CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The basic purpose of career counseling and coaching is to enable an individual to perceive and explore his or her seemingly limitless alternatives. The major service areas of guidance and counseling are educational guidance and counseling, which aids students in their career choices, vocational guidance and counseling, which aids the individual in choosing and preparing for an occupation that is compatible with his interests and aptitudes, and personal and social guidance and counseling, which aids the individual in behaving appropriately in relation to other members of society (Odeck 1999). Career counseling is being challenged to fulfill the demands of a society that is witnessing huge changes in the workplace that is fast growing more diverse, according to supporting literature on career development (Zunker, 2002). Changes in counseling needs have emerged as a result of the requirement for high-quality work performance, which is widespread in people’s lives because it affects all of our life roles. This has broadened the role and scope of the career counselor beyond simply assisting people in finding work. Despite the fact that finding the right job is crucial, career counseling now covers a wide range of issues such as mental health disorders that limit one’s professional options, changes in the workplace, and matching the needs of workers in a global economy (Creswell, 2008).
School counselors play an important part in kids’ overall development in terms of job choices. As a result, career development interventions are offered to aid in the dissemination of knowledge that will help students make well-informed personal, intellectual, and social decisions.
