Analysis of an online career narrative intervention: "what's my story?".(Effective Techniques)

Many of the theories that guide career counseling practice developed at a time when career paths were relatively stable and workers could expect to stay within one career or even with one employer throughout their working lives (Gothard, 1999; Herr, 2001; Savickas, 1993). Vocational assessments emerging from this reality emphasized descriptive characteristics of both workplaces and individuals that could be matched for optimal person-to-position fit (Brott, 2004; Cohen, Duberley, & Mallon, 2004; Herr, 2001; Savickas, 1992, 1993). These assessments proved reliable and helpful in assisting clients.

Technology, globalization, and the free market economy have created a workplace that changes constantly, with specialized skills becoming obsolete seemingly overnight, mergers and acquisitions causing career instability, and employees feeling like free agents rather than lifelong assets (Amundson, 2005; Ballard & Ballard, 2002; Bright & Pryor, 2005; Chen, 2005; Cohen et al., 2004; Imel, 2001; Perrig-Chiello & Perren, 2005). At the same time, the expanding diversity of the workforce has made it difficult to capture a "norm" for individuals or for careers (Amundson, 2005; Clark, Severy, & Sawyer, 2004; Hershenson, 2005; Semmler & Williams, 2000; Stead, 2004).

Although many counselors continue to use traditional assessments, the use and interpretation of these measures has expanded to incorporate discussions of meaning, purpose, and creativity (Amundson, 2005; Bloch, 2004; Blustein, Schultheiss, & Flum, 2004; Brott, 2005; Inkson, 2004; Mignot, 2004; Savickas, 1997; Winslade, 2005). Rather than working with clients to make one decision based on fit, counselors are empowering clients to constantly assess themselves and working situations for long-term career transition management (Amundson, 2005; Bloch, 2004; Brott, 2005; Chen, 2003; Savickas, 1997; Winslade, 2005).

Constructivist career theories have emerged from this new concept of career counseling. Briefly, constructivist career development assumes that individuals organize themselves and the world around them into categories based on their own experiences and reflection on those experiences (Blustein et al., 2004; Brott, 2004, 2005; Bujold, 2004; Collin & Young, 1992; Hermans, 1992; Hoskins, 1995; Peavy, 1995; Savickas, 1993, 1995; Young & Collin, 2004; Young & Valach, 2000). The concept of career is such a construct and, therefore, varies for each individual based on experience and the understanding and personal framing of that experience. The process of career counseling includes the construction of a new concept of career, specific to the individual, created through action and discourse (Brott, 2005; Cochran, 1997; Hermans, 1992; Savickas, 1993; Young & Collin, 2004; Young & Valach, 2000).

Narrative career counseling is a type of constructivist model emphasizing language, discourse, and theme development (Amundson, 2005; Bloch, 2004; Brott, 2004, 2005; Christensen & Johnston, 2003; Cochran, 1997; Collin & Young, 1992; Ochberg, 1994; Savickas, 1993; Young & Valach, 2000). As such, career development involves the writing and revising of a coherent personal and professional narrative through exploration, experience, and reflection. By creating personal career narratives, clients are empowered to make career transitions in accordance with the overarching, long-term career constructs (Brott, 2004, 2005; Cochran, 1997; Hermans, 1992; Kush & Cochran, 1993; Ochberg, 1994; Savickas, 1993; Young & Valach, 2000).

The Narrative Career Counseling Model (Cochran, 1997; Collin & Young, 1992; Emmett & Harkins, 1997) has several advantages. First, it uses the clients' own language and does not rely on norm reference, reflecting diversity of human experience (Clark et al., 2004; Hershenson, 2005; Semmler & Williams, 2000; Stead, 2004). Rather than reducing clients to a particular set of traits, the narrative process invites clients to expand their experience, explore options, and create opportunities that fit into their changing constructs of careers. Second, it encourages long-term strategic transition management rather than one-time decision making that can create a cyclical pattern of quick choice followed by crisis (Cohen et al., 2004; Hermans, 1992; Perrig-Chiello & Perren, 2005; Platman, 2004; Savickas, 1997). Finally, it allows both the counselor and the client to be creative in the constantly changing world rather than relying on stability of either the person or the environment (Amundson, 2005; Ballard & Ballard, 2002; Chen, 2005; Kidd, 1998; Mignot, 2004; Rehfuss, 2003; Savickas, 1993; Winslade, 2005).

There are a number of narrative interventions emerging for use in career counseling. Lifelines; journaling; early childhood memories; career genograms; autobiographies; thematic interviews; collage; portfolios; and exploration of role models, favorite stories, and life themes have all been used to help the client and the counselor understand career constructs (Amundson, 2005; Brott, 2004, 2005; Chen, 2003; Clark et al., 2004; Cochran, 1997; Cohen et al., 2004; Emmett & Harkins, 1997; Forster, 1992; Frick, 1983; Hartung & Borges, 2005; Hermans, 1992; Jepsen, 1994; Mignot, 2004; Young & Valach, 2000).