Culture is a critical variable in career counseling and should enter into every part of the career counseling process. This paper
explains that, in
order to effectively utilize a valid frame of reference in which to place cultural variables, counselors need to be familiar with theories of acculturation, world-views, aspirations and expectations, societal barriers and intra-group socialization, and
racial and
ethnic identity development.The writer explains that it is clear that career counselors working with multi-cultural students must be trained in such a way as to ensure that they are completely sensitive to and well-versed in matching individual students to the appropriate
work environment. It discusses how career counseling is a process occurring between two or more individuals and designed to help students reach a career decision. It concludes that, in order to be effective as a career counselor with racial and ethnic
minority students, counselors must become skilled in cross-cultural counseling.