Career Decision-making Process Research Articles

“I Want to Be Safe…And I Also Want a Job”: Career Considerations and Decision-Making Among Transgender Graduate Students

Trans individuals experience unique stressors related to their careers, such as discrimination, workplace harassment, navigating transition, and disclosure of their identity. The current study examined the experiences of 30 trans graduate students with regard to career decision-making. In total, 19 identified as at least one nonbinary identity and 11 were binary trans-identified (trans men and trans women). Thematic analysis of in-depth interview transcripts revealed the following major themes: (a) Role of Gender Minority Stress During Graduate School in Career Development, (b) Key Considerations Related to Future Jobs or Career Paths (e.g., whether fields or specific jobs are trans-friendly), (c) Outness as a Key Consideration in the Job Application Process, and (d) the Role of Resources and Supports in Career Development. Our findings highlight the unique stressors for trans individuals in the career decision-making and job application processes and the unique challenges faced by nonbinary job seekers.

From Industry Professionals to Secondary School Teachers: The Relationship between Second Career-Changing Teachers and Social Cognitive Career Theory

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and teaching field is facing significant human resources shortages, particularly in the subject matter of environmental sciences education. The current study collected interview and focus group data and sharing from 220 pre-service and in-service second career-changing teachers in the United States about their career decision and decision-making process. The results of this study indicated that the participants believe educating the next generation is their priority of joining the education and teaching profession. Many expressed that the populations of STEM teachers with professional and industry experiences are greatly needed. The outcomes of this study provided the blueprint for researchers, school leaders, policymakers and human resources planners to reform and polish their current plans for teachers training and professional development in order to solve the workforce issues in the fields of STEM education and teaching. Received: 29 May 2021 / Accepted: 15 July 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

I Want to Teach in the Regional Areas: A Qualitative Study about Teachers’ Career Experiences and Decisions in Regional Australia

The Australian government seeks to develop regional and rural communities and school systems. One of the challenges would be the human resources and workforce for registered and qualified teachers, particularly in the field of Languages Other Than English (LOTE). Based on social cognitive career theory (Dos Santos, 2021a; Lent et al., 1994), this study focused on the career perspectives and career decision-making processes of registered and qualified teachers in the field of Languages Other Than English (LOTE). The following research question guided the direction of this study, why would registered and qualified teachers in the Languages Other Than English (LOTE) field (i.e. foreign languages) decide to move to Australian regional and rural communities to develop their teaching career? With the general inductive approach, 18 participants were invited for the interview sessions and focus group activities. The results of this study indicated that missions and goals for development in the regional and rural communities and governmental encouragement for regional and rural developments are the two personal consideration elements. The sharing and comments become a blueprint for government agencies, school leaders, and policymakers to reform the current human resources plans and schemes to attach additional workforce to the regional and rural communities, particularly for teachers. Received: 20 May 2021 / Accepted: 13 July 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

Roles of career maturity mediating the effects of locus of control and socioeconomic status on career readiness

<span>This study aimed to analyze students' readiness for careers out of their professions by considering the effect of locus of control and socioeconomic status. Career maturity acted as the variable intervening. The quantitative method was chosen to test the hypothesis. A total of 80 students were selected to be respondents based on purposive sampling. Model testing was done by using PLS-SEM. The findings of this study found that the locus of control influenced student career readiness. Conversely, socioeconomic status had no significant effect on their career readiness. On the other hand, this study's career maturity partially mediates between locus of control and career readiness. Regarding the effect of socioeconomic status on career readiness, career maturity in this study was known to have a role as an explanatory or predictor. This study concluded that if students wanted to improve their career readiness, they should pay attention to the locus of control and achieve career success. This study's results contribute to institutions, educators, students, and counselling, informing that individual career maturity is an effective way to facilitate students' readiness in their career decision-making process. Future studies should adopt essential variables related to career readiness that is not examined in this study.</span>

