Career Decision

Traditional career education activities at the secondary level consist of academic, aptitude, skills, interests, and, less often, personality assessments that assist students in narrowing viable career options. Although this strategy is reasonable, its attempt to objectify the career decision-making process does not address two important components of career decision-making—personal values and social-emotional concerns. Because gifted students possess characteristics, such as heightened sensitivity, multipotentiality, and perfectionism, that might complicate this process, appropriately differentiated career education includes these dimensions, especially during times of transition. Due to gaps in preparation and training, school counselors may feel inadequate in meeting these students’ unique social-emotional needs. For gifted rural students, career decision-making may be especially difficult as parents, school counselors, teachers, and other adults in the community encourage students to leave their small towns to realize their college and career dreams elsewhere. Rural students often experience deep connections to family and place, further complicating this developmental task of adolescence. This study highlights the voices of 19 gifted rural students as they share their thoughts and concerns regarding K-12 career education, values, and attachments to family and community. Considerations for school counselors and teachers who work in rural settings are included