Narrative strategies in career education

Constructivist thinking has provided a useful way to understand the way we think, act and feel. It has been influential in several fields but some careers areas have lagged in its practical application. Its proponents emphasise the interpretative nature of our actions and the storied nature of our lives. It is through their stories that "a window of opportunity " exists to help people to understand themselves and change aspects of their lives. This paper describes the use of constructivist approaches with groups and individuals. It suggests that there is a scope for greater use of constructivist-inspired strategies in career education and summarises some examples from secondary education. It proposes that a developmental sequence of narrative activities could be a useful addition to a career education program..N.ecent development incareercounselling has been explorationoftheuseofconstructivistpproaches. Such approaches recognise thateach ofushas a unique view oflife andthatourown interpretation ofevents isrelated to the way wederive meaning from thevarious things thatoccur. Claims that"career information isenhanced significantly when personal meanings become thecentral task ofthecounselling session " (Hoskins, 1995, p. 1)suggest thattheapplication of constructivist ideas to career education could also enhance career development. This paper discusses examples oftheuse ofconstructivist principles incounselling and otherareas and makes suggestions as to how narrative might beused asa potential way to empower students in career education. Examples aregiven from current work where strategies areused to enhance theability ofstudents to articulate their stories. Inparticular it focuses oncareer planning for high school students andproposes thatthere isa scope for a developmental process of narrative work incareer education