How career counselors harness the power of metacognition

Metacognition is a big word, but it’s not too tricky. Simply put, it means “thinking about thinking.” Career counselors use metacognition to help people make better decisions about their work life. Why does this matter? By understanding how we think, we can refine our decision-making process. This helps us solve problems more effectively. Let’s dive in and learn more about how career counselors do this.

The concept of metacognition

Metacognition came to life in the 1970s. It was first used by John Flavell, who studied how people think. He wanted to know what we think and how we understand our thinking. When we talk about metacognition, it’s good to remember it’s different from cognition. Cognition is all about acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought and the senses. However, metacognition takes us a step further. 

Flavell talked about three parts when he described metacognition: metacognitive knowledge, regulation, and experiences. Metacognitive Knowledge involves knowing your learning style and strategies that work best for you. Metacognitive Regulation means controlling your learning process by planning ahead, monitoring progress while doing tasks, then evaluating performance afterwards. Metacognitive Experiences are feelings or reactions related to one’s cognitive endeavors. They help shape future choices based on past outcomes.

Understanding these basics helps us see why metacognition matters so much in learning and decision-making processes. Let’s imagine reading a book for school. You need more than just the ability to read words (cognition). You also need skills like deciding which chapters are most important (regulation) and recognizing if you’re confused (experience). You then need to figure out ways to better understand the material (knowledge).

Even if you don’t know, you likely already use metacognition in your life. Let’s say you were cooking dinner and decided to go by taste. You then make changes, like adding salt or spices to improve the taste. You used multiple metacognition skills in this process. Gamers also use metacognition skills when they continuously adapt gameplay strategies. Things get more difficult as the game progresses and new strategies are born. These are all examples of flexible decision-making.

Metacognition in career counseling

Metacognition is an important part of career counseling. Career development theory talks about how we choose jobs and careers over time. By understanding our thoughts, we can make better decisions about work. For example, choosing becomes easier if you know why certain jobs interest you more than others.

Counselors use metacognitive strategies to help clients understand their own thoughts better. They might ask, ‘Why do you feel this way?’ They might also ask, “What makes you think that?” These conversations help people see things they might have missed otherwise.

In the past, counselors used quizzes and tests to give advice on careers. But now things are changing. More counselors are using metacognitive methods because they provide deeper insights into what a person likes and does well.

Using this approach isn’t always easy, though. Some find it hard to look inside themselves honestly. Others struggle to express their thoughts clearly enough for a counselor to understand. The benefits of using metacognition in career counseling clearly outweigh the potential drawbacks.

Developing metacognitive skills

There are many strategies to build metacognition in ourselves. One way is by asking yourself simple questions. “What do I already know?” or “How can I solve this problem?” Another strategy is self-talk — talking out loud or silently about what we’re doing and why.

Reflecting on what we’ve done helps improve metacognition too. When we stop and think back on how something went, it helps us learn for the next time. This could be as easy as writing down thoughts after finishing an assignment at school.

Career counselors play a crucial role here. They guide their clients through these steps one by one. This helps them understand each part better than before. For example, they might walk someone through planning for an important job interview. They could help the client think ahead about answers to possible questions.

Evaluating or critiquing your thought process is also very important when developing metacognitive skills. Career counselors come into play here again. They might ask a client to consider why they made a specific decision. They might also ask the client to consider other decisions they could have made. By answering these queries honestly, individuals get more insight into their decision-making process. Ultimately, this boosts their metacognition.

Metacognition and career choice

When choosing a career, metacognition can be helpful. It lets us better understand what jobs fit our skills and interests. For example, let’s say you love animals and also enjoy science class at school. You might consider becoming a vet or marine biologist after using metacognitive strategies.

Metacognition can also help when making a decision is hard. Let’s say you are stuck between two careers — being an artist or a computer programmer. You might weigh the pros and cons of each option. You might also consider your skill strengths and weaknesses. This common approach is an example of using metacognition.

To further illustrate, let’s look at some pretend examples. Mary always loved drawing as a kid but was also good at math in school. She reflected on her skills (metaknowledge) and decided to become an architect. This way, she could both draw and use math.

John had the option of taking over his family’s business. He also loved music and wanted to pursue that as a career. He used his self-awareness skills (metathinking) to assess the situation. He had the realization that he enjoyed music more than anything else in life. John then decided to pursue music professionally.

Reflective thinking (or metathinking) allows us to understand ourselves better. We end up making smarter career choices that align with who we truly are inside. This leads not only towards professional success but personal satisfaction too.

Metacognitive tools and techniques 

We have already discussed some metacognitive techniques in this article. Thinking about why you made a specific decision is a good example. Considering if there was a better decision to be made is another one. These types of questions make us think about our thought processes.