예술고등학교 무용전공 학생들의 삶에 대한 내러티브 탐구

This study is a narrative study on the life and career decision process of dance students at art high schools, based on the education and experience that participants received as dance majors. The researcher explored the motivation for dance majors to start dance, the process of entering an art high school, life in an art high school, various dance activities, and future career plans. Six dance majors from art high school were selected as participants in the study for more than five years, and the researchers has been a dancers for more than 15 years. They formed rapport with the same understanding and collected data through in-depth interviews.<BR>The data analysis and analysis methods used in the study consisted of narratives. The analysis process of the data consisted of stories by reading enterprise-wide interviews and understanding the experience of study participants. The interpretation process of the data gave meaning to common elements from the perspective of researchers, and the meaning was analyzed in detail by dividing them into the phases of development of the fantasy, tentative, and realistic.<BR>Through this study, I was able to understand how dance majors chose dance as their major, how they were influenced by their dance experiences, and what their values and goals were. We hope that research using various research methods will be made in future follow-up studies so that dance majors who will continue to be born can dance healthier and more positively.

Understanding Career Decision-Making of Teachers' through the Lens of Job Crafting

Teachers are often viewed as having straightforward, 'flat' teaching careers, but their career paths are in fact often quite complex. This qualitative study characterizes the career decision-making processes of 34 teachers in Israel. It relates to the field of career research, with a focus on the 'meaning of work' and job crafting. The present study attempts to extend the limited literature that connects between teachers’ career decision-making processes and job crafting, by examining how teachers' experiences of meaningfulness and meaninglessness serve as an underlying platform for making informed career decisions using different forms of job crafting. The career stories of the teachers included descriptions of their career-related decisions made over a period of ten years. Collected through semi-structured interviews, their stories were analyzed through hermeneutic processes of data analysis and interpretation. The findings of the study revealed that when making career decisions, the teachers applied the promotion-approach-expansion form of job crafting when experiencing meaningfulness. On the other hand, they used the prevention-avoidance-reduction form of job crafting when facing meaninglessness. As a result, applying the promotion-approach-expansion form of job crafting led to decisions of meaningfulness preservation, while utilizing the prevention-avoidance-reduction form of job crafting steered attrition decisions

German student teachers’ decision process of becoming a teacher: The relationship among career exploration and decision-making self-efficacy, teacher motivation and early field experience

Teacher recruitment and retention remain a challenge, both in Germany and internationally. To help increase teacher retention rates, the current study investigated to what extent people’s choice for a teaching career reflects a well-founded career decision-making process (e.g., collecting information about teaching). Participants were 357 student teachers who completed different measures. Results showed that career exploration and decision making self-efficacy, its sources, emotional support, field experience, and teacher motivation jointly interact to determine teaching career decidedness and future teacher self-efficacy. Implications for recruitment programs as well as for future research on people's choice for becoming a teacher are discussed.

The associations between coping strategies, psychological health, and career indecision among medical students: a cross-sectional study in China

BackgroundMedical students experience difficulties in the process of making decisions about their careers, which is referred to as career indecision. This study aimed to examine the difficulties in the career decision-making processes of medical students and to explore the association of coping strategies and psychological health with career indecision. The findings may provide a reference for designing interventions to advance satisfying career decisions for medical students.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 359 medical students was conducted in 5 Chinese medical schools. Students completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire measuring their career indecision, coping strategies, and psychological health. Independent t-test, F-test, bivariate Pearson’s correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis were applied to test the relation between career indecision and the associated factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.22 for Windows. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.ResultsDifficulties regarding lack of readiness frequently occurred in medical students when making career decisions, with the highest score of 2.48 ± 0.58. Among all the associated factors in this study, career indecision was positively associated with psychological distress problem (β = 0.20, p < 0.05). This study also proved that being at a higher level of career indecision is negatively associated with using problem-focused coping strategies (β = − 0.14, p < 0.05). For the maladaptive coping strategies, applying dysfunctional coping strategies showed a significantly positive association with career indecision among medical students (β = 0.25, p < 0.05).ConclusionsMedical students experienced difficulties regarding lack of readiness frequently when making career decisions. Both coping strategies and psychological health were associated with career indecision among medical students. To prevent career indecision, it is necessary to promote earlier career awareness to medical students. Specifically, psychological health should be addressed in career intervention programs for medical students. Additionally, when helping medical students to cope with career indecision, cognitive techniques that reduce the use of maladaptive coping strategies and enhance the use of adaptive coping strategies should be adopted.

