Multicultural Career Counseling in Secondary Schools

1. Multicultural Career Counseling in Secondary Schools Mi Jin Chung SDS 6411/6413 University of Florida

2. Demographic Changes in Schools • The rate of students who have multicultural background is remarkably getting higher. • They have special concerns from their unique cultural background. • Then, who can help them effectively? • Career counselor is a unique position in helping them move into the schools and future workplaces.

3. Multicultural Issues in Career Counseling Because of cultural differences, students • face diverse challenges.(language barriers, value systems related to family, traditional role models, career choices) • feel confusion, anxiety, stress and depression in the dominant school culture. • take a passive attitude in their career development process.

4. Individual Counseling Strategy Multicultural Career Assessment • must be considered multicultural factor • must be made appropriately for diverse students’ lack of linguistic equivalence. • alternative and non-standardized multicultural career assessment tools: The Missouri Occupational Card Sorts, The Singapore Occupational Card Sorts, Ward & Bingham’s Multicultural Career Counseling Checklist, The Real Game series

5. Small Group Counseling Strategy Peer Helper Programs • Peer helper : high-grade students serve as a mentor and aid for new comers or low-grade students. • Program: multicultural concerns sharing, academic planning, study skills, career assessment follow-up, and time management. • The National Peer Helper Association: excellent resources-development of peer helper programs.

6. Conclusion: Cultural Responses • School counselor must be culturally responsive to students’ unique needs.

7. Some Recommendations To cope with multicultural career concerns, • More professional researches • Appropriate assessment tools • Career services such as activities,programs, and resources(be considered multicultural career issues)