Introduction
Career coaches help us discover the gifts and the callings that God has for our lives.
Career coaches must answer the following questions -
·
What are our vocational interests, the motivational gifts, the attributes,
the endowments, and faculties?
·What are our destinies, courses of action, or modes of action?
·What are the steps and resources that are necessary to develop the
qualities and talents that we possess?
We receive in a seed form the vocational interests, abilities, skills, and talents that will develop into careers, jobs, tasks, assignments, or ministries. Our talents and gifts will produce earnings, wages, and spiritual rewards as we receive pleasure from knowing that we are fulfilling the callings that God has placed on our lives.
The Goal of a Career Coach
A career coach receives direction from Proverbs 18:16, Proverbs 22:6, and
1 Peter 4:10.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
1 Peter 4:10 As every man has received a gift, even so minister the same gift one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
To learn about abilities, interests, and motivational gifts, a career coach must -
·Assess our vocational interests, abilities, skills, beliefs, and values.
·Discover potential careers that are linked to our identified interests.
·Help us choose the suitable post-secondary education and training.
·Provide resources that help us utilize our vocational interests, abilities,
skills, beliefs, and values.
·Understand the relationship between education, training, and specific
occupations.
·Introduce experiences that meet career, cognitive, emotional, and
behavioral goals.
·Present information on the current and future labor market.
·Introduce problem-solving and decision-making strategies, and
·Solve career issues, conflicts, and concerns.
The Steps Towards Completing Career Exploration Process
Step One: Preliminary Assessment
We must gain access to computerized, online, or printed career assessments. From these assessments, we gain knowledge and understanding of our abilities, ambitions, aptitudes, identities, interests, life goals, resources, skills, and values. During this assessment period, we will evaluate our readiness for career planning. Gary W. Peterson and others of The Center for the Study of Technology in Counseling and Career Development University Center, discussed the differences in career planning readiness. We can be categorized as -
·Decided,
·Decided yet needing a confirmation,
·Decided yet not knowing how to implement their decisions,
·Decided choosing to avoid conflict or stress,
·Undecided,
·Undecided with a deferred choice,
·Undecided yet developmental unable to commit to a decision, and
·Undecided and unable to make a decision because the individual is
multi-talented.
We transition from indecision to decisiveness when we complete the following steps in the career decision making and planning process.
Step Two: Educational and Occupational Exploration
We should gather information about -
·Educational choices,
·The benefits of educational achievement,
·The economy or labor market,
·Occupational choices,
·Specific occupations and programs of study,
·Training opportunities,
·The relationship between work and learning,
·Positive attitudes towards work and learning,
·Personal responsibility and good work habits,
·A typical working day for a specific occupation, and
·Career exploration systems, for example, the Career Guidance System
Step Three: Problem solving
We solve career problems by -
·Identifying educational and career planning obstacles
·Creating solutions or courses of action
·Setting achievable goals
·Resolving conflict and tension, and
·Making a commitment to reach our God-given potential
Problem solving should take into consideration personal values, interests, skills, and financial resources. Big problems are broken down into smaller, more manageable steps. Achievable goals result in the production of new competencies, attitudes, solutions, as well as educational and training opportunities.
Step Four: Goal Setting and Decision Making
As individuals, we -
·Set, formulate, prioritize, and rank goals,
·Clearly state our vocational interests, abilities, and values,
·Derive plans or strategies to implement the solutions,
·Make a commitment to complete the plans,
·Understand decision-making processes,
·Evaluate the primary choice, and
·Consider a secondary occupational choice, if necessary.
Decision-making processes include -
·Developing learning and career plans,
·Identifying suitable occupations,
·Selecting appropriate educational programs,
·Figuring the costs of educational training, and
·Considering the impact of career decisions.
Step Five: Implementation
While implementing and executing our learning and career plans, we translate vocational interests, abilities, and skills into occupational possibilities. We do reality testing through interviewing current workers, job shadowing, part-time employment, full-time employment, and volunteer work. We obtain skill training, for example, social skills, resume writing, networking, and preparations for interviews.
Types of Career Planning Resources
In order to assess our gifts, talents, and abilities, parent/ career coaches need career resources. Career planning resources include books, videotapes, audio-tapes, games, workshops, self-assessment inventories, career exploration web-sites, and computer-assisted career guidance programs. The basis for most of the resources is the National Career Development Guidelines. In 1987, the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) developed The National Career Development Guidelines. The guidelines' competencies were organized into three areas: Self-knowledge, Educational and Occupational Exploration, and Career Planning.
·Self-knowledge deals with our self-concept, interpersonal skills,
growth, and development.
·Educational and occupational exploration reveal the relationships
between learning, work, career information skills, job seeking, skill
development, and the labor market.
·Career planning includes self-assessment, career exploration, decision
making, life role formation, goal setting, and the implementation of
career choices.
Examples of Career Planning Resources
Larry Burkett and Lee Ellis of Life Pathways/ Crown Financial Ministries formulated the Career Direct Guidance System. The Career Direct Guidance System is available in printed and computerized versions. The system has four primary components - Personality, Vocational Interests, Skills and Abilities, and Values. The Career Direct Guidance System has a mission, a motto, and a set of principles (©1998 CFC/LP, Inc).
The mission and motto are -
That we should -
·Fulfill God's destiny for our work;
·Find out how God has wired us;
·Understand the biblical basis for our work and the stewardship of our
talents;
·Develop a sound process for career planning; and
·Comprehend our calling, purpose, vocation, pattern, and bent.