Correlation between Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy and Career Indecision on Final Year College Students

Career Indecision is a condition when students has difficulty to make career decision that will be pursued. Final years college students, are vulnerable to feel career indecision, it causes students to be unsure of his ability to pursue career after graduation. Self-efficacy known as an important aspect of career decision-making process, which is can help college student to determine his or her career choice. However, previous studies have shown the inconsistent result about relationship between career decision making self-efficacy with career indecision. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine again the relationship between career decision making self-efficacy and career indecision among final year’s college students in Indonesia. Method: Using incidental sampling, this study get 328 final year college students as respondents. To measure Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy and Career Indecision, this study using Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy Scale (CDMSES) and Career Decision Scale (CDS). Result: Result of this study using Spearman correlation test shown that, there is significant correlation between Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy and Career Indecision (r = -0,143 p = 0,010,01).Suggestion: The implication of this study is college student with high career decision making self-efficacy can decrease their career indecision.

Career Adaptability and Career Decision Self-Efficacy: Meta-Analysis

The relationship between career adaptability and career decision self-efficacy was examined due to its importance for clients in the career development and career decision-making process. Multivariate meta-analyses using 18 studies with a total population of 6,339 participants were employed. Moderator variables important to this relationship were country of participants, mean age, and career adaptability measures. Estimated correlations between career adaptability subscales and career decision self-efficacy measures ranged from .36 to .44. Findings are discussed in relation to career research and counseling.

KARJEROS SPRENDIMUS LEMIANČIŲ VEIKSNIŲ DINAMIKA KARTŲ KAITOS KONTEKSTE

The multitude and complexity of factors determining career decisions result in the complexity of career decision process and the dynamics of inherent characteristics with reference to both individuals and social groups, for instance, generations. During the recent decade the representatives of Generation Y have entered the labour market; their values and behaviour differ from those characteristic of the representatives of Generation X who still prevail in the labour market. The emerging intergenerational conflict complicates the labour relations. Therefore, it is important to understand the reasons behind the career choice made by representatives of different generations. What has determined their career choice? How the dynamics of factors determining career decisions is related to the characteristics of different generations highlighted in the generational theory and the relevant historical and cultural context? The aim of the article is to reveal the Dynamics of factors that have determined the career decisions of Generations X and Y and to reveal similarities and differences.

Lecturer Career Management at Muhammadiyah Higher Education in the Era of Pademi Covid-19 (Case Study at UM Jember)

The large number of lecturers in Indonesia is clear evidence that there is still a large number of people who choose lecturers as their profession and career. So that the career of a lecturer in a university requires serious and professional management. One of the lecturers' career management processes in tertiary institutions can be done with career management. The purpose of this study has concrete objectives, namely to identify and describe the planning, development and career decision-making processes of lecturers at Muhamamdiyah university in the Covid-19 Pademi Era. The research method used a qualitative approach with a case study design at UM Jember with data collection techniques through interviews, observation and documentation. Lecturer career management at the University of Muhammadiyah during the Covid-19 pandemic includes several stages, namely career planning, career development and career decision making. Each of these stages has an operational process with its own methods and objectives. In lecturer career planning, it is divided into two, namely individual and organizational career planning which consists of several processes, namely the planning phase, the briefing phase, the development phase and the evaluation phase. Of all the stages of career management during the Covid-19 pandemic above, starting from planning, development and decision making, it is not much different from the conditions before the pandemic. But what distinguishes it is in terms of the career development method which in its implementation uses an online system with virtual methods, geogle meet and room zoom.

Making better career decisions: From challenges to opportunities

Career decision making is among the key notions in vocational psychology. At the core of career decision making is the process comprised of compiling a list of promising alternatives, confirming which are suitable to the individual, and, after comparing them, identifying the best one. This review begins by delineating career decision making, highlighting its unique features, and justifying focusing on the process involved in reaching a career choice. Next, we describe three types of decision-making models—normative, descriptive, and prescriptive—and briefly review constructs related to the career decision-making process. While focusing on prescriptive models that promote a more systematic process in career decision-making, the challenges in applying general decision-making models to a career decision-making process are also discussed. Given the rise in the frequency of career decisions, it is of utmost importance for individuals, organizations, and society that individuals' career decision-making process be optimal, thereby decreasing the prospect of regret and facilitating individuals' transitions from job to job in the course of their careers. Four related issues have grown in salience in today's world—willingness to compromise, adopting a maximizing or satisficing strategy, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, and grasping the role of unconscious processes. We reflect on the future of career decision making and its role in confronting the emerging challenges of the 21st century. Career decision making will benefit by adopting AI-based career decision-support systems designed to cope with the job market's unpredictable nature. The challenge is how to promote embracing ICT to enhance the quality of individuals' current and future career-transition decisions.

