In an Online, Global Community,
Who Is Being Left Out?
INTRODUCTION
In an increasingly digital world, the use of technology has come to
dominate the job search process and is the primary vehicle for
working with clients in Career Counseling. Although beneficial,
technology can inhibit clients from navigating career concerns
successfully, particularly within multicultural contexts. Through an
exploration of benefits and barriers created by the use of
technology in Career counseling, career exploration, workplace
readiness, and job search activities, our research revealed that
there remain underlying assumptions within the world of work that
effectively discriminate against persons who are digitally impaired.
While a large portion of the current discussion related to
technology in Career Counseling focuses on questions of access,
national data related to technology use suggest a need to shift the
conversation toward digital readiness within a technological
landscape flooded with resources. Further, although technology is a
primary resource for job and career activities here in the United
States, the research reveals that there are social and ethical
implications for technology and career in the broader global
context, as only 40 percent of the world’s population has access to
internet. Citing the advancement of technology usage worldwide as
“intellectual colonization,” how do career counselors adequately
support clients in the United States while participating ethically in
the global community?
METHODS
Literature search conducted using Wake Forest University’s Z.
Smith Reynolds Library search tools, which include access to various
online libraries and databases.
Search parameters:
● Literature published within the the last 10 years
● Literature published in scholarly and peer-reviewed journals
● Access to full article text
Relevant articles referenced within our selected literature that
were published relatively recently were also included.
Search terms used in various combinations:
● technology and career development
● technology and career counseling
● technology, culture, and career counseling
● digital barriers
● employment counseling
● technology and social media in counseling
● job search
● populations and technology
Internet sites with reliable references and methods were also used
to substantiate our research with numerical data.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2011
www.PosterPresentations.com
Anna K. Fleig, B.A. & Janay Whittaker, B.S.
Wake Forest University Department of Counseling
RESULTS
Technology Use in Career Counseling
A principal benefit to using technology and internet in career
counseling is access. Ways that this access has been provided in the
field include:
● Assessments
● Assessment scoring
● Distance counseling
● Social media for networking, promotion, and information sharing
● Instructional resources
However, increased online access to career counseling tools can
have effects that undermine the benefits these tools strive to
provide:
● An overabundance of career resources can make it difficult for
users to identify effective and trustworthy resources and
services
● An online assessment for a person with low readiness for career
decision making could be more harmful than helpful
● Increased internet technology use sustains/increases disparities
in income and readiness for decision making
● Potential validity problems with assessments being offered in a
web-based format
● Inability to or difficulty offering user support (e.g.
interpretation of results, addressing relevant cultural career
development factors)
● Distance counseling not indicated for certain populations (e.g.
those with anxiety and those with severe depression)
● Westernized solutions, visions, objectives, and methodologies
that are not appropriate for the majority of the world’s
population
(Goodman & Gillis, 2009; Kettunen, Vuorinen, & Sampson, 2015;
Sampson & Lumsden, 2000; Sampson Jr & Makela, 2014)
Populations Affected by Technology Use in Career Domains
Social media can be a tool for delivering information, facilitating
1-to-1 communication, providing an interactive work space, and
as catalyzing paradigm change. However, perceived time
investment and lack of content control challenge social media use
(Kettunen, Vuorinen, & Sampson, 2015).
● Time investment could be a barrier for individuals who spend
most of their time working to make ends meet (e.g. lower SES
individuals)
Equity of access does not truly exist just because career
resources are made available online (Sampson & Lumsden, 2000).
● Those with less financial resources would have less access to
quality resources (Sampson & Lumsden, 2000)
● Those who lack internet access, which is about 40% of the
world’s population (InternetLiveStats.Com, 2016)
● Those who lack or have limited devices with which to access
the internet. Lower SES individuals, those with less education,
older adults, and non-whites are more likely to own a
cellphone but not a smartphone. Except for older adults,
smartphone owners in these populations that own a
smartphone are more likely to rely solely on it for internet
access (Pew Research Center, 2018)
Website design can discriminate against certain populations.
● People with lower education levels are more likely to use
smartphones for more complex job search activities. Almost
50% of smartphone job seekers have encountered problems
due to content not being mobile-friendly (Smith, 2015)
● Estimates have indicated that a minimal percentage of web
developers take accessibility into account when designing a
website, which likely results in difficulty accessing web
content for those with disabilities (Carter & Markel, 2001;
Peters & Bradbard, 2010)
Distance career counseling can keep a counselor from being
aware of all the considerations facing a client (Sampson &
Lumsden, 2000).
● Those without choice or who lack choices could find career
counseling unhelpful due to counselors failing to address their
unique context (Goodman & Gillis, 2009)
Examples of assistive technologies for various kinds of disabilities (Peters & Bradbard, 2010)
DISCUSSION
Our research indicates that although technology-driven
interventions can increase access to career-related resources, this
access is not equitable given the disparities within the United
States and beyond. Digital impairment (inadequate access to
technological tools, digital illiteracy), inaccessible online resources,
and intellectual colonization point to the need for career
counselors to deepen their multicultural awareness and
competency while working with these special populations.
Other Considerations
Potential Solutions
● Advocacy: public policy (Goodman & Gillis, 2009)
● Non-library public access points (Sampson & Lumsden, 2000)
● Assistive technologies (Peters & Bradbard, 2010)
Who Else is Being Left Out?
● People not being reached by career counseling due to cultural
values/pressures (Goodman & Gillis, 2009)
● People without the luxury of career exploration over job
acquisition (Goodman & Gillis, 2009)
REFERENCES
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-as-lower-income-ame-ricans-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/
Carter, J., & Markel, M. (2001). Web accessibility for people with disabilities: An
introduction for web developers. IEEE Transactions on Professional
Communication, 44(4), 225-233. doi:10.1109/47.968105
Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. (Eds.). (2011). Career counseling : foundations,
perspectives, and applications. Retrieved from
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Goodman, J., & Gillis, S. (2009). Vocational guidance requests within the
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doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2009.tb00119.x
InternetLiveStats.Com. (2016, July 1). Internet users. Retrieved from Internet
Live Stats: http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/
Kerka, S. (2003). Career development of diverse populations. ERIC Digest.
Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Career and Vocational Education.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED482536)
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Peters, C., & Bradbard, D. A. (2010). Web accessibility: An introduction and
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Pew Research Center (2018, February 5). Mobile fact sheet. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/
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doi:10.1177/106907270000800103
Sampson Jr, J. P., & Makela, J. P. (2014). Ethical issues associated with
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