Career Guidance for All Students

Hinkle (1993) discusses the counselor's importance in promoting bias-free career planning:

"Counselors need to be aware and cautious about personal prejudices and biases when counseling students. Upbringing, demographics, role models, educational system, and leaders are examples that influence the way individuals view nontraditional careers. Counselors may need additional training in overcoming personal barriers and preconceptions. A recently overheard conversation between a high school counselor and a male student illustrates this point. The counselor was assisting the high school male student in choosing an elective for spring semester. The counselor responded to the student's question with 'The only elective open is homemaking-sewing, and you probably don't want that.' It is crucial that counselors assess themselves daily in methods and techniques of eliminating sex bias and stereotyping. Counselors should allow the students to make their own decisions and not speak or think for the students, and provide them with opportunities and assist in the decision making process. As student advocates, counselors need to help reduce and eliminate sex biases in public education. Counselors should meet with students at least once a semester to assist with career planning, goal-setting, decision making, establishing areas of interest and career exploration to better assure that all students have equal access to career planning. Counselors are instrumental in assisting with the revision and scheduling of courses and programs to meet the needs of our students, as well as to encourage them to participate in vocational education and tech-prep programs.

More efficient ways are needed to increase efforts of introducing elementary and middle school students to an open and equal view of the workplace. Looking at jobs with a nontraditional point of view will help students see that males and females have interests, skills, and aptitudes that allow them to do almost any type of work. Breaking down preconceptions of students is especially effective during their formative years when self-concept and values are formed.

Sex role stereotyping can be defined as preconceptions that limit both men and women in fulfilling their potential, dreams, and goals. Sex role stereotyping occurs in a variety of ways. Attitudes about careers are often learned through family, community adults, media, and those in our school. Learning to eliminate sex role stereotyping needs to be planned and should be encouraged in our guidance programs, including elementary, middle and high school, teachers and parents. Not only is the work force older, but its composition has changed. Blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities will become a large share of the future labor force. By the year 2000, approximately 47% of the work force will be women. Changes in women's work patterns have increased attention to issues such as dual career families, adequate child care and care for aging parents, and women becoming single head of households." (p. 1-2)

Source: Counselor and Bias-Free Career Planning Programs: Preparing Students for Improved Decision Making, by B.B. Hinkle, 1993, Columbus, OH: Career, Education, and Training Associates, Inc.