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- The guidance room
- The Guidance Room Said
The Guidance Room - Said
Said is a 16-year-old student who has started a vocational programme he did not originally choose. He feels dissatisfied and is considering changing direction.
About the Case
Said is a 16-year-old student who has started a vocational programme he did not originally choose. He feels dissatisfied and is considering changing direction.
This case illustrates how career guidance can support young people who experience a mismatch between their current pathway and their interests, and how alternative routes can be explored.
Suggested approach
1. Start with Episode 1
Identify the main challenges and key aspects of the situation.
- What stands out?
- What seems most important at this stage?
- What would you focus on as a career counselor or career guidance practitioner?
2. Watch Episode 2
Observe how the practitioner approaches the situation.
- What methods are used?
- How is the conversation structured?
- How does the practitioner respond to the guidance seeker?
3. Work with the reflection questions
Use the questions to deepen your analysis.
- What works well?
- What would you have done differently?
- What dilemmas or considerations arise?
Background: Career Guidance in Upper Secondary Education in Norway
Upper secondary education in Norway offers two main pathways: General Studies and Vocational Education and Training (VET). Students may transition between pathways, and VET students may take supplementary courses to qualify for higher education.
The Education Act (§16-1) requires that all students in upper secondary education have access to career guidance at school, including individual guidance on request. Counties must ensure that apprentices also receive guidance during training.
The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) has a public website in Norwegian for information about education and work at Utdanning.no, and offers digital career guidance at Karriereveiledning.no, which is free and available to the entire population.
Episode 1: Meet Said
Meet Said
Reflection Questions
After Watching Episode 1, reflect together:
- What career-related challenges does Said face?
- Is there anything in Said’s situation that you recognise from your own guidance practice?
Episode 2: The guidance session with Said
Join the guidance session with Said
The two guidance moments focus on:
- Building a relationship
- Expanding the range of possibilities
After watching the video, reflect together:
- How would you guide Said?
- The session shows only brief moments from a full guidance conversation. Is there anything else you think should have been said or done?
Reflection Questions
After Watching Episode 2
Use these questions to explore key aspects of the guidance process together:
- How does the career counselor establish trust and build a relationship with Said?
- How are new opportunities and pathways introduced and explored?
- How can practitioners support students who have not been admitted to their first choice?
- What would you have done differently in this situation?
Episode 3: Reflection
Thematic Reflection Questions
Use these questions to reflect on key themes in the guidance sessions with Said. You may also connect your reflections to the self-assessment tool My competence.
Theme 1: Building relationships and responding to urgency
Said expresses frustration, wants to change programme quickly, and considers leaving school.
- How does the career counselor respond when a student expresses urgency and frustration?
- What do you think about postponing decisions and suggesting a follow-up meeting in situations like this?
- How do you begin to build trust and a working relationship in a short initial conversation?
- How do you respond when a student talks about quitting early in the school year?
- How can the counselor take into account that the student’s main concern may be social belonging rather than the programme itself?
Theme 2: Exploring opportunities and pathways within education and work
Said wants to switch to electrical, but the programme is full. The counselor introduces alternative pathways.
- How does the career counselor present alternative pathways when a student’s first choice is not available?
- How do you help students understand possible routes within and between educational programmes?
- How do you use concrete information about education and work opportunities in guidance?
- How do you balance being realistic (e.g. requirements and limitations) while maintaining motivation?
- How can the counselor support students in seeing opportunities in their current programme?
Theme 3: Supporting reflection, motivation and future orientation
The counselor uses mapping (past, present, future) and explores Said’s experiences and goals.
- How does the career counselor support reflection through structured activities such as mapping?
- How do you work with students who have limited knowledge about occupations and future opportunities?
- How do you shift the focus from immediate problems to longer-term goals and possibilities?
- How do you balance the student’s wishes with realistic options and constraints?
- How do you support students in developing motivation and direction when they feel uncertain?
