Chapter 4- Weitzel

So far, this chapter kept my attention far better than previous chapters. The history and early theories weren’t as interesting to me as Super’s and Gottfredson’s theories. I think it was how in depth and relatable they were. I was able to read this chapter and pick out things that I’ve done and thought about in my life. I loved how Super’s theory was multi-dimensional. Not only did it explore where an individual is in his/her life (the five life and career development stages), but also took into account a person’s life space. A person’s life space is important in the concept of career development. Areas that make a person who they are is fundamental to what career path they will choose. If someone is a student maybe they will choose to continue to pursue degrees, striving for an even better career. On the other hand, if someone is a homemaker/parent this might take them a completely different path, since they have more important things to deal this such as raising a child. The fact that Super when so in depth with his five stages of life and career development stages was also why I enjoyed his theory. I loved learning about child and adolescent development in undergraduate school. How he factored in this with career development is very important for the career development process. At a young age, a very important part of development is trying to figure out who you are, and where you fit in this big world. Basically, developing you self-concept, or an image of what you are based on beliefs you have about yourself and how others respond to you. Thinking back, I was not trying to find what job was right for me at this age. I was more interested in making friends and figuring out where I fit in in society. The fact that Super incorporated these concepts paints a fantastic picture of the career development process.

Continuing on in the chapter, I found Gottfredson’s theory to be a lot more relatable to my later years of career development. I had no clue I wanted to be a school counselor when I was younger. It wasn’t until I found the field of psychology that I realized I wanted to do something in this field. Eliminating all the other fields of study is a perfect example of circumscription. Continuing on my career path, I looked into all the careers in the field of psychology. I also took a few years to work in the field and find aspects of the field that I liked and disliked. Narrowing down my options was another great example of circumscription. Finally, the fact that my step-father is a teacher, and being close to my old school counselor/baseball coach, made it easier to look into the field of school counseling. I was able to talk with and shadow those in the field of psychology in the school setting. This concept of accessibility played a major role in my decision of becoming a school counselor. Thus, the second major part of Gottfredson’s theory came into play. I made a compromise based on what I enjoyed doing and what was easily accessible. Gottfredson’s theory described my career development process so far, and was a major reason why I found this chapter to be so easily relatable.