| EDCE 201: Career and Life Planning Occupational Case Study ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Choose a person who is older than you�perhaps a parent, a grandparent, a relative, a professor, or other individual who is willing to spend an hour or two with you discussing her or his career development. (I hope some of you will choose to interview someone with a minority status so that we can begin learning about the special issues minorities face!) Inform the individual that you are attempting to learn more about how people make decisions about their work and how work fits into their lives. Advise the person that the interview is not intended to be a form of �psychoanalysis,� and that she or he can say �no� to any question that is asked (20 points). a. Begin the interview by putting the person at ease. Acquaint him or her with the purpose of the interview. You should say something like: I�m studying career decision-making and how careers are affected by the different needs we have and the roles we play at different stages in our adult lives. Your answers will help me develop a better understanding of the stages ahead and how they may affect my life and career choices. (Note: If you cannot visit with the person directly, ask her or him if they would be willing to talk with you on the phone.) b. During the interview, gather information such as their age, marital status, minority status�age, race, class, size, ethnicity, sexual orientation, language, health, disability, religion�educational background, present occupation, and career development. Have their lives reflected traditional ideas about work, marriage and children? Or have they followed contemporary ideas about work, marriage and children listed in your text? What are the important issues that the individual anticipates facing in the future? What advice might they offer you about these issues? c. After the interview, write a 2 �3 page description of this person�s career development as you envision it. Relate this picture of your subject�s career to what you have learned about personal development and life stages in your text. Be prepared to share your findings in class. Don�t forget to send a �thank you� note to the person you have interviewed! |