A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
Part One: The High Career Dream – A Career Counselling Intervention
Part Two: The impact of a career counselling model and the implications for HE Guidance
Services
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Part One: The High Career Dream – A Career Counselling Intervention
Introduction
The High Career Dream, a career counselling intervention is aimed at accessing the emotional and
psychological identity that is embodied within a person’s perception of their future vocational self.
The aim of the High Career Dream intervention is to harness the “projected sense of being” behind a
person’s career aspirations. This process facilitates emotional access and a closer personal sense of
an individual’s projected vocational identity (Richardson, 2012: 4).
Influences
This intervention is an extension of the identity development and projective identity theories
developed in process-oriented psychology (Mindell, 1985) and a gestalt two-chair intervention
(Perls, 1969). It also extends Freud’s (1894) work on defence mechanisms. Mindell and Perls use the
projection of aspects of self onto other people or the projected on themselves across time and
place, to help a client re-experience that projection in the moment and “re-own” or integrate that
sense of self back into their awareness. The High Career Dream is aimed at accessing the emotional
and psychological identity that is embodied within a person’s perception of their future vocational
self.
Model
The three-step approach of the High Career Dream Model demonstrated by Alan Richardson
supports the client to engage with and experience their ‘high’ dream. The client is encouraged to
access the experience of the person they envisage they become in their career dream, or the future
idealised job. The adviser acknowledges (A- acknowledgement) this career dream and the client is
then invited (I-Invitation) to fully experience this sense of self and is supported (S-Supported) by the
careers adviser, to stay in this position where the client can access the skills, attitudes and other
ways of being associated with this vocational identity. The client is encouraged to role-play a
dialogue between the ideal persona (which the client takes) and the client today (which the careers
adviser takes) giving insights and encouragement and help to deal with the journey toward this
career aspiration. This process informs the client’s sense of self, based on projected meaning of who
he/she wishes to become. Sometimes the client will bounce between the idealised job and their
concerns (‘low’ dream) and both are supported with the concerns being addressed by the client
from their idealised vocational identity.
While vocational identity defines a construction of self in terms of the motivation, interest and
aptitude for certain work roles and the emotional resonance. The psychological understanding of
1
Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/
A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
our vocational self can be understood as an affirming developmental extension of who we want to
become and how we choose to participate in the world.
Case Study of Model
Video clip developed by National Centre for Guidance in Education, Ireland in March 2013.
“Building the Evidence Base: returns on investment in guidance practice” Career Dream presented
by Dearbhla Kelly, Donegal Adult Learner Guidance Service, Letterkenny
Video: http://vimeo.com/80362361
Six Step Process
Below is an attempt to integrate the 3 step High Career Dream model (AIS) into 4 step Ali & Graham
model (clarify, explore/ contract, evaluate, next steps). The High Career Dream in simplified terms
replaces the evaluate phase.
Clarifying
Exploring &
Contracting
ACKNOWLEDGE
A
INVITE
SUPPORT
I
S
Next Steps
Visuals are used as a powerful way to track the progress in the career counselling session. The High
Dream, the Client Today and the Low Dream are all represented.
2
Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/
A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
Part Two: The impact of a career counselling model and the implications for HE Guidance
Services
Research Questions
R.Q.1 What theoretically informed framework is useful to evaluate clients’ experiences after a
career counselling intervention?
R.Q.2 Using the response to Research Question One, what is the impact of the career counselling
intervention on clients?
R.Q.3 In light of answers to Research Questions One and Two, what are the implications for career
education advice information and guidance services?
Research Methods
3
Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/
A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
Findings of Research
R.Q.1 An Evaluation Framework was designed. See Appendix with suggested six themes and ten
questions.
R.Q.2 The High Career Dream had a significant impact on participants resulting in them taking
responsibility for themselves, becoming more self reliant and self-directing their own career path.
More specifically the High Career Dream significantly enhanced participants self knowledge,
position, beliefs, horizons for action and beliefs. It had a less significant impact on clients’ experience
of their field. These are detailed below.
Self-knowledge
The Career Dream significantly enhanced participants’ self-knowledge. Their understanding of the
importance of their interests and values in exploring careers and jobs as well as their motivations
and abilities were significantly enhanced.
Position
Significantly the High Career Dream exceeded participants’ unconscious expectations and tended
not to meet their expectations. Unanticipated expectations met included a change in attitude; more
self-reliance; answering their own questions and being more involved in the guidance process.
Participants’ career related learning and career construction as Hodkinson suggests, are evidently
enhanced with the Career Dream.
Beliefs
The High Career Dream significantly and positively impacted participants’ beliefs and selfconfidence, and self-talk was more “positive” and “assertive”. Many realised how their lack of selfbelief was holding them back and by addressing this believed that opportunities would open up for
them.
Horizons for Action
The High Career Dream significantly enhanced participants gaining new perspectives on themselves
and on their possibilities after college. This included taking responsibility for themselves, becoming
more self-reliant and self-directing their career, as well as being more open to experimentation,
feeling clearer and more focused.
The High Career Dream process affirmed many things for participants, from personal qualities to
career ambitions, to goals being achievable. Participants invariably experienced change, either selfdirected action or a change in outlook, over the intervening two-week period. It is noteworthy that
the new perspectives gained changed over the two-week period.
4
Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/
A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
Motivation
Participants were significantly more motivated as a result of the High Career Dream intervention.
This was demonstrated in the positive attitudes that developed and in the action taken by
participants both of which persisted over the two-week period.
This confirmed what I had observed anecdotally prior to conducting this research. It is likely that the
process of the client connecting to their “High Career Dream” and the intrinsic motivators helped
them to embody the experience to maintain their motivation to follow through with taking action or
a change in attitude.
Field
A less significant impact was experienced by participants. Many felt that the guidance meeting
focused on them rather than the world of opportunities, reflecting the psychological nature of the
meeting. This approach was unexpected for participants. Note: The field theme could be addressed
more by the High Career Dream approach.
R.Q.3 Recommendations for Careers Service provision
High Career Dream
•
Use the High Career Dream model as it offers clients’:
•
access to and an embodiment of their future vocational self (vs matching approach)
•
the opportunity to take responsibility for themselves; to become more self reliant
and to self direct their own career path
•
Balance the psychological with career information when using the High Career Dream model
•
Explore the application of the High Career Dream in the delivery of other services e.g.
careers education
Evaluation Framework
•
Keep abreast of emerging theories and learn to apply them to practice. This will ensure that
careers services more effectively respond to the complex reality of career development
•
Use this evaluation tool. It helps to make explicit the inherently subtle and unconscious
changes that clients often experience as a result of guidance interventions. In addition to self
knowledge and field an evaluation tool ought to include (a) beliefs and attitudes (b) position
in the world © horizons for action (d) motivation
•
Evaluate other careers service provisions in addition to career counselling using this
evaluation tool e.g. careers education, employer fairs, mentoring programmes
•
Communicate evaluation outcomes to senior management. Career counselling contribution
is more justifiably monitored and evaluated using qualitative tools
5
Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/
A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
Further Research Ideas
High Career Dream

