Labor changes in recent years, such as high unemployment, the creation of new and flexible forms of work and the coexistence of many different cultures in the same work environment combined with the fact that today people do not treat their work, only, as a means for their financial survival, but, also, as an important part of their lives through which they seek creativity, moral satisfaction and personal development through their job performance, has led them to career counselors / career coaches with the aim resolving or managing their work issues. In this endeavor, Career Coach’s “education” plays an important role. But what do we mean when we refer to the “conduct” of the career coach? And how does it relate to the theory of symbolic interaction?
First, we need to explain, what symbolic interaction is. The social theory of symbolic interaction, also, known as the “Chicago School”, argues that the ability to think is, what differentiates humans from other living beings. As a result, human social actions are not reflective, but the relationship between “stimulus and response” is located in them. This means, that people interpret, evaluate and decode the behavior of an individual and based on the interpretation they give, they respond to this behavior. This process is repeated between social subjects as long as their social interaction lasts. The main founder of this theory was George Hebert Mead, who believed, that this was achieved through language and its symbols, where they give a “conscious meaning” to the social action of the subject. Other key figures in the theory of symbolic interaction are Hebert Blumer, who argued that human social action takes place within specific social contexts and it is specific to the objects based on the definition (derived from the social interaction of individuals in the process of their socialization and is not always constant, so it can be modified through their interpretation), which have already given social subjects to objects and Erving Goffman, who parallels social action with theater. Depending on the social situation, in which the social subject is, he / she adopts the appropriate behavior. Meaning that, he / she interprets the corresponding role, either because he / she wants to present his best self, or because he / she wants to achieve his goal.
Before continuing with the importance of career coaching conduct, it is advisable to clarify the concept of Coaching. According to the International Coach Federation, it is “partnering with the client in a creative process, where he / she provokes the thought and inspires him / her to maximize his / her personal and professional potential”. In the context of Career Coaching, this it can mean looking for ways to enter the labor market, choosing a job specialization, developing professional skills, exploring career options, increasing job performance, etc.
By “conduct” we mean the training system of the career coach. Training should not only take into account the scientific and theoretical background in the field of Career Coaching, but, also, other knowledge, abilities and skills, such as empathy and active listening, where they will be helpful in their work. In order to obtain this “conduct”, career coaches first need to have a value system, which will help them manage potential ethical problems in their cooperation with their counselors. Then, an important element that affects the education of the career coach is his/her personal and professional development, which they can achieve through attending scientific conferences and workshops, studying scientific books and journals, their participation in experiential counseling workshops for further development of their skills and the holding of counseling sessions. Last but not least, career coaches need to be supervised about their work, so that they have feedback on their work, can discuss doubts and thoughts about their work and ensure the quality of the work to coachee.
Career Coaching, therefore, should not be taken as a mechanical process, where the career coach faithfully follows a scientific method and produces automatic results. On the contrary, the relationship between the career coach and the coach is created and evolves over time. The outcome of the counseling process is determined by this relationship, which has multiple levels. It is professional, educational, pedagogical, social and communicative. Therefore, the career coach not only contributes to the solution of his / her coachee’s work problem, but with his / her attitude and behavior he / she either directly or indirectly influences the action and behavior of his / her coachee. In many cases, coachees are found to be “self-fulfilling prophecies” of their career coaches. By this, we mean, that the positive or negative expectations, attitudes, prejudices and moods of career coaches have a catalytic effect on the behavior of their coachees.
In conclusion, the symbolic interaction, which is created between the career coaches and the coaches, is of the utmost importance both on a personal and a social level. Many career coaches may have scientific training in the field of job counseling but, unfortunately, lack some or all of the other skills and abilities. For this reason, it is important that career coaches do not take Career Coaching as a profession, to meet their livelihood needs, but to understand the social position and role they hold in society, and to respond to it seriously and with respect, as they are a model of behavior and values, which they need to manifest in all aspects of their social life and not only during the counseling process. In this way, on the one hand, they will become successful career coaches and on the other hand, they will contribute to the formation of a better future society.
This article contains copyright. Reproduction of all or part of this article may be done with the consent of the author or with reference to the website www.marialykousi.gr. The first publication was made at www.psychology.gr on 09/24/2020.