Living An Unexpected Life: Practical Tools For Working With Clients

Of All Ages Experiencing Change, Chance And Transition In A Changing

Economic Landscape

Professor Jim Bright Bright and Associates

jim@brightandassociates.com.au @DrJimBright

The Fantasy And

The Reality

Billy Wilder / Jack Lemmon The ApartmentMarx Brothers A Night at the Opera

Bright & Associates 2015 1

A BUTTERFLY FLAPPING ITS WINGS CAN BE ENOUGH TO TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

Bright & Associates 2015 2

The Chaos Theory Of Careers

CHAOS THEORY OF CAREERS AND SHIFT

Modern Career Paths involve:

Change

Complexity

Chance

Uncertainty

(e.g. Pryor & Bright, 2003ab, 2007, Bright & Pryor, 2005, 2007, 2011)

21ST CENTURY CHALLENGE: THE NEED TO BALANCE ORDER AND

CHANGE

Bright & Associates 2015 3

CONCEPTS TO PRIVILEGE & PRIORITISE & INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

Change Perception

Opportunity Awareness (Luck Readiness - Flexibility, Curiosity, Optimism, Self-Efficacy, Strategy, Luckiness, Risk, Persistence)

Adaptability

Planmanship

Creativity

Slow Shift, Fast Shift, Deep Shift

Canadians 26% (n=2000)Australians 15% (n=932)

School Leaders 20% (n=70)Agree

Self-Efficacy

Canadians 32%Australians 28%

School Leaders 21%agree

Flexibility

Bright & Associates 2015 4

Canadians 73% Australians 69%

School Leaders 76% agree

Risk

Bright & Associates 2015 5

Canadians 28%Australians 19%

School leaders 3%agree

Optim

ism

Curio

sity

Curiosity and an Electric Fence

Bright & Associates 2015 6

Canadians 30%Australians 28%

School leaders 3%agree

Persistence

AUSSIE PERSISTENCE?

Canadians 67%Australians 60%

School Leaders 66%agree

Strategy

Bright & Associates 2015 7

Evidence Of Outcomes To Assist And Improve Practice

The Outcome Of Insane Parents Is Either A Murderer Or An Intellectual. M.F. Moonzajer, Love, Hatred And Madness

Bright & Associates 2015 8

Effect of showing videos of chaos in graduate lives to undergraduatesDavey, R., Bright, J.E.H., Pryor, R.G.L. & Levin, K. (2005).

CHAOS COUNSELLING INCREASES SELF-EFFICACY THE MOST OVER 1 MONTH

MCKAY, BRIGHT & PRYOR (2005)Chaos Traditional Control

CHAOS TRAINING LEADS TO GREATER

CONFIDENCE IN ACCESSING

OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION

(CDSE)

Chaos Trait-Factor

Tony Borg, PhD research

n=35 n=33

Bright & Associates 2015 9

CHAOS TRAINING LEADS

TO GREATERCONFIDENCE IN SELF APPRAISAL

(CDSE)

CHAOS TRAIT FACTOR

Tony Borg, PhD research

n=35 n=33

IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS I SOUGHT

INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC

AREAS OF CAREER

INTEREST

CHAOS TRAIT FACTOR

Tony Borg, PhD research

n=35 n=33

Chaos 20%

Trait 2%

LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF HIGH SCHOOL LEAVERS FROM HUNTER VALLEY SCHOOL

BORG, BRIGHT & PRYOR (2014)

18 months after leaving school:

50% of students attending university experienced changes to their degree

33% students changing degree entirely

17% changing major

71% of respondents reported unexpected change since Year 12 that was significant, large or major,

53% of respondents changed career interest

Bright & Associates 2015 10

You've Got To Be Very Careful If You Don't Know Where You Are Going, Because You Might Not Get There.

Yogi Berra

The End

Bright & Associates 2015 11