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Reviewed by Helen C. Paul, Ph.D.

With the world of work undergoing rapid transformation, how can career counselors effectively help their clientele? This challenge is the subject matter of Career Transitions in Turbulent Times. This 400-plus page volume is a joint effort of the Educational Resources Information Center/Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse (ERIC/CASS) and the National Career Development Association (NCDA). It presents information and ideas about work, education and careers. The book is edited as well as contributed to by Rich Feller and Garry Walz. Each chapter is a self-contained essay contributed by persons prominent in the field of career counseling and development.

I approached the book with several thoughts and perspectives. As a psychologist who does career counseling, I wanted to know the current thinking in the field. How can I help my clients to adapt successfully to the changing employment scene? And what can it tell me about my own career direction? Finally, as a mother I wonder about how to best prepare my children for employment. I hoped the book would provide some perspectives, some food for thought and, hopefully, some answers.

The book is divided into five parts. The first section is titled Foundations Revisited. It traces the history of career counseling from its inception as vocational guidance to its current status as career counseling and development. Several authors note that the traditional task of vocational guidance was matching people's interests and abilities to a suitable job. Career counseling today has become much more inclusive and complex. There is greater recognition that career choice and development are influenced by many factors including personality characteristics, values, ethnic and cultural influences, stage of life development and the individual's environment.

I found the Foundations section useful in reflecting upon the evolution of career counseling. A knowledge of where we have been is helpful in considering where to go next. Some of the chapters offered perspectives that were quite interesting to me while others did not. Some concepts, like the need to consider people's values, seem obvious. Others, like moving to a world community perspective, seem unrelated to my current work situation. The reader may wish to pick and choose chapters in this section.

The second part of the book addresses changes in career development. The world of work is changing and lifetime employment with one company is no longer a viable option for most people. A discussion about changes in organizational structure and how this is affecting jobs is informative. Organizations are using more independent contractors and fewer employees. The book discusses how to help both workers and companies adapt to these changes. Workers will need to learn different survival skills to operate successfully . As career counselor, I want to know ways in which to direct my clients to help them negotiate these changes successfully.

The educational system is examined by chapters in this section. The lack of transfer between the current educational system and work is bemoaned. Some possible changes are pointed out. Different approaches are needed for different ages and populations, with several possibilities presented.

Finally, it is pointed out that people's values shape their attitude toward work and that values may change across the life span. I found this second section of the book to be of greatest interest to me with the client population which I serve. The contributions in this section were informative and thought provoking. I was especially interested in the information on changes in organizational structures and how that is affecting job requirements.

The third section of the book is titled How Career Development is Responding to Different Client Populations. The hypothesis is that all different types of people seek and can benefit from career development. However, this means that a variety of approaches must be developed to accommodate this diversity. The needs of particular populations such as those with disabilities, those with personality disorders, and the twentysomethings are addressed.

Specific career situations are also examined. Mid-life career plateaus, working and living in foreign countries and helping youth make the transition from high school to the world of work are discussed. Finally, the idea that career counselors must maintain a multicultural perspective is examined. Some of these chapters may be of more interest to the reader than others, depending on the population he or she generally serves professionally.

The fourth part of the book looks at Innovative Tools and Techniques to maximize career development. Since the work world has changed, the methods career counselors use need to change as well. This section devotes itself to newer and nontraditional resources open to career counselors. The use of groups and developmental surveys are explored. Negative belief systems of the client and how these may block effective career work are highlighted. A chapter is devoted to adult transitions and another to helping high school students. These two populations face different difficulties and choices and present the counselor with different tasks.

This portion of the book provides readers with an opportunity to reflect upon what tools they use and other options that might be developed.

The last part of the book, A Look into the Future of Career Development Programs and Practices, examines the future of career development, looking specifically at programs and practices. Topics examined include the overlap between mental health counseling and career counseling, ethics, credentialing, the career counseling model used in Canada, and predictions of career counseling in the future.

In their summing up Feller and Walz cite the points which have struck them as most important in considering career counseling present and future. The summary is useful because of the amount of the data presented in the book. In fact, it is easy to become lost in all of the ideas and thoughts. Feller and Walz point out that what they deem as important and what you think important may differ, but identifying it for yourself means they have done their job.

All told, I found this to be an interesting book because it gave me new information, a variety of perspectives and stimulated my thinking in several areas. My main criticism of the book is that so much is included that it can be intimidating. It is not a book I would sit down and read cover to cover. It is one I would read from time to time and keep as a reference book. Fortunately, the chapters are short and self-contained so that the book lends itself to being read a bit at a time. Different parts can become more or less important, depending on the current perspectives and concerns of the reader.

All in all, Career Transitions in Turbulent Times is a book worth having, keeping and reflecting upon.

Helen C. Paul, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
December 6, 1996

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