Abstract
In a socioeconomic context that is characterized by rapid changes and uncertainty, meaning has become a central issue for career counseling practices (Bernaud et al., Psychologie de l’accompagnement: Concepts et outils pour développer le « sens » de la vie et du travail. [Psychology of coaching: Concepts and tools to develop meaning of life and of work]. Paris: Dunod, 2015; Savickas et al., Journal of Vocational Behavior 75:239–250, 2009). At the same time, the nature of career problems has become increasingly complex. Consequently, innovative interventions must be developed to address the needs of individuals seeking career counseling (Savickas et al., 2009). The purpose of this study is to introduce a new meaning-centered career intervention adapted for college students, experimented at a French university and emphasizing two key aspects: meaning of life and meaning of work. Inspired by several conceptual approaches—meaning of life, the positive psychology movement, the life-design paradigm, and some evidence-based practices—the present intervention aims to stimulate active existential reflection among college students regarding their career plans. Meaning of life may facilitate the career decision-making process (Miller and Rottinghaus, Journal of Career Assessment 22:233–247, 2014). Reflections about meaning of work are also incorporated as they represent salient aspects of college students’ lives. The first section is focused on reviewing the concepts of meaning of life (Frankl, Man’s search for meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1959) and of meaning of work (Rosso et al., Research in Organizational Behavior 30:91–127, 2010), and their relevance for career construction and the career decision-making process. The second section is a description of the different sessions of this program. The intervention is divided into five sessions with specific objectives and target groups of 10–20 undergraduate students. Student testimonies are included in this study. In conclusion, we discuss the limitations and perspectives of this meaning-centered career intervention.
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Notes
- 1.
Thank you for this moment (Merci pour ce moment) is a best-selling political memoir written by Valérie Trierweiler and published in 2014. She is a French journalist and the former partner of the President François Hollande.
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Arnoux-Nicolas, C. et al. (2018). Meaning-Centered Career Intervention for College Students. In: Cohen-Scali, V., Rossier, J., Nota, L. (eds) New perspectives on career counseling and guidance in Europe . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61476-2_9
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