On 4 December 2025, the Lifelong Guidance 5.0 project held its first Online Lunchtime Talk dedicated to the theme “Two Megatrends in Career Counselling: Mediatization and Green Guidance.” The session featured Professor Dr. Dennis Mocigemba from the University of the German Labour Market Agency (HdBA), who provided insights into how these two major societal trends are reshaping career guidance practices.
Mediatization – Understanding its Impact on Career Counselling
Professor Mocigemba explained that mediatization refers to the increasing influence of media across social domains, including career counselling. He described different categories of technological communication tools, exemplifying primary media such as vocal communication and body language to secondary materials like flyers, continuing with more complex forms of media; tertiary media such as screens and digital platforms. Mocigembe explained how these different media can transform guidance practices. While traditional forms of communication remain central, digital media offers new possibilities and encouraged the use of new methods in career guidance, but with a critical thinking in mind. Mocigemba also highlighted the concept of “liquid media,” noting that the omnipresence of media requires counsellors to adapt continuously, as “the new normal is that everything is changing constantly.”
Green guidance – Approaches for a Sustainable Future
Grounded in research on anthropogenic climate change, green guidance addresses how ecological challenges intersect with career choices. Mocigemba outlined four approaches; The conservative approach addresses green skills only when clients explicitly request it, maintaining traditional and socially controlled guidance practices. The liberal approach offers personalised information about green jobs and emerging opportunities within the green economy. The progressive approach goes further by actively encouraging individuals to factor ecological considerations into their career decisions. Finally, the radical approach integrates environmental concerns as core elements of the counselling process itself, redefining the very nature of guidance.
Key Takeaways
Both Mediatization and Green Guidance will transform career guidance as we know today. Mocigemba outlined following statements as key takeaways:
Mediatization
- Encourage experimentation with communication technologies, allowing counsellors to learn through practice.
- Foster internal communication within counselling teams to share experiences and responsibilities, creating a media-positive work culture.
- Develop safe, flexible media consortia in institutions to allow counsellors to continually adapt and expand their media repertoires.
Green guidance
- Individual counsellors should reflect on their approach to incorporating ecological considerations into daily practice.
- Teams and institutions should adopt at least a liberal approach and consider moving toward a progressive stance.
- As a profession, there is potential to work toward radical approaches, developing collective, post-humanist perspectives in career counselling.
The first Lunchtime Talk of the Lifelong Guidance 5.0 project demonstrated the importance of examining how technological change and sustainability shape guidance systems and counselling practices. The series will continue to provide a platform for knowledge exchange and forward-looking discussions supporting the modernisation of lifelong guidance across Europe.