대학생 진로 결정 과정에 대한 탐색적 연구

대학생 시기에 진로 결정 과정과 경험을 정확히 탐색하여 졸업 후의 취업에 대비하는 것은 전 생애 진로발달과정에 있어서 매우 중요한 의미가 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 대학생들이 진로 결정에 있어 어떠한 경험과 과정을 거치는지 알아보았다. 또한 대학생들의 이러한 경험과 과정이 삶에 부여하는 의미를 이해하고자 하였다. 연구의 목적을 달성하기 위해 진로 결정 시기에 놓여있는 대학생들을 대상으로 첫째, 대학생들의 진로 결정 과정에서 경험하게 되는 내용과 입체적 상황을 살펴보고 둘째, 합리적이고 효과적인 진로 결정을 한 대학생들의 특별한 경험이나 구체적인 과정을 확인하였다. 연구방법으로 질적연구의 한 방법인 포토보이스 연구방법을 진행하였다. 포토보이스 과정에서 연구 참여자들은 4개의 주제를 선정 하였고 그룹 인터뷰를 통하여 19개의 하위범주가 도출되었다. 네 개의 주제는 〈새로운 환경에 대한 적응과 부담감〉, 〈진로에 대한 기대와 희망〉, 〈진로 준비를 위한 과정〉, 〈진로 결정〉이다. 본 연구에서 참여자들은 대학생 시기의 진로 결정 과정을 보여주고 있다. 진로 결정 과정은 Harren(1979)의 인식, 계획, 몰입, 실행의 단계와 유사하게 나타나고 있었다. 본 연구의 의의는 포토보이스 과정을 활용하여 대학생들의 진로 결정 과정을 진로발달의 보편적 법칙의 관점이 아닌 개인이 일상에서 경험하는 맥락적 관점으로 이해하고자 했다는 데에서 찾을 수 있다. 본 연구의 구체적인 제한점과 후속연구를 위한 제언은 본문에 서술하였다.

Intolerance of Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Career Indecision: A Mediation Model

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) refers to the tendency to fear the unknown and to worry excessively about potential future negative outcomes. In the career decision-making process, college students experience uncertainty regarding the future of occupational opportunities and the evolution of their interests and capabilities. Anxiety is a well-established predictor of career indecision. Therefore, this study examined the role of anxiety as a mediator in the relation of IU and rumination to three dimensions of career decision making difficulties among college students ( N = 678). Results of path analyses indicated that as hypothesized, after controlling for age, intolerance of uncertainty was directly and indirectly (though anxiety) related to the three dimensions of career decision making difficulties: lack of readiness, lack of information, and inconsistent information. Results suggested that career choice interventions may be enhanced with a targeted emphasis on coping with the uncertainty involved in career decision making among college students.

Making Career Decisions in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. An Analysis of Disadvantaged Student Groups

The educational area is a social sector where the COVID-19 pandemic impact involves making many exponential changes. In many countries, the transition from face-to-face education to on-line education implies a revolution in the hierarchy of job domains/jobs offer. Young people’s career plans may be different under the impact of internal and external factors generated by this new context. Theoretical framework revealed that under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the career decision-making process becomes more difficult to assume by taking into consideration the job nature, the sense of belonging, and the balance between passions and risks involved. By referring to these aspects a question arises: Will the pandemic also create a crisis in the career-making decision process for young people? The research group consisted of 108 undergraduates' from 12 grades, attending high schools from cities under 10,000 inhabitants. Hypothesis: There is a tendency to focus on training areas dominated by the practical aspects than the theoretical one as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a Romanian adapted version of the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Questionnaire used in counseling and carrier orientation services for identification of professional interests of the students. The obtained results show that it is important for high school students to receive quality services for carrier guidance and psycho-educational support to prevent over-introversion and over-critical attitude about others and themselves, self-isolation correlated with a high level of sensing and sensitiveness.

