This is a case presentation for a client experiencing career indecision.

1. WINTERTemplate
Case Study
Presentation
Career
Counseling
mariacristinajsantos.blogspot.com
http://dlsu.academia.edu/MariaCristinaSantos

2. WINTERTemplate“Wherever God has put you—that
is your vocation. It is not what
we do, but how much love we
put into it. We ourselves feel
that what we are doing is just a
drop in the ocean. But if that
drop was not there, I think the
ocean would be less by that
missing drop.”
--Mother
Theresa

3. WINTERTemplate
•Identifying data
•Presenting career
concerns/issues
•Relevant career history
•Self: Abilities/Interests
•World of Work: Work Environment
•Treatment Plan (based on any of
the career development theories)
•Summary of Counseling sessions

4. Mr. X is 28 years old.
 He was born on November 25, 1984.
a graduate of Bachelor of Science in
Computer Science with specialization in
Information Technology (IT).
 He is single and is working as a
Reports Analyst in a Call Center in
Makati.
Identifying
Data

5. • Race – Filipino
• University Classification- Graduate
Student
• Living Situation – Mr. A is self-reliant.
After his parents, separated he lived on
his own. His parents separated when he
was in 2nd
year College. From that time
on, he became a working student.
Identifying
Data

6. Identifying Data
Manner of dressing- well-groomed and
appropriately-dressed
Physical Appearance- has medium body
built and has fair complexion. He has
dark brown hair and is 5’7” in height.
General Self-Presentation – appeared
worried about his decision to shift
careers and was also open in sharing
his concerns

7. Since their business in Iloilo went bankrupt and
his parents separated, he had to stop schooling in
college for awhile (3 years) to save up for his
tuition.
Also, since they are just 2 children in the family,
he said he really loves being with children.
According to him, simply being with children
reminds him of being carefree and trusting.
That is why, he said that this interest in children
drove or pushed him to consider a course in
Education.
Background
Information
Relevant History

8. After being exposed to community service as a
volunteer teacher and his exposure to Special
Education, he has developed interest in the field
of Education.
He took the entrance exam for Master of
Education major in Special Education last month
in La Salle and he passed the test.
Presently, he is taking his graduate studies and
is being active doing volunteer work as a teacher
aide in a Learning Center for children with special
needs.
Background Information
Relevant History

9. WINTERTemplate New attitudes towards work - (before Mr. A
was a working student and BPOs are accepting
students who are not yet graduates)
 Now that he has earned his college degree
and is a graduate student, he would really like
to follow his passion and be true to himself
 He would like to follow his interest and be
true to his value system --- that a profession or
a job is a vocation and not just a mere source of
income
Presenting Career
Concerns/Issues

10. Mr. A is worried that if he shifts from the
BPO to the academe setting that he might
encounter financial concerns or problems
Non-event – promotion that did not happen
Mr. A is torn between following his heart
and the financial gain in his current job
Presenting Career
Concerns/Issues

11. WINTERTemplate
Relevant Career History
2007 – 2011 ---Call Center Agent
May 2011 – Present--- Reports Analyst

12. Interests: Teaching, Facilitating, Continuous
Learning & Growth, Having a People-Oriented Job
Abilities: good interpersonal skills &
communication skills, computer skills and
organizational skills
Personal Goals:
To be able to inspire, motivate and encourage
others.
To make a difference in an individual’s life.
Self: Abilities/Interest

13. Behavioral Observations
Mr. A appears to be well-mannered and well-
dressed.
 He appears to be a person who is open and the one
who would usually initiate a conversation with others.
 He is very expressive and appears to be at ease in
front of people or mingling with people.
Also, according to my friend (who referred him to
me) Mr. A is a friendly person and that it is easy to get
along with him.

14. WINTERTemplateAccording to Mr. A he has a does not shy away
from social situations.
He also indicated that he prefers not be
smothered in a routine job.
 He said he is really into pursuing higher learning
and desires to be really in a vocation that is in line
with his specialization right now.
Behavioral Observations

15. World of Work:
Work of Environment
Currently, Mr. A is working in a call
center that is why it is totally off tangent
from his Graduate Studies in education.
His work involves preparing reports
regarding the quality and quota of calls
per team.
Desk-bound job

16. • Values are “beliefs that are
experienced by individual as standards
regarding how he or she should
function” (Brown, 2003, p. 49)
• Values are important not only in the
selection of life roles but also in the
satisfaction derived from life roles
(Brown & Crace, 1996).
Treatment Plan
(Brown’s Value- Based
Theory)

17. WINTERTemplate
Treatment Plan
(Brown’s Value- Based
Theory)
• Brown’s choice of focus on work
values and cultural values is related to
the identification of work values as a
critical variable in career
development, and evidence that
cultural values also play an important
role in career development (Brown,
2002, 2003).

18. Treatment Plan
(Brown’s Value- Based
Theory)
• Individuals are exposed to different values
throughout their lives from many different
sources, such as family, peers, environment
and the media (Patton & McMahon, 2006, 40).
• If an individual from a collectivist culture had
to make a career decision, that individual
may turn to their parents or elders to make
decisions for them, or at least seek their
advice prior to making any decisions (Patton
& McMahon, 2006, 40).

19. Treatment Plan
(Brown’s Value- Based
Theory)
• Values develop because of interactions
between innate personal
characteristics and external
experiences.
• As values are formed they become
crystallized in the mind of the
individual and prioritized, and this
relates to cognitive clarity (Brown,
1996).

