Career Path Decisions Research Articles

Career Path Decisions and Sustainable Options

Career planning has become more important than standalone job decisions in the current environment, where individuals have a wider range of choices of occupations and jobs than ever before. This paper reviews the theoretical developments in career guidance theory and recommends a holistic approach towards ‘Career Path Guidance’, incorporating psychological, sociological and developmental perspectives. An approach that considers several future steps in a career cannot be without challenges. The contextual and environmental situations along with individual characteristics are subject to change along a career path. Additionally, different stages in a career path are another variable that needs consideration to achieve a sustainable future. It has, therefore, been proposed that the career course be mapped by considering external factors, internal improvements and path-related dynamism. A multidimensional understanding of career guidance and the amount, complexity and sensitivity of the data involved mean that this approach may be better executed using computer-assisted systems that can source and logically analyze a large amount of information from several sources to produce coherent, sustainable and practical career path decisions.

Impact of Career Path-Related Education on Learning Self and Career Efficacy: A Performance Analysis of Content-Related Vocational Education Considering Student PROTECTION

Purpose: This study seeks to examine whether the students who experience difficult vocational curricula can form a healthy vocational mindset and career efficacy based on teachers’ support and career path-related counseling. Moreover, it aims to determine whether students undergoing the vocational education consignment course do, in fact, take up a related career. Method: A total of 624 senior students participated at Ahyeon Industrial Information School. The questionnaire survey was conducted twice. A total of four questions regarding career path counseling were asked, to be scored on a 6-point scale; a total of six questions regarding teachers’ support and another four regard-ing the learning self were asked, both scored on a 5-point scale; and four questions were asked about career efficacy, to be scored on a 4-point scale. Results: According to the results of the statistical model based on the social cognitive theory, career path counseling and teachers’ support, which correspond to environmen-tal factors, seem to influence the formation of the learning self. The teachers’ support and career path-related counseling influenced career efficacy; however, when the learning self question was added, the relevant effect was not directly demonstrated. Conclusion: The career path-related counseling and teachers’ support also had an effect on the formation of the learning self, and the learning self which was formed had a large effect on the development of career efficacy. Furthermore, career efficacy had a significant effect on career path maturity, mastery approach goal, and performance approach goal, suggest-ing that it is a powerful factor in helping students make their career path decisions. This study is expected to make a meaningful contribution to reminding them of the need for teachers’ support and career path counseling to help improve students’ learning self and career efficacy when designing game-related content vocational education programs.

Factors that Influence the Enrolment of Students in Vocational STEM courses at MCAST

International evidence shows that the demand for STEM workers is expected to grow significantly. Despite this, students’ interests and motivation towards STEM learning especially STEM Vocational Education and Training (VET) is not increasing. This Skills Gap phenomenon has driven many countries to adopt policies and take initiatives to help close it. The purpose of this research is to study what factors influence the enrolment of students in Vocational STEM courses. The participants were students following a STEM programme at the Institute of Applied Sciences, MCAST. A quantitative research methodology was adopted for this study. An online cross-sectional survey questionnaire, containing Likert scale responses, was used to collect data. The SPSS Statistics 24 program was used to analyse the data and test it for reliability and validity. Factor analysis was carried out to reduce the initial independent variables into a fewer number of dimensions.The study found that parental advice, students’ interest in STEM subjects, their previous work experience and their positive attitude towards VET education are most influential in students’ enrolment in vocational STEM courses. It also highlights the need for school guidance officers to acquire more knowledge about VET STEM careers and accurate labour market information so as to assist students to make well-informed career path decisions. The findings of this study will provide valuable insight as to the causes of low enrolment within MCAST STEM programmes and help stakeholders determine the measures and strategies needed to encourage participation in STEM vocational studies.

