What is Career Construction Theory and how does it apply to narrative career counseling?

• A. Holland's RIASEC.
• B. Gottfredson's circumscription.
• C. Savickas' Career Construction Theory explains constructing meaning through life stories; counselors use life-design, storytelling, reflective exercises.
• D. Krumboltz's behavioral reinforcement.

Answer: (C)

Career Construction Theory views career development as meaning-making through life stories, and in narrative career counseling you help clients author and revise their career narratives. The approach centers on constructing a coherent sense of self and work through storytelling, life-design conversations, and reflective exercises that explore values, interests, skills, and experiences as interconnected elements of a person’s evolving story. Counselors guide clients to reframe past experiences, imagine possible futures, and design actions that align with their developing identity and life context, emphasizing adaptability and agency. This focus on narrative construction and meaning-making through storytelling is what sets it apart from other theories: Holland’s RIASEC is a personality-type fit model, Gottfredson’s circumscription describes how choices become limited over time, and Krumboltz’s approach highlights learning from experiences and reinforcement rather than shaping a personal narrative.