Multicultural Career Counseling in Secondary Schools

Mi Jin Chung

SDS 6411/6413

University of Florida

Demographic Changes in Schools

• The rate of students who have multicultural background is remarkably getting higher.

• They have special concerns from their unique cultural background.

• Then, who can help them effectively?• Career counselor is a unique position in helping

them move into the schools and future workplaces.

Multicultural Issues in Career Counseling

Because of cultural differences, students

• face diverse challenges.(language barriers, value systems related to family, traditional role models, career choices)

• feel confusion, anxiety, stress and depression in the dominant school culture.

• take a passive attitude in their career development process.

Individual Counseling Strategy

Multicultural Career Assessment• must be considered multicultural factor• must be made appropriately for diverse students’ lack of

linguistic equivalence.• alternative and non-standardized multicultural career

assessment tools: The Missouri Occupational Card Sorts, The Singapore

Occupational Card Sorts, Ward & Bingham’s Multicultural Career Counseling Checklist, The Real Game series

Small Group Counseling Strategy

Peer Helper Programs• Peer helper : high-grade students serve as a mentor

and aid for new comers or low-grade students.• Program: multicultural concerns sharing,

academic planning, study skills, career assessment follow-up, and time management.

• The National Peer Helper Association: excellent resources-development of peer helper programs.

Conclusion: Cultural Responses

• School counselor must be culturally responsive to students’ unique needs.

Some Recommendations

To cope with multicultural career concerns,

• More professional researches

• Appropriate assessment tools

• Career services such as activities,programs, and resources(be considered multicultural career issues)