Effects of Career Guidance Courses on Self-Efficacy in Career Path Decisions and Career Maturity of University Students

Effects of Career Guidance Courses on Self-Efficacy in Career Path Decisions and Career Maturity of University Students

The Recuperation of Moral Agency through Structural Erasure in Clinical Social Workers’ Accounts of Career Path and Treatment Decisions

ABSTRACTAlthough the field of clinical social work has historically distinguished itself among the helping professions by its attentiveness to the ecological systems within which client struggles are embedded, the role of structural factors in shaping the professional activities of clinicians themselves often goes under-theorized. This paper argues that the erasure of structure and political economy from clinical social workers’ accounts of their own career trajectories and treatment decisions is not oversight. Rather, it occurs in response to social workers’ ambivalence or guilt regarding their aspirations to upward class mobility – feelings that arise, in part, out of a set of contradictory imperatives into which workers are socialized through their clinical training. By disavowing the impact of structural constraints on their own work, clinicians preserve a sense of professional integrity and moral agency under what are often compromised, frustrating, or heart-wrenching working conditions. However, this tactic of self-preservation may lead clinical social workers to inadvertently naturalize and reproduce some of the very structural inequalities that the profession is committed to redressing.

Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all in top corporate positions in Brazil?

This article seeks to bring to light the discriminatory issues in Brazilian corporations through the analysis of respondents’ projections to ambiguous pictures. The respondents are top managers from a Brazilian company and MBA students from a Brazilian business school who have the power to promote people and make career path decisions. The survey shows that, in spite of improvements related to female financial independence, influence and leadership power in corporations, there is still a lot to be done to give women and Afro‐descendants the same types of opportunities as white men. Women are perceived as running the show from the sidelines, if at all. The responses also suggest that women are required to fit in a male dominated environment, whether regarding their attire or the decoration of the workplace. White males are seen as having the fastest career path, white women as having a slower one and black men as having the slowest of all three. The dilemma for multinationals settling in Brazil is to pursue their headquarters' equal opportunity policies or blend into local practices, which would not be acceptable under their home directives. Similarly, it is the same for Brazilian corporations expanding abroad.

Uspeh porodičnog biznisa u tranzicionoj ekonomiji - pratiti poslovne ciljeve ili raditi na svoj način?

Students with family business background have three options once it comes to career path decision. This makes the career choice more complex compared to a classical dilemma between seeking an employment and starting a new venture. Based on GUESSS 2013/14 survey conducted in 34 countries with 109 000 participants the influence of personal factors influencing student's career choice in transition countries and countries with developed market economy in Europe was analyzed. By drawing on theory of planned behavior, risk attitudes and family business performance the difference between the two observed groups was investigated. It was found that common denominator of almost fifty years of planned economy in transition countries does influence their career choice intentions especially in terms of personal behavior control, subjective norms and risk attitudes. Findings, based on comparative approach, suggest that environmental context is an important influencing factor which should be considered in further studies of the field.

The nexus between sustainable practices in hotels and future Gen Y hospitality students’ career path decisions

ABSTRACTThis study explored tertiary hospitality students’ attitudes and overall perceptions about green and sustainable practices; and how these may impact their future career paths in the hotel industry. A thematic analysis with data from 12 semi-structured interviews with students in a hotel management school in Australia was used to identify patterns and interpretive themes. Results revealed positive attitudes among Generation Y hospitality students towards working in a green and sustainable hotel environment. Implications highlight the need for sustainability education in the curriculum of tertiary education providers and strong emphasis on sustainability practices in employee training programs. The results also suggest possible impacts of sustainability practices in recruiting and hiring in the hospitality industry and how this may affect future hospitality employees and leaders.

The Effects of College Students' Five Personality Factors on Career Path Decision Types

본 논문은 성격이론 중 성격 5요인이 대학생의 진로 의사결정에 미치는 영향을 나타내는지 실증분석을 통해 대학생의 진로지도에 기초자료를 제공하고자 했다. 본 연구의 결과 대학생의 Big Five 성격 유형 중 친화적 유형, 성실성 유형, 개방성 유형은 합리적인 진로의사결정 유형을 결정하는 데 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 대학생의 진로 지도는 전문적인 지도가 이루어져야 하며, 과학기술의 발달로 다양한 직업이 생겨나 이에 대비한 각종 정보를 활용한 진로지도의 필요성이 제기된다. 대학에서는 대학생들이 미래에 대한 확신감을 가지고 진로에 관한 의사결정을 할 수 있도록 제도적 장치를 마련하고 전공과 관련한 취업지도 및 생활지도와 관련된 인생설계, 봉사활동, 인성지도 등의 체계적인 진로상담 프로그램의 구축이 요구된다.

