| The qualitative method using inductive analysis explored the experiences of 11 career counselors who were using Facebook as a platform for communication. Specifically, it answered the question: "What are the experiences of career counselors who use Facebook for career counseling?" As Facebook's algorithm and settings continuously evolve, research focusing on using social networking sites and Facebook for career counseling will expectedly update this current study. The initial findings from the inductive analysis inferred from the recorded interviews of the 11 career counselors (who happen to all be veteran Navy counselors with average of four years of experience in counseling) have shown that there is no balanced conclusion or even a model supporting that Facebook or social media is a useful tool for career counseling. This initial study may open further research to validate that Facebook will continue to be a valuable tool for communication in career counseling. Whether or not it is reasonable to use Facebook in mainstream career counseling, considering that the privacy issues, timeliness, and efficacy is beyond the scope of this research, and implications for further study of career counseling using Facebook and other social networking sites are explored. |
