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Career Guidance with Immigrants

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International Handbook of Career Guidance

As a human phenomenon influenced by complex political, economic, and social factors, immigration has become an increasingly important issue to many countries in an era of globalisation (Polachek, Chiswick, & Rapoport, 2006). One of the main challenges that accompany the growing trend of immigration lies with the effective utilisation of human resources in this process. The ultimate goal for this human resource management is a reciprocal and beneficial interaction between the two parties involved in this phenomenon, that is, the immigrants and the host country. A better adjustment to the host country provides a more amiable experience that facilitates the wellness of the immigrants who aim to become responsible, healthy, and productive citizens in the new social and societal environment. The better this adjustment, the more contributions immigrants will make to their host country society, and the more benefit the host country will receive through the process of immigration.

Enhancing immigrants’ adjustment in the host country requires some comprehensive consideration that encompasses two general aspects, namely, personal/ social and vocational adjustment. While the central focus of this chapter is on the vocational aspect of immigrants’ adjustment, it keeps in mind that the vocational experience always intertwines with the personal/social experience, making the worklife and vocational adjustment an enriching yet very often challenging experience for this population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Toronto, Canada

    Charles P. Chen

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  1. Charles P. Chen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

    James A. Athanasou

  2. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

    Raoul Van Esbroeck

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Chen, C.P. (2008). Career Guidance with Immigrants. In: Athanasou, J.A., Van Esbroeck, R. (eds) International Handbook of Career Guidance. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6230-8_21

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