Career decision-making difficulties among university students: does employment status matter?

PurposeThe study adapted the Career Decision Making Difficulties Questionnaire for the Arab world. The purpose of the study was to test a popular but scientifically unverified belief that people who were employed could experience less CDD.Design/methodology/approachCareer Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 500 university students to analyze CDD among full-time and part-time students and examine whether employment status determines to what extent they experience these difficulties. Univariate and bivariate analyses were used.FindingsEmployment status had no statistically significant effect on students' perceptions of CDD; 6 demographic variables were significantly correlated with CDD (gender, age, income, university grade-point average, satisfaction with the current major and social status); and students had dysfunctional beliefs about the career decision-making process, lack self-awareness, and had inconsistent information about internal and external difficulties.Research limitations/implicationsUniversities should design adequate career interventions before and after graduation and employers should implement human resource policies that reduce CDD and their negative impact on the workplace. Other methods of data collection and analysis could also be useful in the future, such as interviews. While scope of the study was acceptable, comparing countries and public versus private institutions could produce valuable findings.Practical implicationsThe study tested and validated ACDDQ which could be used as diagnostic instrument to design career interventions and training programs. Employers need to allocate resources in the recruitment process to help potential recruits to understand the nature of work, processes, and requirements. Educators need to provide better coaching and career education for students, especially those in senior years.Social implicationsUnderstanding career decision-making difficulties and factors that influence them will influence long-term human resource management, especially productivity, turn over and job satisfaction.Originality/valueThe study examined the important issue of difficulties in making career decisions among two groups of university students. With more employees go back to college for more education, it was not clear in the literature how career decisions might differ between the two groups. The issue was under-researched, especially within Arab countries.

Positive Affect and Career Decision‐Making: The Moderating Role of Interpersonal Spin

We investigated the moderating role of interpersonal spin in the relationships between positive affect, career decision self‐efficacy (CDSE), and career indecision among young adults (16 women, 79 men). Interpersonal spin was calculated using the diary method, wherein students reported their daily interpersonal behaviors for 14 consecutive days. Results indicated that positive affect was positively associated with CDSE and negatively associated with career indecision. Interpersonal spin diminished the positive relationship between positive affect and CDSE and the negative relationship between positive affect and career indecision. Our findings extend prior studies by uncovering the influence of positive affect and behavioral stability, including interpersonal spin, on the career decision process. Counselors are encouraged to foster individuals' positive affect and reduce their interpersonal spin to obtain positive career outcomes, such as high CDSE and low career indecision.

The Workforce Shortages of Secondary Environmental Sciences Teachers: The Perspectives from Second Career Changing Teachers

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and teaching field is facing significant human resources shortages, particularly in the subject matter of environmental sciences. The current study collected interview and focus group data and sharing from 140 pre-service and in-service second career-changing teachers in the United States about their career decision and decision-making process. The results of this study indicated that the participants believe educating the next generation is their priority of joining the education and teaching profession. Many expressed that the populations of STEM teachers with professional and industry experiences are greatly needed. The outcomes of this study provided the blueprint for researchers, school leaders, policymakers and human resources planners to reform and polish their current plans for teachers training and professional development in order to solve the workforce issues in the fields of STEM education and teaching.

Autonomous Versus Controlled Motivation on Career Indecision: The Mediating Effect of Career Exploration

Effective career decision-making outcomes may depend on the type of motivation underlying career development. The purpose of this study was to analyze how autonomous and controlled motivation predict exploration behaviors and career indecision and in which degree the effect of motivation on indecision is mediated by career exploration (environmental exploration, self-exploration, intended-systematic exploration and amount of information), among a group of high-school students (10th, 11th, and 12th grades, N = 523, M = 16.40). An integrative model was tested using path analysis to test direct and indirect effects and model fit (AMOS 20.0). The final model showed good fit to the data. Three indirect effects were found significant, being self-exploration, and amount of information presented as mediators. Our results highlight the importance to design career interventions not only focusing on promoting exploration behaviors but also on creating purposeful planning, based on students’ reasons underlying their involvement in the career decision-making process.