Most rural communities have a narrower range of occupational opportunities and are more generalist, with people engaging in multiple activities in both formal and informal labor markets. Because rural communities are not smaller versions of urban society, career paths and career values are significantly different. Rural labor markets are changing. Non-traditional businesses and occupations are emerging, but the process of economic diversification is uneven. Some communities are quick to seize opportunities while others avoid the risk and uncertainty of change.
Environment shapes language.
People develop a sense of the meaning of words from personal experience. Shared language is fundamental to any teaching. When most people think about going to work, they envisage working for an employer in exchange for money and fringe benefits. Rural careers involve a wide range of non-market activities. Distance career counselors must develop sensitivity to the differences between their own culturally-derived assumptions and those of their clients, and use language that the client finds meaningful.