Chapter 7: Career Development in ChildhoodSuper's Model for Children's Career DevelopmentThis Donald Super model explains that in elementary school, children begin to develop self-concepts (Sharf, 2013). The concept of self is at the heart of Super's theory. Many factors contribute to the self-concept, such as biological characteristics, social roles, and the interaction of others' reactions on the individual. Self-concept development begins in late or early adolescence. It is subjective and can be influenced by family, peers, and teachers' perceptions of themselves or their professions. The Super model begins with identifying the child's curiosities. Curiosities can evolve from exposure to new objects, new people, or various other stimuli. These curiosities lead the child to explore and obtain information that helps them develop their interests. Super explained that it's important to discourage disruptive behavior while still allowing children to be curious and explore. Encouraging positive curiosity and exploration can help children meet their curiosity needs and can help caregivers have an alternative to punishment. Because exploration leads to more exploration, the child is then able to obtain more information about the environment and can therefore lead to a higher potential for career planning. According to Super's model, one of the ways children process information is through imitation. This imitation can be that of a key character in the child's life, such as a model. In the development of the child's self-concept, the child may integrate or reject the characteristics of his or her key figure in order to better suit him or her. As a counselor, it is important to listen to misinformation or misperceptions about what is happening...... middle of paper ...... Knowing the career history of the client in addition to the careers of her parents and siblings, you can help the client form her own identity of likes and dislikes. This will allow the client to narrow down their possible career options. When it comes to professional maturity, the client is lacking. She doesn't know exactly where her interests and abilities lie. She has many ideas and paths to choose from. In this situation, it is important that the counselor meets the client where she is. It would be helpful to understand the client's willingness to research and explore possible career paths as well as their understanding of the world of work. Once you have a better understanding of the client's career maturity, you can begin the career preparation process. Works Cited Sharf, R. (2013). Applying career development theory to consulting. (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.