Adult Learning Theory

Career Development and The Changing Workplace: Implications for Academic Advising Ken Hughey, Professor Kansas State University NACADA Conference, Las Vegas October 8, 2005

“The building of a career is quite as difficult a problem as the building of a house, yet few ever sit down with pencil and paper, with expert information and counsel, to plan a working career and deal with the life problem scientifically, as they would deal with the problem of buidling a house, taking the advice of an architect.” (Parsons, 1908, p. 4)

Super (1976) defined career as-“the course of events which constitutes a life; the sequence of occupations and other life roles combine to express one’s commitment to work in his or her total pattern of self-development . . . Careers exist only as people pursue them; they are person-centered. It is this last notion of careers, ‘they exist only as people pursue them,’ which summarizes much of the rationale for career guidance.” (p. 4)

Questions raised by Gordon (2000)--

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How will academic advising change or be influenced by the future demands of the workplace and the need to educate people for a new age?

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Who will be our future students?

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How will technology continue to change how we interact with students?

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How can a liberal education serve students in a technological society?

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How can students acquire the skills needed for the future workplace? (p. 287)

The Presentation

How is the workplace changing? What skills do students need to add value personally and with respect to their career? What are implications for advisors?

Increasing or Decreasing? • Rate of change • Competitiveness • Technology use • Impact of global economy • Agility • Flexibility

What changes have you observed or experienced in the workplace and what skills are needed to be successful and competitive?

Triangle to Diamond

Changed Assumptions From-Change is inevitable, secure jobs exist To-Change is the only constant; be able to anticipate, make, and manage change (Feller, 2003)

Changed Assumptions

From-Postsecondary degrees are needed for success To-Lifelong learning; informal and formal learning

Changed Assumptions

From-Time is constant and learning is variable To-Learning is constant and time is variable, not all students have the same learning style

Changed Assumptions

From-Have a plan and do not deviate from it To-Have a tentative plan, be open to new information

Traditional Workplace • • • • • • •

Control centralized Efficiency Job descriptions followed Management growth Mass production Seniority Workers cost

Evolving Workplace • • • • • • •

Coaching Quality Changed view of jobs, projects Fewer managers Flexible production Adding value Workers seen as investment

What skills are needed and valued in the evolving workplace?

Skills/Characteristics Needed & Valued • • • • • • • •

Agility Decision making Critical thinking Innovate Team/interpersonal skills Technical competencies Academic competencies Communication skills

• Creativity and other entrepreneurial skills • Intra and interpersonal communication and team-building skills • Independent thinking and problem-solving skills • Imagination and flexibility to adapt to ever present change • Character traits and strength to develop and act from a principled, ethical core • Faith and trust in one’s abilities to negotiate life’s challenges (Feller, 2003, p. 269)

Continuous Learning & Student Responsibility . . . You are your own best educator and learner. Never forget that we live in a fast-moving world in which only three things are certain: (a) rapid change, (2) continuing knowledge explosion, and (3) increasingly complex relationships that are more difficult to maintain. To cope, let alone achieve in this environment, everyone faces the possibility of becoming “obsolete” if they don’t keep learning. Lifelong learning isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Being a lifelong learner is your only way of coping with rapid change, knowledge explosion, and complex relationships. No matter what field you enter, you must forever be a learner, or you will get left behind. (Clifton & Anderson, 2002, pp. 215-216)

Advising for the Changing Workplace

What are implications of the changing workplace for advisors?

What is the role of advisors in students’ career planning and preparation for the future?

Advising for the Changing Workplace • Integrate academic and career advising • Encourage lifelong learning • Enhance knowledge and stay current with respect to the changing workplace • Facilitate students’ understanding of the changing workplace and rules • Support and encourage the development skills needed and valued in the workplace

Advising for the Changing Workplace • Encourage and support students to develop career self-management competencies (Feller, 2005) • Consider planned happenstance and creating and taking advantage of chance events (curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, risk taking) (Mitchell, Levin, & Krumboltz, 1999) • Help students consider career fields/majors based on their interests, skills, values, strengths

Advising for the Changing Workplace • Support students as they make “courageous choices” (Feller & Whichard, 2005) • Emphasize the importance of liberal arts skills in the changing workplace (Knotts, 2002) • Encourage students to take classes as part of their program that add value and enhance their marketability • Continue learning

Advising for the Changing Workplace • Collaborate with faculty and professional staff • Facilitate/teach career courses • Encourage students to consider work-based learning experiences (e.g., internships) • Assist students to ask better questions (Feller, 2005) • • •

Gordon’s (2000) Conclusion

“In the future, advisors will need continually to develop new technological skills, expand their expertise in career advising, learn new skills as communicators and interpreters of complex information, and become more involved as collaborators with both institutional and community resources. A new role--that of advisor as futurist--will be essential if we are to help ourselves and our students succeed in a rapidly changing world.” (p. 391)

Bibliography

Challenger, J. A. (2003, September/October). The coming labor shortage. Futurist, 37, 24-28. Clifton, D. O., & Anderson, E. (2002). StrengthsQuest: Discover and develop your strengths in academics, career, and beyond. Washington, DC: The Gallup Organization. Feller, R. W. (2003). Aligning school counseling, the changing workplace, and career development assumptions. Professional School Counseling, 6, 262-271. Feller, R. W. (Ed.). (2003). Career development and the changing workplace [Special issue]. Professional School Counseling, 6. Feller, R. W. (2005, October). Post-secondary success planning [Webinar]. Feller, R., & Whichard, J. (2005). Knowledge nomads and the nervously employed: Workplace change & courageous career choices. Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Gordon, V. N. (2000). Meeting the needs of tomorrow’s learners and tomorrow’s workplace. In V. N. Gordon, W. R. Habley, and Associates, Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 381392). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Gordon, V. N., & Sears, S. J. (2004). Selecting a college major: Exploration and decision making (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Kelley, R. E. (1999). How to be a star at work: 9 breakthrough strategies you need to succeed. New York: Three Rivers Press. Knotts, H. G. (2002). Rethinking liberal arts skills in the new economy. NACADA Journal, 22(1), 26-31.

Krumboltz, J. D. (1996). A learning theory of career counseling. In M. L. Savickas & W. B. Walsh (Eds.), Handbook of career counseling theory and practice (pp. 55-80). Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black. McCalla-Wriggins, B. (2000). Integrating academic advising and career and life planning. In V. N. Gordon, W. R. Habley, and Associates, Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 162179). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Mitchell, K. E., Levin, A. S., Krumboltz, J. D. (1999). Planned happenstance: Constructing unexpected career opportunities. Journal of Counseling & Development, 77, 115-124. Niles, S. G., & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2005). Career development interventions in the 21st century (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Parsons, F. (1909). Choosing a vocation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Super, D. E. (1976). Career education and the meaning of work. Monographs on career education. Washington, DC: The Office of Career Education, US Office of Education. Forecasts from the Herman Group, futurists, http://www.hermangroup.com/ Newwork Web site, http://www.newwork.com/

Contact Information

Ken Hughey, PhD Professor Counseling & Educational Psychology Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506 785-532-6445 [email protected]