Action Planning for Personal Competitiveness in the "Broken Workplace".

The article discusses the role of career counselors in assisting clients in planning and taking actions to enhance their personal competitiveness in a broken workplace. Although the economy is growing, productivity is up, and competitiveness is rebounding most workers can be described as "nervously employed. In addition, counselors can describe their clients, at best, as "hopefully prepared. Most of the over 5 million new jobs added since January 1993 have left the middle class in a "revolt of the anxious class." The 110 million existing jobs are split between relatively few well-paying ones, mostly for well-educated professionals and executives, and a much larger number that are going nowhere. Personal competitiveness is a common concern of clients facing a workplace undergoing major structural change. Employment counselors have historically served as brokers for those willing to exchange labor for liveable wages, if not occupational identities. Counseling, training, and providing access to self-knowledge, occupational and educational information, and career planning competencies guide the work of employment specialists, placement personnel and career counselors. As the workplace becomes more fluid, career counselors will be expected to provide strategies to enhance greater self-knowledge, deeper insight to educational and work options and career management.