Careers education: evolving, adapting and building resilience through chaos.

As career educators our ultimate goal, given the new career management paradigm, should be to ensure that students are career resilient when they leave their studies (from whatever year level). This article outlines the chaos theory of careers and resilience. It then goes on to describe a four-lesson unit of careers education work that attempts to incorporate both the chaos theory of careers and resilience into a usable careers education unit that can be delivered on its own or with an existing program. The unit's aim is to highlight the role that chance events play in career development and to prepare students to ride and embrace the wave of constant change.

The chaos theory of careers (Bright & Pryor, 2007; Pryor & Bright, 2003) seeks to incorporate unplanned or chance events into career development. It sees the individual as a complex, dynamic system, interacting with other similarly complex systems, from other individuals through to political events and global disasters that influence the individual in varied ways. Bright and Pryor (2005) use ping-pong balls and puppies as an illustration of the chaos theory of careers to explain the complexity of influences upon an individual. They consider a ping-pong ball being dropped from waist height in a room with nothing in it. The ball is likely to fall in the same position each time it is dropped in an empty room. This is similar to an individual using a person--environment typology in career assessment (for example, Holland, 1985), as it is expected that a similar result will occur on each measurement. But when fans, open windows or puppies are added to the room, then the chance that a ball will fall in the same position each time is reduced. Thus, when considering a career it is important to consider all of the chance events interacting with one another, rather than just one measure (such as traits).

A chance event can be any event that was not planned for or expected. For example, a student wanted to be a police officer until a chance event occurred, where a family accident required an ambulance. After the event and having had contact with a charismatic ambulance officer, the student changed his preferences and went on to study paramedicine. There are many examples of chance events that influence an individual; these highlight the limitations of such person--environment typology career assessments that do not fully take into account all of the influences of chance events on the individual.

Another common chance event is that of a student who desperately wishes to do a course of study at university that requires a high Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) score. There can be many influences preventing the student from achieving the ATAR score he or she requires, from a death or other significant event in the student's life throughout the year of study to the student simply not having the academic aptitude or study regimen to get such a high score. When a student has put 'heart and soul' into gaining entry into a particular course of study, and does not get in, the student (depending on the individual situation) can 'fall into a heap' and is at risk of (amongst a host of other things) depression. Students' resilience is very important as is their career self-efficacy, as by the time students finds out their ATAR scores, they have already left school and require the knowledge themselves to reassess and plan.

Another key tenet of the chaos theory of careers is the identification of 'attractors'. Attractors describe certain types of consistent behaviour; there are generally four types. The 'point attractor' is present when a person is drawn to one specific point (for example, a specific interest). He or she has a goal and is solely focused on its accomplishment. The 'pendulum attractor' constrains behaviour to a regular, recognisable, predictable pattern. An individual's behaviour can be in extremes, from one end of the extreme back to normal (for that individual) and out to the other extreme. The 'torus attractor' again describes a repeating pattern of behaviour. 'Strange attractors' are the most complex, as they seem to have no logic, no laws governing them, and they are the essence of chaos but, when observed from a distance and a different perspective, a very complex pattern can be identified.

By teaching students how to identify the different attractors within their own behaviour and also developing resilience by introducing chance events to hypothetical scenarios, this can begin to develop both their consequential thinking and their resilience. This type of theory adapts well to classrooms, using metaphors to identify different types of attractors and the Butterfly Model (Borg, Bright & Pryor, 2006) to introduce the concept of the effect of chance on events. The model seeks to develop in students the skills of planning (the likely) and coping (preferably thriving) on the unplanned (the contingent).

Resilience is also a key factor in career education from the perspective that it teaches students to manage life's disappointments and to adapt positively to adversity (Masten, 2001; Werner, 1989). It is important for individuals to be able to reframe an experience from a negative to a positive and to reset goals that reflect the new situation (Walker, 2006). Most people will need to adjust to several career changes throughout their lifetime, work for a number of organisations and experience times of unemployment and underemployment (Ellyard, 1993; Handy, 1985, 1991). With this in mind, those involved in career education need to help students develop the ability to cope with change, and to understand that change is neither positive nor negative--it is just 'change'. Students need to become career resilient, which is linked to an ability to cope with whatever lies ahead (Canadian Career Development Foundation, 2007).

