Systems Framework Theory (STF) illustrates the complex and dynamic nature of career development through three interconnecting systems: individual, social, and environmental-societal. At the individual level, each person has their own set of characteristics (i.e. gender, ethnicity, age, ability, skills, values, etc.). While some of these characteristics are fixed (i.e., not subject to or able to be changed) others are influenced by the context, or the social system, that individuals find themselves in. This social system is comprised of many elements that can directly influence an individual (e.g., one's education, family, or peer group). Moreover, while elements in the third environmental-societal system are often outside of an individual's control (e.g., socioeconomic status and geographic location), they also have a fundamental influence on the creation of one's worldview. Taken together, these elements affect individuals in different ways throughout different stages of their lives. Thus, career services professionals must take into account how these influences not only shape the students they serve but also their own worldviews. By being aware of these respective systems of influences, career service professionals can enhance the quality of their interactions and the level of connectedness with students. 

 

The Power of Storytelling

 

STF positions individuals as learners, who through their

interactions and experiences with influences from their social

and environmental-societal systems, construct knowledge

(McMahon, Watson, & Patton, 2015). Thus, within this framework,

career development practitioners are learning facilitators who

generate learning experiences for students and “facilitate the

learning of skills, interests, beliefs, values, work habits, and

personal qualities that enable each student to create a satisfying

life within a constantly changing work environment.” (Krumboltz, 1996, p. 61).

 

In addition to positioning students as learners, STF promotes the storytelling approach in which students make meaning of their life experiences through sharing their stories and counterstories. This storytelling not only helps career services practitioners learn the ways in which students can leverage their community cultural wealth and experiences but also assists students in building skills related to reflection, assessment, and application. As stated by McMahon, Watson, & Patton (2015):

 

The storytelling approach is a direct application of the STF and incorporates the core STF constructs of connectedness, meaning making, agency, reflection, and learning. As such, the storytelling approach encourages individuals to engage in a reflective process (reflection) during which they tell their stories in relation to the systems of influence within which they live (connectedness), begin to understand how identified influences have impacted on their story (meaning making), identify themes and patterns evident within and across stories (learning), and, as a result, play a more active role in constructing their future identities and career stories (agency). In this way, a thematic connectedness between past and present experiences and future aspirations is facilitated. (p. 151)