Abstract:
Global changes in people’s lifestyles and in the world of work (prompted by changes in the global economy) have
necessitated changes in the facilitation of career counseling in the postmodern era. This article attempts to provide a
concise overview of the advancement of postmodern approaches in career counseling. First, it critically evaluates the
influence of changes in the workplace on people’s lifestyles. Subsequently it elucidates the influence of the different
waves in psychology and the economy on helping models in career counseling, and the way in which these waves have
shaped the theory and practice of career counseling. This is followed by an illumination of the paradigm shift in career
counseling from a predominantly quantitative (positivist) approach to an acknowledgement of the value of qualitative
approaches and the development of a combined qualitative-quantitative approach. Lastly, the article explicates the
fairly recent emergence of constructivist approaches (concurrently with the emergence of life designing) and career
adaptability as a core aim of career counseling.