There is a positive correlation between resilience research and outcomes for careers development. This is particularly true for individuals who experience limited exposure to diverse experiences, a lack of positive role models or inadequate financial resources. Resilience can be used as a framework in careers education curricula, which would focus on students being taught skills, attitudes and strategies to face 'transition, unexpected disappointments and adversity' (Canadian Career Development Foundation, 2007). The Real Game (Barry, 1999) is an educational program that incorporates what is known as the new career management paradigm, which recognises that career management is a lifelong process. In the new career management paradigm, the question 'What do you want to be when ...?' is replaced by questions like 'Who are you now, and what do you love to do? And what are your specials talents and skills?' This program also incorporates chance events, as a result developing resilience and consequential thinking.

The Career Education Program

This section describes a unit of work that has been designed and taught upon the tenets of the chaos theory of careers. It is specifically for use in secondary school careers education and is used at Ballarat Christian College. It is currently Unit 3 of the careers education subject at Year 10 level, after units on the world of work and occupational health and safety, and work experience preparation. It is optimal to begin the unit directly after a thorough debrief of the students' work-experience week. The chaos theory of careers unit has four distinct lessons.

Lesson One

The first lesson begins by viewing a YouTube video entitled Where Will You Be? This is followed by a class discussion about the concepts and themes raised in the video. This leads into a teacher explanation of exactly what the chaos theory of careers is and its origin in physics. This can be further demonstrated through the reading out, and subsequent discussion, of the synopses of two well-known films, Sliding Doors and The Butterfly Effect. This usually opens the metaphoric doors to some interesting 'What if' discussions. The first lesson concludes with students identifying any key points in their own lives where they could have taken a different path and writing them down to share with a partner.

Lesson Two

The second lesson begins with a quick revision from last lesson followed by a couple of volunteers sharing their 'What if' story from the last class (vetted for obvious reasons). The lesson then moves on to the explanation of attractors; students are asked to identify the attractors that they are currently experiencing. This allows students to identify the attractors that, best describes their current mindsets and behaviours. For example, the game of basketball has been used successfully as an example of the pendulum attractor, using the attack and defence roles in the game as examples of how 'one aspect of the game is likely to influence performance in other aspects of the game' (Pryor & Bright, 2009, p. 44). The team needs to do well in both aspects of the game but there are also many other factors at work that can also change the game.

The remainder of this lesson is spent using the Butterfly Model of careers (Borg, Bright & Pryor, 2006) to assist students to 'meet two challenges of career development--the likely and the contingent' (Borg, Bright & Pryor, 2006, p. 55). Because this is very hands-on, students have commented that this was their favourite and most useful activity, as they were able to individualise the activity. Students also learn that acknowledging that the probability of chance events in their lives and planning for them will likely affect the goals that they have set for themselves. McMahon and Tatham articulated it succinctly: 'the goal of career development work is to assist individuals to develop the skills and knowledge to effectively manage their careers' (2008, p. 11). It is the development of these skills and knowledge which should be the charge of careers education in at least this part of the 21st century.

Lesson Three

The third lesson is entirely devoted to a 'careers collage' (Adams, 2003). Collages can be used in career development as a way to explore and understand the fractal patters within an individual's career (Pryor & Bright, 2007). This technique can breach both the language and the cultural barrier when working with ethnically diverse groups (Loader, 2009). Along with a large number of diverse magazine types, e.g. general interest, scientific, rural, etc.,

the class received brief instructions about what collages are (as they had made collages many times over their school life). They were then given two A1-size pieces of paper, and instructed to do a collage based on their life right now and then (next class) to do a second one on their lives in 10 years. (Loader, 2009)

After students complete their second collage, volunteers should be called on and demonstrations given on how to interpret the two different collages as a means to capture the fractal (Pryor & Bright, 2007). After first allowing students to explain their own collage, the teacher then reframes how the collage is described by the student and then identifies

any emergent patterns or themes; things that change over time and things that remain the same; what is not included; what is seen as important; aspirations and plans; self-image; and barriers. (Loader, 2009)

Students are then asked to identify these characteristics in their own collage and write a report based on what they have found. The teacher should set time aside to discuss each student's collage and interpretive report individually. This can be an important adjunct to pathway planning if done before subject selection for the following year.

