Top Ten Apps for Career Counseling

Below is a list of apps I found that could be useful in counseling, especially career-related.  I have not used them all, so my rating is based on how helpful I think it would be for the clients.

1.      Great Work Great Career  http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/26486?lang=en

This app helps with resume writing, give information on preparing for offers, and creating career opportunities.
My rating: 5 stars out of 5.

This app would be great for clients who are in the process of searching for a job.

2.      Career Chronicles              http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/21812?lang=en

This app is designed to provide in-depth information about careers.

My rating: 5 stars out of 5.

This resource would be helpful for clients to use to research career fields.

3.      Build a Career                   http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/55018?lang=en

This app is designed for users to assess skills and interests and track favorite jobs.

My rating: 4 stars out of 5.

This resource could help clients take interests and skills into consideration as they choose careers, and it could help them research careers as well.

4.      Relax Completely                         http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/47317?lang=en

This app is a hypnosis audio session and has tips for relaxing and reducing stress.

My rating: 5 stars out of 5.

I think this resource would be very helpful for a client who has trouble relaxing, sleeping, or calming down.  It might be helpful to start a session with this app, so the client can concentrate better.

5.      Emergency Info                http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/4221?lang=en

This app stores medical information and personal information for emergencies.

My rating: 5 stars out of 5.

This app could be useful, especially for a new client who needs to answer questions about his or her history.  It would also be useful if an emergency happened during session, and we needed information.

6.      iSpeech Translator             http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/38406?lang=en

This app translates spoken or written words into another language.

My rating: 5 stars out of 5.

This app would be very useful when communicating with people who do not speak English very well.

7.      iheartradio                         http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/927?lang=en

This app plays a variety of music. 

My rating: 5 stars out of 5.

This would be helpful in counseling situations where the client needed to calm down or preferred background music to silence.

8.      Triton                                http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/38622?lang=en

This app is a note manager.

My rating: 5 stars out of 5.

I would want to use this with clients in lieu of an Individual Learning Plan.  They could organize their activities to help them through the career counseling process.

9. Universal Decision Maker http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/38726?lang=en

This app generates a decision from the options the user gives.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

While I would never want clients to become dependent on this, it could be helpful for brainstorming options for tough decisions and then discussing them in more detail.

10. Focus Daily                       http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/33065?lang=en

Focus Daily is an app that has an encouraging and insightful daily radio program.

My rating: 4 stars out of 5.

This app would be useful for clients who need extra encouragement and support.

Ethics and Technology-Class Two

The lecture on using ethics and technology was very informative.  I have been thinking about starting my own business, where I will provide career counseling.  The lecture opened my eyes to some of the issues I need to be aware of before I start a business.  I would want to use technology and distance counseling because it would allow me to have so many more clients than just face to face practicing.  The ACA ethical standards seem relatively easy to follow because it is all in one place and most of it can be included in a form for the client to sign.  However, this lecture made me think twice about offering my services to anyone from any state.  It would take a lot of time and effort to ensure that I was following each state's rules and regulations.  Is it worth the possible legal ramifications I could face?  I haven't yet decided.  Maybe I could have a link for each state with a disclosure statement for that state, but I am not sure that it would be necessary.

Additionally, I found the podcast on encryption to be helpful for learning about the importance of protecting privacy; it was not really helpful for teaching one HOW to encrypt.  Is this something that an Internet service provider offers?  Is this something that needs to be purchased?  I am still unsure about this.

Computer Applications Class One

Using technology in some capacity is unavoidable for most people, especially those in our generation.  For younger generations it will most certainly be a primary and possibly even preferable way for some people to communicate.  As such, I am very excited to take the computer class and gain more skills in this area.  I am slightly nervous since I am not very technologically savvy, but hopefully this class will change that.  Many assignments we have been given are things I have contemplated doing on my own, but through this class I will be able to really learn everything before jumping in by myself.  I have no doubt that this class will help me in my future endeavors as a career counselor and business owner.