URBAN: Development of a Citizen Science Biomonitoring Program Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Due to increasing urbanization, wetlands and streams within city limits are being altered, filled in, and degraded. The habitat that remains is critical for providing urban areas with ecosystem services and maintaining biodiversity, yet is often insufficiently monitored by environmental agencies due to a lack of resources. To help fill this void, the Urban-Rural Biomonitoring and Assessment Network (URBAN) was developed as a citizen science education and outreach program for Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Through this program, volunteers gain insight into the dynamics of biological systems, learn how to identify species, and may experience growth personally in terms of environmental stewardship or even career path decisions. The implementation and development of URBAN followed a nine-step model developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Here, we offer an overview of URBAN's development, successes, and challenges by utilizing this citizen science model as a guideline.

Choice or chance! The influence of decentralised training on GP retention in the Bogong region of Victoria and New South Wales

Attracting, training and retaining GPs in rural communities has long been the subject of intense interest and debate in medical and political circles. Government reviews and policy decisions, including the introduction of the ten-year moratorium (a strategy to place overseas-trained doctors in rural locations), have been implemented to address workforce shortages in rural Australia. In a landmark decision in 1998, a government assessment of GP training recommended dissolution of centralised general practice education and, in 2003, regional training providers began training GP registrars in a decentralised environment. This study examines the impact of the decentralised model of GP training on the retention of GPs who trained with Bogong Regional Training Network between 2004 and 2009. The study also explores the differences in perspectives of Australian and overseas-born GPs as these relate to remaining in rural practice. Registrar file data were examined and socio-demographic profiles of GPs compiled. Of a total sample of 61 doctors who had completed their GP training with Bogong, 30 agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews to discuss career path decisions. Each doctor was offered a small honorarium for participating. A response rate of 58.8% was achieved for those doctors who could be contacted. The data sets were then analysed to identify and examine themes associated with GP career path decision choices. At the end of 2009, more than 42% (n=24) of the doctors who had completed their vocational training were in rural general practice; 32% (n=18) remaining in the Bogong region. There was a significant relationship between the place of birth and remaining in rural practice, with almost three-quarters (73% n=16) of the Australian-born respondents and almost one-quarter (23% n=8) of the overseas-born respondents remaining in rural practice after fellowship (χ² = 13.68 p<0.001); but of the nine overseas-born, Australian-trained medical graduates, only one has remained in rural practice. The decentralised training model has had a positive influence on retention rates in rural practice in the Bogong region. There are cultural and regulatory differences between Australian and overseas-born doctors that profoundly influence the decision to locate and remain in rural communities with Australian-born doctors significantly more likely to remain in rural practice after the completion of training. For Australian-born doctors, informed choice draws them to rural general practice, while for overseas-born doctors, chance is a major contributing factor that influences their decisions to locate in the region. This study supports the continued development of decentralised and rural specific training pathways for Australian doctors as an effective method for attracting and retaining doctors in rural Australia during and after general practice training.

Scenario-Based Career Path Decision Support Services in Human Capital Development

This paper proposes a new career support system for students’ decision-making using past student information in a university. Past students information contains a lot of useful information such as trend of taken classes, getting jobs, and their correlations. The authors explain a method to clarify the correlation of lectures and jobs. The system provides career services to students. The system shows pattern and scenario to take lecture based on student’s goal and job family in which they want to get. And also, the system realizes to support the student by providing appropriate candidates of job families from students’ career, pattern, and order of taking classes.

Timing of residents career path decisions

Timing of residents career path decisions

Development of a Proposed Methodology for Assessing Career Development of Registered Dietitians

Text: Evidence supports the need to develop methodologies to explore catalysts and barriers to successful career path decisions in dietetics practice. The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology to explore the career paths of registered dietitians. A quantitative questionnaire was developed based on in-depth literature review, interviews with career-path researchers and a pilot study. Telephone interviews were conducted with 29 individuals, identified as dietetics leaders, to obtain insight into career themes and factors contributing to job changes. Other than “years of dietetics practice experience”, the demographic profile of the sample was similar to that of ADA’s membership. The majority (81.8%) had greater than 25 years of experience in dietetics practice. At least six career transition points were identified by 96% of the respondents. Using a 1 to 5 scale, respondents “somewhat agreed” to “completely agreed” that reputation and past performance (4.74), hard work (4.65), skills/abilities (4.52), and networking (4.65) contributed to career success. Respondents believed they were responsible for their own career success (4.61) and were satisfied with their career progression but were also neutral regarding ADA assistance in their career development (3.32). Involvement in professional organizations appeared to play a vital role in leadership development. While several respondents emphasized the benefits of ADA involvement, others indicated their career success was due more to internal factors than opportunities provided by the Association. Practitioners did not enter dietetics with a specific career plan in mind nor did their careers follow pre-determined paths. Further study into career decisions is merited.