20. 1. Work values that are high in priority are the
most important determinants of choice from
among alternatives.
2. An individual’s value system is learned from
the society they grow up in, and thus this
society is of great influence when career
decisions are made.
3. Culture, sex and socioeconomic status affect
the opportunities an individual is offered.
4. Choices that are in line with an individual’s
values is essential to career satisfaction.
Role of values in the Career
Decision -Making Process
(Brown & Crace, 1996)

21. WINTERTemplate
Role of values in the Career
Decision -Making Process
(Brown & Crace, 1996)
5. Life Satisfaction is the result of role
interaction.
6. An individual’s level of functioning
correlates with their values; high-
functioning individuals have
crystallized and prioritized values.
7. Success in any role depends on the
abilities required to perform the role’s
functions.

22. Brown’s Value-Based Theory
• Brown’s value-based theory examines
an individual’s values and how they
influence their career choice decisions.
• Despite the fact that it focuses on
values, it is a holistic approach that
covers an individual’s environment and
their culture (Oxbridge,n.d.)

23. Client’s Concerns
• Financial concerns
• Career opportunities that can
satisfy values
• Changes to increase the
satisfaction he derives from other
life roles

24. The Counselor needs to assess if
there are:
• Important intrapersonal value conflicts.
• Issues relating to intrapersonal and
interpersonal conflicts that may be
contributing to client career
dissatisfaction.
• Values that have been crystallized and
prioritized.
Using Brown’s Value-Based
Approach

25. WINTERTemplate
Using Brown’s Value-Based
Approach
The Counselor needs to assess:
• Degree of client flexibility related to
geographical location, training
opportunities, and qualifications.

26. Client’sAction Plans
• Journaling
• Maintain scholarship in Grad School
• Get more units in Grad school next term
• Take the LET in 2013
• Save money to have buffer for career shift to
the academe setting
• Apply as research assistant to get extra income
• Apply in schools next school year (June)

27. Summary of Counseling
Sessions
Week 1: Personal Philosophy
“To use the talents and gifts that God has
given me for the betterment of
others.”
Week 2: Schedule on an Ordinary Day
Work begins at 8 pm to 5am then
sleeps from 6 am to pm. Then he
prepares his school requirements for
grad school, does his errands, then
prepares himself to work.

28. Summary of Counseling
Sessions
Week 3: Career Lifeline
• Born Nov. 5, 1984
• 1992 –entered elementary
• 1997 –graduated elementary
• 2001 – graduated Highschool
• 2002- entered College
• 2007 – joined the BPO industry
• 2007-2011 –Call Center Agent
• 2011 – entered Graduate School (Master of Education)
• May 2011 – present – Reports Analyst A3
• 2012 (present) – currently taking Graduate School and working
in the BPO industry and reflecting on shifting to the Academe
Setting

29. Week 4: Client’s Hopes
• To finish graduate school.
• To work in a field that really makes him
happy and in line with his interests,
preferences and value system.
• To have a house and a happy family.
• To be able to provide for the family.
• To live a happy and fulfilled life with his
loved ones.
Summary of Counseling Sessions

30. WINTERTemplate
Summary of Counseling
Sessions
Week 5: Client’s Fears
• To die without even living his dreams and
doing what he is called to do.
• To be trapped in a job just because of
financial gain.
• To be stuck in a rut --- monotonous or
routine job that makes him stagnant.

31. Summary of Counseling
Sessions
Week 6: Boat Activity
 Mr. A said that the ocean is full of
surprises and is very unpredictable just like
his journey in life.
 He said that as the Captain of the ship, he
has to be on his guard to be able to
maneuver the boat to safety.
 He said that his compass is God to give him
wisdom and discernment in his decisions.

33. Summary of Counseling
Sessions
Week 7: Positive Qualities
• Calm and collected
• Excellent communication skills
• People-person
• Patient
• Well-rounded
• Spiritual

34. Week 8: Career Life Plan and Eulogy
• To join the academe setting in 2013.
• To earn degree in 5 years (2017).
• To have his own family when he is 35.
• To pursue PhD after earning his masters.
• To have 2 kids.
• To have a happy family life and a
profession that he would consider a
vocation or a calling.
Summary of Counseling
Sessions

35. Week 8: Eulogy
I am blessed to have met my husband.
The years that we were together were the
happiest years of my life. We have 2 beautiful
children. My husband loved our children
more than life itself. He was a loving father
and our children were very close to him.
My husband enjoyed being an educator.
It was his vocation and calling. Eventhough
he spent a lot of hours working, he always
made sure to take time for his family and was
always there when needed. My husband was
well loved by his friends, colleagues and
family. He was very loving and kind-hearted.

36. Summary of Counseling
Sessions
Week 9: Brown’s Theory (previous
discussion)
Week 10 & 11: Job Announcements
• Professor in the Academe Setting
• Training & Development Officer in the
Corporate Setting
• Consultant

37. In Summary
• If we are clear with our values and priorities in
life, role conflict or balancing our personal and
professional life would be easier.
• Thus, life satisfaction would result because of
the smooth role interaction that we portray
for our different life roles.
• Brown’s Theory says “…individuals must
maintain their personal values, while
balancing their workplace values.”

38. “Be satisfied with what you can
do, since this satisfies God, but
do not spare yourself in what
you can do with the help of
grace. Be convinced that,
provided you are willing, you
can do more with the help of
God’s grace than you imagine.”
-- St. John Baptist de La Salle