IOP4863
ASSIGNMENT 2
2022
,Prescribed book (Coetzee, Roythorne-Jacobs & Mensele, 2016)
QUESTION 1
Read through the excerpt from the case of Nomsa in the prescribed book (Coetzee,
Roythorne- Jacobs & Mensele, 2016, p102) below and answer the questions that
follow.
The case of Nomsa
Nomsa is a 25-year-old Zulu female, who has now made a decision to make a career
change from her work as a bank teller (the only role that she has occupied) to pursue
a career as a professionally registered industrial psychologist. She occupied the role
of bank teller for three years and reported that she did not particularly enjoy the role.
After several discussions with friends and family she was advised to approach a career
counsellor for further assistance. Nomsa and the counsellor have had several
sessions regarding her career concerns. During the first session the career
development practitioner (a qualified industrial psychologist) provided an overview of
how she could be of assistance to Nomsa. The client (Nomsa) was also informed that
career counselling was a process and hence one session would not be sufficient to
investigate potential avenues in terms of career guidance. Several sessions were then
scheduled and the second session comprised a career diagnostics conversation to
ascertain life and career preoccupations, aspirations, psychological life stage
challenges/tasks and developmental career stage activities/tasks. From the two
, Page 2 of 16
sessions the psychologist felt that she needed to gain an objective idea regarding the
client and career assessments were scheduled and administered with the informed
consent of Nomsa.
The initial diagnostics conversation revealed that certain sociocultural contextual
factors influenced Nomsa’s career decision-making. Nomsa’s community and family
include individuals mostly from Zulu and other African speaking backgrounds. Cultural
practices such as firm prescriptions around child-rearing, and responsibilities of taking
care of elderly family members may result in career development paths of adults in
non-Western situations to stray from the conventional career development paths. The
psychologist (career counsellor) realised that she needed an understanding of the
larger cultural context wherein the client’s career development takes place and the
unique role of the client as a woman within her sociocultural context, because these
will impact the client’s decision-making.
Reflect on Nomsa’s background as presented in the excerpt above and answer the
following questions:
1.1. Identify Nomsa’s current adulthood stage and discuss the psychological tasks
associated with her career life stage (see table 2.2 in Coetzee, Roythorne-
Jacobs & Mensele, 2016). (5)
Nomsa finds herself in the early adulthood (establishment) career life stage. In this
stage, the core psychological life tasks/challenges according to Cotzee et al (2016:
pp 90-91) include:
a. Establishing your vocational/career identity and career anchor (self-perceived
talents and abilities, motives, attitudes and values).
b. Constructing an identity narrative (career identity) over time with life and work
experiences and revising/adjusting the identity narrative.
ASSIGNMENT 2
2022
,Prescribed book (Coetzee, Roythorne-Jacobs & Mensele, 2016)
QUESTION 1
Read through the excerpt from the case of Nomsa in the prescribed book (Coetzee,
Roythorne- Jacobs & Mensele, 2016, p102) below and answer the questions that
follow.
The case of Nomsa
Nomsa is a 25-year-old Zulu female, who has now made a decision to make a career
change from her work as a bank teller (the only role that she has occupied) to pursue
a career as a professionally registered industrial psychologist. She occupied the role
of bank teller for three years and reported that she did not particularly enjoy the role.
After several discussions with friends and family she was advised to approach a career
counsellor for further assistance. Nomsa and the counsellor have had several
sessions regarding her career concerns. During the first session the career
development practitioner (a qualified industrial psychologist) provided an overview of
how she could be of assistance to Nomsa. The client (Nomsa) was also informed that
career counselling was a process and hence one session would not be sufficient to
investigate potential avenues in terms of career guidance. Several sessions were then
scheduled and the second session comprised a career diagnostics conversation to
ascertain life and career preoccupations, aspirations, psychological life stage
challenges/tasks and developmental career stage activities/tasks. From the two
, Page 2 of 16
sessions the psychologist felt that she needed to gain an objective idea regarding the
client and career assessments were scheduled and administered with the informed
consent of Nomsa.
The initial diagnostics conversation revealed that certain sociocultural contextual
factors influenced Nomsa’s career decision-making. Nomsa’s community and family
include individuals mostly from Zulu and other African speaking backgrounds. Cultural
practices such as firm prescriptions around child-rearing, and responsibilities of taking
care of elderly family members may result in career development paths of adults in
non-Western situations to stray from the conventional career development paths. The
psychologist (career counsellor) realised that she needed an understanding of the
larger cultural context wherein the client’s career development takes place and the
unique role of the client as a woman within her sociocultural context, because these
will impact the client’s decision-making.
Reflect on Nomsa’s background as presented in the excerpt above and answer the
following questions:
1.1. Identify Nomsa’s current adulthood stage and discuss the psychological tasks
associated with her career life stage (see table 2.2 in Coetzee, Roythorne-
Jacobs & Mensele, 2016). (5)
Nomsa finds herself in the early adulthood (establishment) career life stage. In this
stage, the core psychological life tasks/challenges according to Cotzee et al (2016:
pp 90-91) include:
a. Establishing your vocational/career identity and career anchor (self-perceived
talents and abilities, motives, attitudes and values).
b. Constructing an identity narrative (career identity) over time with life and work
experiences and revising/adjusting the identity narrative.
