Presentations from International Conference "Motivation for development", Sofia, 10-12 Oct. 2012, organised by Euroguidance and Europass Bulgarian and Foundation Business for education. / Презентации от Международната конференция "Мотивация за развитие", София, 10-12 Окт. 2012, организирана от Еврогайдънс и Европас България, и Фондация на бизнеса за образование. Andrea Szilagyi and Amalia Stanciu speak about Career Group Conselling. The video from their appearance is available through our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/webhrdc/. Андрея Шиладжи и Анамлиа Станчу говорят за Групово Кариерно Консултиране. Видеото с тяхното представяне е достъпно чрез нашия Youtube канал: http://www.youtube.com/user/webhrdc/.

1. GROUP CAREER
COUNSELING
Dr. Andreea Szilagyi
Dr. Amalia Stanciu
European Board for Certified Counselors

2. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
GROUP CAREER
COUNSELING
History and Types

3. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
History
Group career counseling:
• Is among the most used career interventions
• Has been mentioned in the first writings related to
career guidance (Parsons, 1909)
• Has various purposes, addressing a variety of
career related issues

4. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
• Teaches participants how to: Purposes
• Make decisions
• Acquire job-search skills
• Helps people to:
• Develop self-awareness and occupational awareness
• Deal with uncertainty
• Better adjust their occupational choices after they have been
implemented
• Develop a framework to cope with school, job and personal stress
(Guichard, 2001; Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005)

5. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
Types of Group Career
Counseling
• Structured groups
Another term used:
Group Guidance
• Unstructured groups
Also known as:
Process Oriented Groups

6. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
STRUCTURED GROUP
CAREER COUNSELING

7. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
Characteristics
• Format:
• Workshops and Courses with more than 8 members
• Scope:
• Information and Didactic oriented
• Skill building
• Duration: 3 – 7 sessions
• Topics - specific issues of common concerns to the group
members:
• Job search strategies
• Choosing an educational path
• Career decision making strategies
• Career planning
(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005; Oliver & Spokane, 1988; Watts and Sultana, 2004)

8. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
The Group Leader
• Main Role:
• Teacher
• Necessary Knowledge and Skills:
• Teaching principles for the age category served (children, adolescents,
adults)
• Setting goals and measuring outcomes
• Career theory and practice
• Detailed information regarding
the topic of the group
(Pyle, 2007)

9. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
Structured Group Career
Counseling: An Example
Session 1:
Overview of Job
Search Strategies
Session 5: Session 2:
Managing the Job Active and
Search Passive Job
Effectively Search Strategies
Session 4: Session 3:
Job Interview Different Styles of
Skills Curriculum Vitae
(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005)

10. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
GCDF as a Group Leader
GCDF Competency Areas:
1. Helping skills 7. Employability skills
2. Labor market information 8. Training clients and peers
and resources 9. Program management/
3. Assessment implementation
4. Diverse populations 10. Promotion and public
5. Ethical and legal issues relations
6. Career developmental 11. Technology
models 12. Consultancy

11. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
UNSTRUCTURED GROUP
CAREER COUNSELING

12. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
Characteristics
• Format:
• Support group of 5 - 8 members
• Scope:
• Addresses clients’ intrapersonal and interpersonal concerns related
to career development
• Skill building
• Duration: longer periods of time (up to 6 months)
• Topics - specific issues of common concerns to the group
members:
• Career transitions
• Choosing a career
• Career development
(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005)

13. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
The Group Leader
• Roles:
• Facilitator
• Counselor
• Teacher
• Necessary Knowledge and Skills:
• Helping skills (active listening, paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, challenge) used
to:
Build trust
Ensure comfort of group members to disclose
• Ability to process the emotional components of the group
• Career counseling practice and theory
(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005; Pyle, 2007)

14. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
BENEFITS OF GROUP
CAREER COUNSELING
For Group Members and Group Leaders

15. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
For Members of Groups
• Feedback received from group leader
• Development of knowledge and skills
• Group members can realize that others
have the same problems and can:
• Support each other
• Feel hopeful when noticing success of others
• Share useful information with each other
(Pyle, 2007)

16. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
For Members of Unstructured
Groups
• Feedback – about values, interests, abilities - received
from group members, not only from the leader can lead
to:
• Increased self-awareness and occupational awareness
• Insight in regard to issues of interests
• Development of decision skills
• Increased assistance and
support in :
• In making decisions
• In going through transitions
(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005; Pyle, 2007; Yalom, 2005)

17. October 11, 2012 - Sofia Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation for Development”
For Group Leaders
• Compared to individual career counseling, groups:
• Are time and cost efficient
• Offer opportunities for developing skills that supports
counselor’s professional development

18. October 11, 2012 - Sofia
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Euroguidance Conference: “Motivation
for Development”