Career Development and Counselling: Case Study Analysis

Refer to Annex A: Case: Marcus Teo. Evaluate and review the challenges faced by Marcus Teo and the potential steps he could take to adjust for his career. Marcus has recently consulted John, a career coach working for a government funded career services.  Assuming you are John, the career coach, apply and critique the approaches that you will take to help Marcus address and navigate his career challenges.

1. As a career coach, you will need to use the Person-Centred Theory (PCT), in attending to Marcus.

a. Recommend the THREE (3) core conditions that you must display during the counselling session with him.

b. Explain in detail why it is necessary to display each of the above-mentioned three core conditions when with the client, Marcus.

2. As you attend to Marcus and understand his challenges,

a. Apply TWO (2) or more career development theories that you will use to analyse and understand the case.

b. Explain the appropriateness of each of the TWO (2) or more career development theories you used in part 2a. Your explanation should be relevant to Marcus’ circumstances.

c. Provide supporting evidence through research on each of the career development theories applied to substantiate your explanation in part 2b.

3. It is important for career coaches to be able to recommend some resources to clients.

a. Recommend TWO (2) or more specific resources that would be beneficial for Marcus to navigate his career challenge(s). Resources may include, but are not limited to assessment tools, professional development programmes, networking platforms, educational resources, or support services.

b. Explain how each of the recommendations in part 3a can help Marcus and support each recommendation with either research evidence, case studies or any other documented outcomes from credible sources.

Your written assignment should be framed according to the context of the client in the case: Marcus Teo. Support your points clearly with relevant arguments on the choice of theories used in guiding your client to achieve his goal(s). Your choice of theories and resources recommendation should also work together as a coherent approach to help Marcus. Explain how your analysis of his situation guides your recommendations.

Case: Marcus Teo

Marcus Teo, 35, is experiencing a period of career uncertainty following recent workplace changes. After 15 years in the workforce, he finds himself questioning his career direction and seeking guidance to make more strategic decisions about his professional future.

Marcus’s career pattern reveals a consistent cycle of learning and transition. He spent close to 10 years in telecommunications, advancing from Customer Service Executive to Team Leader. In 2019, he transitioned to banking as an Assistant Relationship Manager for three years, followed by two years in logistics as a Logistics Coordinator. Each transition was preceded by formal training: banking operations certification before his financial services move, and supply chain management certification before joining logistics.

His career decisions have been largely reactive rather than strategic. The telecommunications exit came from seeking “new challenges” after feeling stagnant. The banking transition appealed to his interest in analytical work and client relationships. The logistics move was sparked by Singapore’s growing trade sector. However, Marcus struggles to articulate a coherent career narrative or identify consistent themes across his experiences.

Marcus was earning $5,000 monthly in his logistics role until a recent company restructuring resulted in a significant pay cut to $4,200 monthly, along with reduced responsibilities and an uncertain future. This salary reduction has been particularly challenging as it is seen as a step backward in his career progression. The external disruption has triggered deep reflection about his career patterns and financial security. He recognizes a tendency to pursue education as a solution and is now enrolled in a part-time Healthcare Management degree, exploring yet another sector transition.

Marcus is married to Linda, a teacher earning $4,800 monthly, they have a 7-year-old son, Ethan. Their financial obligations include a $2,000 mortgage and $1,900 in monthly family expenses. While Linda supports Marcus’s professional development, the recent pay cut has prompted family discussions about financial planning and the need for career stability.

The healthcare administration interest emerged from Marcus’s perception of the sector’s stability and growth potential. However, he admits uncertainty about whether this represents a genuine career calling or another attempt to escape current challenges.

Marcus reflects on his strengths in learning agility and adaptability, having successfully transitioned across different industries. His diverse background spans customer service, financial advisory, and logistics coordination, though he questions whether this represents valuable versatility or problematic lack of focus.

Marcus also notices patterns in his career journey that both concern and intrigue him. He tends to make decisions based on external circumstances rather than internal direction, often using education as a bridge between roles. While this approach has enabled successful transitions, he wonders about its sustainability and alignment with his deeper professional aspirations.

Marcus has begun working with a career counsellor, recognizing that his current situation presents both challenge and opportunity. The recent workplace changes have created urgency around career planning, but also space for more thoughtful consideration of his professional future. He approaches this process with curiosity about understanding his motivations and developing a more intentional approach to career development.

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Person centred theory

The three core conditions that need to be displayed are empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence. Empathy is quite helpful to Marcus in understanding his career uncertainty whereas unconditional positive regard helps Marcus to perform reflection without any kind of fear of judgement with respect to his career decision. Finally congruence is important in building trust so that Marcus can engage honestly in career planning.

Career development theories

The two career development theories that are considered for the purpose of analysis are super life span life space theory and Krumboltz social learning theory of career decision making. Super theory is quite useful for Marcus in understanding the career stage and thereby identifying any kind of confusion because of multiple role changes. The Krumboltz theory is useful as it helps Marcus in understanding reactive decisions because of changes caused by external factors including market growth, changes to salary.

Resources for Marcus

The resources available for Marcus are career interest and value assessment, skillsfuture Singapore programmes and professional networking platforms like LinkedIn. The RIASEC assessment will help Marcus to identify consistent interest and values which can help in controlling over the frequent random career moves. Skills future program will be helpful by providing required information to support informed and strategic transitions. LinkedIn networking will allow exposure to health care administration roles and realistic career pathways. 

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