Professional development is considered by many to be an integral part of the education of anyone who considers themselves a business. It used to be the case that young people used to graduate from school, take an entry-level position with a company, and then over the years work their way up the ranks, eventually retiring from that company after a long service. life.
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing global economy, such loyalty to a company, or to an employee, is unheard of. Add to this the fact that entry-level jobs are no longer for fresh graduates and young people, but increasingly fall to more experienced job-changers, it’s not surprising that universities have started grooming its graduates to excel in the job market with professional development classes.
However, did you know that the person to whom the concept of professional development can very well be attributed is almost forgotten? If someone mentioned the name Frank Parsons to you, would you recognize him? Many probably wouldn’t, and it’s no wonder since he died nearly 100 years ago. A teacher by profession, an engineer by training, and a suffragette and social reformer by passion, Mr. Parsons soon realized that his true calling was to help working people, unemployed workers, recent immigrants, and those ready to leave academia to think. in their races. .objectives and options.
Frank Parson did not realize his true calling until about seven years before his death, but in that short time he managed to get his services put to use at the House of Civic Service, which was a gift from a leading philanthropist of the time. . He continued to expand his services in response to what he saw as an overwhelming need for career guidance not only for a select few, but also for the masses, and his work was rewarded by Boston’s academic leaders when they created a race. counselor certification program for others who wanted to follow in Mr. Parsons’ footsteps.
His concepts were surprisingly simple and are still used today. First, Mr. Parsons wanted everyone entering the job market to consider his talents and interests. Absolutely not subscribing to the notion that any job seeker should be thankful for whatever they do.
could get, instead, he wanted people to take stock of their abilities and really think about what kind of work would make them happy and fulfilling. Second, he wanted the job seeker to continue taking stock of the employment situation by knowing the jobs available, the compensation they offered, and the predictable ladder of success that awaited a skilled worker. Then, he would help the workers decide if they liked what they saw, or if maybe a different line of work or even a company would be better for them.
