2016, December 2). Technology and Careers - Career Development –
IResearchNet Retrieved from http://career.iresearchnet.com/career-development/technology-and-careers/

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THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON

THE ROLE AND SERVICES

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