Career development theory aims to explain the ways in which people make career decisions. It
provides a framework for understanding how choices are made and what the root causes of
those choices are. Career development theory is a lens through which advisors can view clients
as a starting point for conceptualizing their career concerns and how to move forward.
Part A: Linking Theory to Philosophy and Practice
Guiding Questions
• How has your advising philosophy shifted since learning more about theory and after
examining
• case studies?
• How relevant are career development theories to your advising philosophy and practice?
• How will you specifically use two of the theories studied to ground/inform/guide your
practice?
• What makes these two theories specifically salient in or congruent with your work?
• What steps will you take to continue learning about career development theories and
other
• theories relevant to your work?
• What steps will you take to continue applying your learning to practice?
Task
a) Review you initial advising philosophy from Assignment 1
b) Use Guiding Questions to further reflect on your work to make thoughtful connections
between career development theory, your philosophy, and your practice
c) Write a 2-3- page, double-spaced summary of your reflections that specifically
demonstrates how you will connect career development theory to your philosophy and
practice.
Part B: Case Study Analysis
Key Topics
• Demographics
• Work context
• Psychological, social, environmental influences
• Decision to be made or career problem/issue (reason for seeking advising)
• Goals of career advising
• Brief outline of chosen career development theory
• Explanation of how theory is most relevant to case subject
• Specific theoretical interventions to use with case subject
• Hypotheses about case subject’s situation or outcomes of advising
• Analysis of how your advising approach equips you to address case subject’s concerns
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Task
Choose a case study subject – someone from your professional practice or personal life; or
create a profile that represents your clients; or someone from the textbook other than Leslie
Choose one career development theory to apply to your case study subject
Use Key Topics to conceptualize your case study
Write a 2-3-page, double-spaced analysis of how your chosen theoretical framework addresses
the concerns of your subject