Radiation oncology career decision variables for graduating trainees seeking positions in 2003–2004

Radiation oncology trainees must consider an array of variables when deciding upon an academic or private practice career path. This prospective evaluation of the 2004 graduating radiation oncology trainees, evaluates such variables and provides additional descriptive data. A survey that included 15 questions (one subjective, eleven categorical, and 3 continuous variables) was mailed to the 144 graduating radiation oncology trainees in United States programs in January of 2004. Questions were designed to gather information regarding factors that may have influenced career path choices. The responses were anonymous, and no identifying information was sought. Survey data were collated and analyzed for differences in both categorical and continuous variables as they related to choice of academic or private practice career path. Sixty seven (47%) of the surveys were returned. Forty-five percent of respondents indicated pursuit of an academic career. All respondents participated in research during training with 73% participating in research publication authorship. Post graduate year-3 was the median in which career path was chosen, and 20% thought that a fellowship position was "perhaps" necessary to secure an academic position. Thirty percent of the respondents revealed that the timing of the American Board of Radiology examination influenced their career path decision. Eighteen variables were offered as possibly influencing career path choice within the survey, and the top five identified by those seeking an academic path were: (1) colleagues, (2) clinical research, (3) teaching, (4) geography, (5) and support staff. For those seeking private practice, the top choices were: (1) lifestyle, (2) practice environment, (3) patient care, (4) geography, (5) colleagues. Female gender (p = 0.064), oral meeting presentation (p = 0.053), and international meeting presentation (p = 0.066) were the variables most significantly associated with pursuing an academic career path. The following variables were ranked significantly differently in hierarchy (p < 0.05) by those seeking an academic versus private practice path with respect to having influence on the career decision: lifestyle, income, case-mix, autonomy, ability to sub-specialize, basic research, clinical research, teaching, patient care, board structure, practice environment, and mentoring. These data offer descriptive information regarding variables that lead to radiation oncology trainee career path decisions. Such information may be of use in modification of training programs to meet future personnel and programmatic needs within the specialty.

Effects of Perceptions and Mentorship on Pursuing a Career in Academic Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology

To understand the perceptions of residents and Fellows in obstetrics and gynecology about the impacts of race or ethnicity, gender, and mentorship experiences on pursuing careers in academic medicine. Two surveys were administered: one to a sample of 2,000 Fellows of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and one to the 4,814 obstetrics and gynecology residents taking the 1998 in-training examination. The questionnaires asked about demographics, perceptions about careers in academic medicine, and residents' experiences with mentorship. Response rates were 96.8% for residents and 40.6% for FELLOWS: Of the residents, 26.1% indicated they would not consider a career in academic medicine. First-year women residents were more inclined to pursue careers in academic medicine than were first-year men (p =.042), but their interest declined during residency. Women residents (43%)-especially minorities-felt that men were mentored and recruited more for faculty positions, while men (38%) felt that women were mentored and recruited more. Fellows' reports of recruitment did not differ by gender. Most white residents did not perceive racial or ethnic bias in mentoring or recruiting, while most non-white residents did. Almost one third of non-white women residents felt that supervisors were more likely to condescend to women and minority individuals. It is likely that neither men nor women residents in obstetrics and gynecology receive adequate mentorship for careers in academic medicine. Perceptions of bias are a serious barrier to developing racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in leadership positions.

Transition from Engineering to Management

The purpose of this paper is to provide helpful insights for the engineer considering the transition to management. The intent is to provide useful information so that the engineer might better understand the requirements of a management position and be aware of certain criteria or indicators of a success transition to management. It is hoped that the engineer might gain a wider perspective on engineering management and might be better informed about career path decisions.