Lesson Four

The final lesson in the chaos theory of careers unit focuses on 'luck readiness', an openness to change so as to best use the potential of future events. Following a class discussion on the ideas of 'living with uncertainty', 'creativity', 'open-mindedness' and 'spiritual development', the importance of not only being open to change but also embracing it as an opportunity can be fully explored. To that end the teacher should ask students for examples of change beginning with large-scale events (historical, local and international) and then focus on small-scale changes (in students' own lives). To end the unit, students are asked to log on to the Bright and Associates website (http://www.jimbright.com/tests), complete the free 'Exploring Chaos Reality Checklist' test online for homework, then print the report and bring it to their next counselling session so that it may be explained and explored.

CONCLUSION

When the chaos theory of careers unit is incorporated into a traditional careers education class, students have the opportunity to explore the role that chance takes in their career development throughout their own lifespan and learn to incorporate the change for their own good. A traditional careers education subject that relies upon 'person--environment fit' assessments, for example, would only be enhanced by the incorporation of the chaos theory of careers unit. The unit requires the use of common equipment such as audiovisual technology, a laptop with internet connection and a data projector. The video clip, Where Will You Be?, used in lesson one is freely available from YouTube; the synopses can be easily found with an internet search. The unit could be adapted and used for classes from Year 7 to Year 9 but has been most effective with Year 10 students.

Only the basics of chaos theory of careers and resilience have been outlined here, including a careers education unit based on the chaos theory of careers with the specific purpose of building career resilience. Like the congruence issues pointed out in the 'person-environment fit' type psychometric tests, typical careers education also needs to evolve to cater for the ever-changing nature of careers in a global society, particularly if we are to prepare students for jobs that do not yet exist. Career educators and teachers should equip students for more than just the world of work, and they should teach students how to be career resilient and to thrive on constant change on the edge of chaos.

REFERENCES

Adams, M. (2003). Creating a personal collage to assist with career development. In M. McMahon & W. Patton (Eds.), Ideas for career practitioners: Celebrating excellence in Australian career practice (pp. 4-7). Brisbane: Australian Academic Press.

Barry, B. (1999). The real game series. Retrieved 12 April 2010 from http://www.curriculumpress.edu.au/the-real-game

Borg. T., Bright. J., & Pryor. R. (2006). The butterfly model of careers: Illustrating how planning and chance can be integrated in the careers of secondary school students. Australian Journal of Career Development, 15 (3), 54-59.

Bright, J. E. H., & Pryor, R. G. L. (2005). The chaos theory of careers: A user's guide. Career Development Quarterly, 53(4), 291-305.

Bright, J. E. H., & Pryor, R. G. L. (2007). Chaotic careers assessment: How constructivist and psychometric techniques can be integrated into work and life decision making. Career Planning and Adult Development Journal, 23(2), 30-45.

Canadian Career Development Foundation. (2007). Applying the construct of resilience to career development: Lessons in curriculum development. Montreal, Canada: Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.

Ellyard, P. (1993). Education 2020: Preparing for the 21st century. Paper presented at the Australian Guidance and Counselling Association New South Wales, State Guidance Conference, Sydney.

Handy, C. B. (1985). Understanding organizations (3rd ed.). London, UK: Penguin.

Handy, C. B. (1991). The age of unreason. London, UK: Arrow Business Books.

Holland, J. L. (1985). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Loader, T. (2009). Careers collage: Applying an art therapy technique in career development: A secondary school experience. Australian Career Practitioner, 20 (4), 16-17.

McMahon, M., & Tatham, P. (2008). Career: More than just a job (2nd ed.). Retrieved 2 February 2011 from http://www. myfuture.edu.au/The%20Facts/Careers/~/media/Files/ Career%20More%20Than%20Just%20a%20Job%20V2.ashx

Masten, A. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227-238.

Pryor, R. G., & Bright, J. E. (2007). Applying chaos theory to careers: Attraction and attractors. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 71(3), 375-400.

Pryor, R. G. L., & Bright, J. E. H. (2003). The chaos theory to careers. Australian Journal of Career Development, 12(3), 12-20.

Pryor, R. G. L., & Bright, J. E. H. (2009). Game as a career metaphor: A chaos theory career counselling application. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(1), 39-50.

Walker, K. (2006). Aiming high: Australian school leavers' career aspirations and the implications for career development practice. Australian Journal of Career Development, 15(2), 53-60.

Werner, E. (1989). High-risk children in young adulthood: A longitudinal study from birth to 32 years. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 59(1), 72-81.

TRENT LOADER

Ballarat Christian College

Email: [e-mail]