Compare the impact of the High Career Dream with other models of guidance

Explore if more time spent in the guidance meeting embodying the motivators would be useful
to connect clients to their vocational identity and enhance their agency.

Research adapting this model to a classroom setting would broaden its impact and scope.
Evaluation Framework

Exploring other theories to further enhance this evaluation framework.

A longitudinal study, longer than two weeks, on the impact of guidance on clients would be
useful.

The significance of clients’ unconscious expectations when delivering guidance interventions
could be explored.

Monitoring non-users’ understanding of what the careers service offers as a basis to adjust
communication of services to clients.

Researching the impact of the careers professional as well as the guidance model on the client’s
experience would be interesting.
References
Ali, L. and Graham, B. (1996). The Counselling Approach to Careers Guidance. London: Routledge.
Bimrose, J. and Barnes, S.A. (2008) Adult Career Progression and Advancement: A Five Year Study of
the Effectiveness of Guidance, Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick.
Hodkinson, P. (2009) Understanding career decision-making and progression: careership revisited,
National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling Journal, 21: 4–16.
Killeen, J. (1996) The learning and economic outcomes of guidance, in A.G. Watts, B. Law, J. Killeen,
J.M. Kidd and R. Hawthorn Rethinking Careers Education and Guidance: Theory, Policy and Practice,
London: Routledge, 72–94.
Mindell, A. (1985) River's Way: The Process Science of the Dreambody; Information and channels in
dream and bodywork, psychology and physics, Taoism and alchemy, London: Routledge and Kegan.
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Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/
A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
Mitchell, L.K., and Krumboltz, J.D. (1996) Krumboltz’s learning theory of career choice and
counseling, in D. Brown, L. Brooks and Associates (eds.) Career Choice and Development, 3rd edn.,
San Francisco, USA: Jossey-Bass, 233–280.
Perls, F. (1969) Gestalt Therapy Verbatim, Moab, UT, USA: Real People Press.
Super, D.E., Savickas, M.L. and Super, D.L. (1996) The life-span, life-space approach to careers, in D.
Brown and L. Brooks (eds.) Career Choice and Development, 3rd edn., San Francisco, CA, USA:
Jossey-Bass, 121–178.
Richardson, Alan (2009) Training session with AHECS, Dublin
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Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/
A Summary for University of Warwick, Research Seminar 22 nd May 2014
Appendix
Recommended Evaluation Framework of Careers Service Interventions
Self- awareness
Q. 1. How has this meeting influenced your understanding of what is important to you? In terms of
your interests, values, abilities, motivators, strengths*
Position
Q. 2. Were your expectations met? Yes/ no. Please elaborate.
Q. 3. Can you describe where you are currently in your career?*
Beliefs-Disposition
Q. 4. How has your relationship to your beliefs (possibilities/ limitations/ fears/ indecision) changed
as a result of the meeting?
Q. 5. How has your self-confidence been affected?
Horizons for Action
Q. 6. What new perspectives did you gain?* 1
Q. 7. What has changed (for you) since the guidance meeting?*2
Motivation
Q.7. How has this meeting affected your motivation?*3
Field
Q. 8. As a result of this meeting how has your understanding of the job/ postgraduate market and
your place in it, changed?
Q. 9. As a result of this meeting what skills and or knowledge do you have or need to develop to help
you enter the work place/ develop your career?
Q. 10. As a result of this meeting how accurate is your knowledge of the opportunities open to you?
*questions yielded insightful answers
1
People’s perspectives change over time; this needs to be kept in mind when designing an
evaluation tool and interpreting the findings.
2
When evaluating days or weeks later.
3
When evaluating immediately after the intervention.
8
Orlaith Tunney, Careers Adviser, Careers Advisory Service, Trinity College Dublin
email: orlaith.tunney@tcd.ie; LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/orlaithtunney/