Life Pathways developed principles that form the foundation for good career decisions as -
·Clarify our life's purpose.
·Discover our bent.
·Explore fields that fit our pattern.
·Seek God's confirmation.
·Choose a direction and initial destination.
·Prepare.
·Become a lifelong learner.
·Define our careers.
·Refine our careers as we go along.
Sandy Kulkin of The Institute of Motivational Living created Career Choice Occupational Workbook. The Career Choice module discusses -
·Our purpose, direction, and potential,
·The relationship between personality styles, occupational styles,
career choices, and occupational job clusters,
·21st century job market trends,
·Internet career exploration sites,
·The development of a positive self-worth and self-image, as well as
·Career, educational, leisure, and personal development goals.
The Self-Directed Search is another career assessment. It is available in printed and on-line versions. John Holland developed the Self-directed Search. According to John Holland's theory, we strive to find a match between our personalities and the environments. We also search to find an environment that exercises or uses our giftings, callings, interests, abilities, and skills. Within the Holland's Hexagon Model, there are six types of personalities or environments. The first letter of each personality or environment forms the word RIASEC. RIASEC is an acronym that stands for Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.
Motivational Gifts
Besides assessing personal styles, we also need to identify our motivational and ministry gifts. Everyone is gifted. We have all received motivational and ministry gifts. Motivational gifts are those traits, motivations, and characteristics that are done without any forethought. It is a supernatural and natural instincts, drives, or motivations that cause us to behave and respond characteristically under most conditions, settings, or situations. Motivational gifts are supernatural and natural attributes, endowments, faculties, gifts, gratuities, qualifications, and talents. Our motivational gifts predispose us to go in a particular direction, path, career, or vocation. In the Bible, Romans 12:3,6-8 has information about motivational gifts.
Romans 12:3,6-8 says -
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. [6] Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; [7] Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teaches, on teaching; [8] Or he that exhorts, on exhortation: he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; he that rules, with diligence; he that shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
In addition to motivational gifts, a ministry gift is given by God to benefit Christians and the unsaved. People using their ministry gifts equip, teach, train, and lead others so that the kingdom of God is, enlarged, built, and edified.
Ephesians 4:11-12 says,
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; [12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
According to Don and Katie Fortune, there are nine motivational and ministry gifts.
The Administrator delegates, facilitates, guides, leads, organizes, and supervises.
The Compassion person cares for others, gives aid or support, is sensitive to the hurting, shows mercy or pity, and sympathizes.
As a soul winner, an Evangelist is concerned about the unsaved and preaches the gospel.
The Exhorter cheers up, comforts, communicates, consoles, encourages, and prays.
The Giver is a contributor, investor, and a steward that is knowledgeable of financial matters.
A Pastor is a Shepherd that counsels, directs, guides, leads, ministers, preaches, and teaches.
A Perceiver/ Prophet declares truth and discerns right from wrong.
A Server is a helper and practical server that helps others and works in the ministry of helps.
A Teacher educates, explains, instructs, investigates, studies, and trains.
Examples of Motivational Gifts Resources
Discover Your Giftedness Workbook contains a spiritual gifts profile, a personality profile, as well as a detailed overview of personality styles and spiritual gifts, opportunities for ministry, conflict resolution management, plus 6 lessons that discuss applications of information found in profiles.
Discover Your Children's Gifts is a workbook that discusses motivational giftedness based on Proverbs 22:6 and Romans 12:6-8. Motivational gifts identified are the perceiver, server, teacher, exhorter, giver, administrator, and compassionate person. Each section in the book includes communication skills, school subject interests, scholastic achievements, reading interests, and general interests.
Conclusion
We are each significant, different, and special. Yet, God knows our gifts, talents, and abilities. God has chosen us for special positions and tasks. Our occupations should reflect the callings that God has placed in our lives. Our vocations represent the gifts given to us by God. Our destinies come from God. Career coaches help us discover our God-given talents, abilities, and interests so that we can fulfill God's purpose for our lives. As career coaches, we will use prayer, the Word of God, other books, videotapes, audio-tapes, games, workshops, training materials, self-assessment inventories, career web-sites, computer-assisted career guidance programs, and resource centers to assist us.
References
American College Testing Program (1999) Career Planning Model and The World of Work Map, 2201 North Dodge Street, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168
Burkett, L. (1999) Career Direct Guidance System, Crown Financial Ministries, 601 Broad Street SE, Gainesville, GA 305010-3729
Bergen, Fred (1996) Linking Interest Assessment and Personality Theory In M. L. Savickas & W. B. Walsh (Editors), Handbook of Career Counseling Theory and Practice, Davies-Black Publishing, 3803 East Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto, CA, 94303
Fortune, D. And Fortune, K. Discover Your God-Given Gifts & Discover Your Children's Gifts, Chosen Books, P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49516
Holland, J. (1985) Making Vocational Choices, Second Edition, Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 998, Odessa,FL 33556
Kulkin, S., and Kulkin, C. (1999) Career Choice Occupational Workbook, Institute of Motivational Living, PO Box 925, New Castle, PA 16103
Miller, Juliet V. (1992) The National Career Development Guidelines, Eric Digest ED347493, ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Personnel Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Peterson, G., W., Sampson, J., P., Jr., Reardon, R., C., and Lenz, J., G. (1996) A Cognitive Approach to Career Development and Services, Center for the Study of Technology in Counseling and Career Development, University Center, Suite A4100, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-1035, http://www.fsu.edu/ ~career/techcenter/html
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7/26/00