Another tool used is called a metacognitive journal or reflection log. In these logs, people write down what they’re thinking when making decisions. Career counselors also use something called metacognitive interviewing techniques. Here’s how it works: The counselor gives the client a problem or task. The client then talks through their decision-making process out loud.

Technology can be an important tool also. Many apps and websites can be useful in career counseling. They will typically have features for tracking goals, reflecting on progress, and planning future actions. These are all parts of metacognition.

These types of tools and techniques can be particularly useful in schools. Walsh University’s Online Master’s in School Counseling covers a lot of them. Being completely online, their course is extremely flexible. It also makes sure to prepare budding counselors for licensure in a practical and ethical way. This course is a good way to master the many responsibilities of a school counselor.

Metacognition and career self-management

Career self-management is all about managing your own work life. It involves setting goals for your job and making plans to reach them. Metacognition helps in career self-management in many ways. For instance, when you understand how you learn best, it can help guide your career choices. If you know that hands-on learning works best for you, careers like carpentry or cooking might be a good fit.

Counselors can also help build self-efficacy in clients with metacognition. This is just a fancy way of saying belief in yourself. An example would be someone who is a great communicator but bad at math. A counselor could suggest pursuing something like journalism instead of engineering. This will play to their strengths and help with their self-efficacy.

Setting career goals becomes easier with metacognitive strategies too. The concept of reflection is a part of metacognition. By reflecting on your career so far, you are better able to set realistic goals. Reflection may even guide you down a new path that you hadn’t considered at all.

Metacognition can also help us deal with change. The world around us changes fast — especially the world of work. Technology changes even faster. This is where adaptability comes into play. Reflection is again the metacognition tool that will help here. Reflecting on past experiences of change at work can help plan for future change.

Metacognition in different career stages

When you’re young, figuring out what job you want can be hard. Metacognitive skills are a godsend in this situation. So is a good career counselor. But what about at different stages during your career? Let’s say you’ve had enough of your industry, and you want a new career. You now have to learn new things and meet new people all over again. Here too, knowing how you think can be super helpful.

Career counselors are a great resource during your career. They also use metacognition when helping adults change jobs or careers. They will ask you to think about what you didn’t like at your old job. They will also ask what would make a new job better. You must first clearly understand the problems before you can find a solution.

Sometimes things don’t go as planned at work. Maybe you didn’t get that promotion, or the big project failed miserably. Metacognitive strategies can help us deal with these tough times. Again using reflection, think about what specifically went wrong. Then think about what you could do to improve the outcome next time. A good career counselor will remind you that these failures are really learning opportunities.

Even when your career is coming to an end, metacognition is important. Retirement is a big step in our lives. We suddenly have lots of free time but aren’t sure how to spend it productively. Career counselors encourage retirees to reflect on their likes and dislikes from their previous jobs. This helps them understand what activities would keep them happy after retirement. If they love working outdoors, maybe gardening is a good option. If they loved mentoring young people, volunteering at a local school could be considered.

Metacognition in addressing career challenges

Let’s now explore how metacognition can be used to address career challenges. We must first identify the most common difficulties people face in their careers. Once we know the common problems, we can find solutions. Many people report feeling stuck in a job that doesn’t fulfill them. Others say they struggle with work-life balance or face workplace discrimination or bias. Others simply lack the confidence to pursue new opportunities. This can all play on your mental health.

These challenges can all have significant impacts on our overall well-being and happiness. They may lead to stress, burnout, low self-esteem, or even physical health issues. Recognizing the impact of these challenges is the first step toward finding ways to overcome them.

Someone may constantly doubt their abilities when considering a promotion opportunity at work. This is commonly due to a fear of failure. Recognizing this thought pattern through metacognition allows them to challenge those negative beliefs. 

Analyzing past experiences is key. We’ve mentioned reflection many times, but it’s so important. You can also seek advice from mentors or colleagues who have faced similar situations before. Doing this can lead to valuable insights and potential solutions for your problems.

Career counselors play an essential role in guiding individuals through their professional journeys. One way they do this is by encouraging clients to keep journals or diaries. Simply jotting down your thoughts and emotions regularly can be extremely powerful. Not only will it help you process things, it will be an invaluable reflection tool.

Counselors should also ask open-ended questions during counseling sessions. This helps clients explore their own thinking processes further. It also enables them to develop self-awareness and take proactive steps toward resolving career challenges.

Metacognition is a vital tool for career counselors. It empowers their clients to make more informed and confident decisions. Through metacognitive activities like reflection and self-assessment, individuals can gain a better understanding of themselves. This allows them to understand the options available to them better. This ultimately has a powerful impact on developing successful career paths.