According to the National Career Development Association, there are many ways that a career counselor can contribute to the success of young migrants and refugees in their host country. To orient a person to think about their future during these stressful moments, demands a balancing of roles. This might be going through a budget, translating and explaining junk mail, doing a job application together, discussing social norms, or advocating for opportunities.
A CAREER COUNSELOR IN YOUTH ORGANIZATION WILL:
How can a counselor help?
Typically, career counselors have the following responsibilities:
Career counselors are expected to advocate for all their clients. However, their advocacy role when working with immigrants and refugees is very crucial. This is because cultural challenges such as language barriers make it difficult for immigrants and refugees to understand how to navigate the systems in their new homeland. Thus, career counselors should advocate for members of this target population when necessary. For example, advocacy is important for those in need of financial assistance from the government to acquire additional education in order to be gainfully employed. Another instance that calls for career counselors’ advocacy is when these persons encounter discriminatory prospective employers (Okocha, 1994; Okocha, 2001). Career counselors can also educate immigrants and refugees to advocate for themselves via modeling.
Through their expertise in career development and labor markets, they can put a person's qualifications, experience, strengths and weakness in a broad perspective while also considering their desired salary, personal hobbies and interests, location, job market and educational possibilities. Through their counseling and teaching abilities, career counselors can additionally support people in gaining a better understanding of what really matters for them personally, how they can plan their careers autonomously, or help them in making tough decisions and getting through times of crisis. Finally, career counselors are often capable of supporting their clients in finding suitable placements/ jobs, in working out conflicts with their employers, or finding the support of other helpful services. It is due to these various benefits of career counseling that policy makers in many countries publicly fund guidance services. For example, the European Union understands career guidance and counseling as an instrument to effectively combat social exclusion and increase citizens' employability.
A CAREER COUNSELOR IN YOUTH ORGANIZATION WILL:
- Help young migrants and refugees figure out who they are and what they want out of their education, career, and life in host country.
- Be someone for young migrants and refugees to talk to about their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and concerns about their career and educational choices, who will help them sort out, organize, and make sense of their thoughts and feelings.
- Help young migrants and refugees identify the factors influencing their career development, and help them assess their interests, abilities, and values.
- Help young migrants and refugees locate resources and sources of career information.
- Help young migrants and refugees to determine next steps and develop a plan to achieve your goals
- The main goal of a career counselor is to help their clients find careers that suit them and careers that they are suitable for. There are a number of things that career counselors might want to consider when trying to accomplish this task.
Aptitude and Skills A person's aptitude and skills refer to his ability to do something. Career counselors will often interview and test clients to determine where his strengths lie, and therefore, which careers he would be good at. - Education Career counselors will also usually take in a client's education level - or desired education level - when attempting to help his find the right career, since many careers require a certain amount of education. These counselors might also consider whether or not a client continuing his education is possible or advisable.
- Personality A person's personality will also usually play a role in determining the best career for him, since different personality types usually excel at different types of careers.
- Interests Career counselors also take their clients interests into account when advising them on the best career options for them.
How can a counselor help?
Typically, career counselors have the following responsibilities:
- Create an environment that encourages clients to talk about their problems, needs, wishes, and experiences;
- Conduct interviews with young refugees/migrants in order to get background information;
- Help clients set goals for what they want to accomplish during consultation;
- Create career plans for young people and monitor their progress;
- Assist young refugees to overcome crisis situations;
- Give referrals to young people who need services from other professionals;
- Create and maintain client records, ensuring that all information is accurate and remains confidential.
Career counselors are expected to advocate for all their clients. However, their advocacy role when working with immigrants and refugees is very crucial. This is because cultural challenges such as language barriers make it difficult for immigrants and refugees to understand how to navigate the systems in their new homeland. Thus, career counselors should advocate for members of this target population when necessary. For example, advocacy is important for those in need of financial assistance from the government to acquire additional education in order to be gainfully employed. Another instance that calls for career counselors’ advocacy is when these persons encounter discriminatory prospective employers (Okocha, 1994; Okocha, 2001). Career counselors can also educate immigrants and refugees to advocate for themselves via modeling.
Through their expertise in career development and labor markets, they can put a person's qualifications, experience, strengths and weakness in a broad perspective while also considering their desired salary, personal hobbies and interests, location, job market and educational possibilities. Through their counseling and teaching abilities, career counselors can additionally support people in gaining a better understanding of what really matters for them personally, how they can plan their careers autonomously, or help them in making tough decisions and getting through times of crisis. Finally, career counselors are often capable of supporting their clients in finding suitable placements/ jobs, in working out conflicts with their employers, or finding the support of other helpful services. It is due to these various benefits of career counseling that policy makers in many countries publicly fund guidance services. For example, the European Union understands career guidance and counseling as an instrument to effectively combat social exclusion and increase citizens' employability.
A comprehensive career guidance service for young migrants and refugees should: • promote self-awareness and the development of social-emotional skills; • perform interest and capacity assessments; • evaluate knowledge of the job market; • organize and support the development of the education and/or career plan; • define medium- and long-term personal goals and objectives; • offer information regarding educational and job opportunities; • recognize the potential and limitations of each participant and his/her environment; • take legal issues and job market demands into consideration; • link personal interests and resources with market demands; • support the process of returning to school if and when possible; • help young migrants and refugees make informed and responsible decisions; • guide young migrants and refugees in reviewing their life plans and making any necessary adjustments; • prepare young migrants and refugees to get and keep a job; and • advise young migrants and refugees in designing strategies and plans for self-management and entrepreneurship. |
In the Guide for Providing Comprehensive Career Guidance Services to Disadvantaged Youth, the authors write :
„Guidelines for Designing and Providing Career Guidance Services Professionals or organizations interested in offering comprehensive career guidance services to disadvantaged youth must have the structure, principles, processes, methodologies and resources to properly provide the services. Some important guidelines to consider in the design, organization and management of the services include: • knowing the cultural, social and economic reality of these young people, adapting the guidance activities to their needs and problems; • encouraging self-discovery and self-management so that the young people make their own choices based on knowledge of themselves and their environment, and empowering them to make autonomous, responsible decisions; • identifying the young people's expectations and potential to help them connect with real opportunities in their environment; • building cooperative networks that involve their families, educational institutions, social organizations and employers, among others; • designing appropriate and creative services that fit the youth’s needs and interests, with learning environments, flexible hours, dynamic intervention strategies, etc.; • keeping in mind that the basic requirements for offering quality services include well-defined processes, qualified personnel, and the necessary tools and methodologies for each stage of the process; • having welcoming spaces and the physical and online resources necessary to support the youth; and • to the extent possible, linking career guidance services with other youth programs or support services, such as job placement offices, formal or informal educational establishments, etc. “ |