Career Counseling in Asian Countries:Historical Development, Current Status, Challenges, and Prospects

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Career counseling development and practice are closely related to the cultural and economic backgrounds of a given country. In this study, career counseling in Asian countries is investigated in terms of historical development, current status in academic and community settings, challenges, and future prospects. The researchers who participated in this paper are from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Career counseling has rapidly expanded during the past decade in all three countries and the histories and current situations of career counseling share some commonalities as well as differ with some unique aspects. In this process, governments seem to have played a leading role in setting laws and regulations, developing and funding career and employment centers, and developing licensure or credential systems for career counseling professionals. The career counseling profession of these three countries faces similar opportunities and challenges. As a result, the role of career counseling professionals is more important and necessary than ever in the midst of rapidly changing work environments. Also, the active support from the governments of Korea, Japan, and Taiwan suggest a promising future for career counseling field to further develop. Challenges include increasing career counseling professionals` competency, developing individualized career services for diverse clientele, and developing empirically validated career interventions. The international collaboration seems to be beneficial for us to cope with common challenges.