Psychology suggests multiple theories on determining persons’ career predispositions, considering various factors, including upbringing, hobbies, character, etc. Job advisers often push their clients to make judgements they might not be ready for, which can frequently lead to impulsive decisions. Planned happenstance philosophy has changed traditional occupation counselling, suggesting that it is normal to leave some things unplanned. The essay will demonstrate personal experience of how the approach of chance events can be executed and perceived through the client’s perspective.
Planned happenstance model is a rather experimental strategy that contradicts conventional counselling models. According to Mitchell et al. (1999), counsellors should support clients’ indecisiveness, constructing their work upon such feeling and reassuring that exploratory behaviours that are more likely to lead to exploring desired job openings. Such thesis suggests that unpredictable social circumstances are, in fact, vital to the development in the professional area, allowing exploration of career opportunities.
Reflecting on my vocation path has reinvented the road I have taken and demonstrated a chain of chance events that led to the place I am currently at. Upon moving to Canada, I started at a fast-food restaurant Tim Hortons, which was the first step to realizing what profession I need. After the service industry, I have completely changed the direction and was hired at a Glenrose Rehabilitation center as a clerk, which led to the desire of working within social services and education. The persistence and hard work led to the new job offer at a nursing home as a health care aide and simultaneous employment as an educator in a Daycare center.
Being able to work in healthcare service and willingness to develop encouraged me to apply to the public school, to become a certified professional and get hired permanently. I am assured the persistence of the character has become the determining factor in my road to success. I have been continually improving myself in hard and soft skills to receive the position of my desire. My current employment requires constant flexibility each day and an ethical approach. Being an educational assistant, the job offers new challenges each day, usually receiving valuable experience. Flexibility is an essential trait, as a job frequently involves responsibilities outside the original position, where successful completion leads to broader career prospects.
Curiosity is a trait that allows for faster occupation development because such people are not afraid to ask questions and usually more adaptable and open to change. Though at times my curiosity was perceived as a negate trait, I believe it majorly contributed to my fast acquisition of the desired position, especially in the case with the offering of my job at a nursing home. Similarly, willingness to take risks can frequently lead to greater opportunities, which people are often afraid of, only seeing such trait’s adverse outcomes. My willingness and ability to adapt and complete out-of-the-box assignments have become a major constituent of my transition from a clerk to an educational assistant.
I believe that optimistic people are often more resilient and robust to stress. Based on my example, if I had always become angry or frustrated with each minor mistake at the job, I would close myself from all possible openings and chances. Therefore, chance events led me to my current life – a career that I am proud of and continue to excel in. All the aforementioned traits and their presence in my character positively affected my job and helped me acquire my accomplishments.
Personal examples can significantly help clients become inspired in their abilities and rely on the chance events in their profession. Taking chances is proved to lead to faster growth and development of extravert traits, advance skills and making new connections, all because of chance events (Chowdhury, 2019). The demonstration of the benefits of relying on planned happenstance theory will allow for a practical application of this method, showcasing concrete instances instead of abstract concepts.
Krumboltz’s concept of planned happenstance includes some disadvantages when applied to certain clients. People who tend to plan and control everything might feel trapped and unhappy with the presented framework. Understandable that failure is one of the most feared outcomes among both the clients and counsellors; however, undervalued as an outcome of career decision making and must be communicated among both parties (Mitchell, Al Levin, & Krumboltz, 1999). Therefore, such a disadvantage can be transmitted into reassurance, helping a client to become more flexible to the external factors.
Among the most valuable advantages, the real-life example of how chance theory contributed to career development may assure the clients of its effectiveness. The qualities mentioned above were Krumboltz’s primary traits believed in capitalizing on planned happenstance and uncertainty into an opportunity (Hirschi & Valero, 2017). Hence, integrating key theoretical knowledge with practical examples can aid the client address and overcome the most concerning uncertainty issues and allow them to trust the planned happenstance concept in their vocation expansion.
‘Planned Happenstance’ career idea offers an unusual approach to profession counselling, requiring to focus on unplanned events to find proficient opportunities. Krumboltz’s thesis is a valuable tool for those who fear the unknown or unsure of their job desires. The example of personal vocation development and application of primary theory traits a counsellor may assure of he planned happenstance effectiveness. Although there are many advantages to the framework, in some instances, people with particular character traits or traditional advisers might not support the philosophy, relying on more concrete and assuring strategies.
References
Chowdhury, F. (2019). How “Planned Happenstance” can help your career.
Hirschi, A., & Valero, D. (2017). Chance events and career decidedness: Latent profiles in relation to work motivation. The Career Development Quarterly, 65(1), 2–15.
Mitchell, K. E., Al Levin, S., & Krumboltz, J. D. (1999). Planned Happenstance: Constructing unexpected career opportunities. Journal of Counseling & Development, 77(2), 115–124.