CHAPTER 15
CAREER DECISION-MAKING APPROACHES
Two categories of decision making models:
Descriptive Theories – Describe or explain the choices that an individual makes when deciding
on career choices; usually based on adolescent or adult decision making. Example: spiritual
approach – life and career are related.
A SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE IN DECISION MAKING
See work as a place where one’s spirit can be nourished and person can develop self.
Spirit – an essential principle that gives life to physical being.
May or may not include a religious point of view.
Lifecareer Theory (Miller-Tiedeman)
Sees each person as his or her own theory maker.
You are not looking for a career, you have one…life is our career.
Spirituality
When individuals experience the wholeness of living; spirituality develops.
Seven themes that people can use to better understand their lives and the career
decisions that are a part of their lives.
Community – 3 types: (1) communities of companionship – immediate and extended
family, close friends, (2) communities of culture – neighbors, classmates, coworkers,
(3) cosmic community – those which concern large ideas, such as environment, poor.
Personal and Common Realities
Reality concerns the awareness of one’s career decision-making.
Personal reality – an individual’s sense of what is right.
Let client know their career is their life.
Client knows what’s working and what’s not; emphasize personal reality.
Clients should learn from their experiences and learn to assess their experiences.
A Holistic Approach to Life Planning – Hansen
Task 1: Finding Work that Needs Doing in a Changing Global Context
Task 2: Weaving our Lives into a Meaningful Whole
A COGNITIVE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPROACH
A cognitive approach to choosing careers and making career decisions.
Peterson et al. – tried to help individuals understand the way that they think and how that
influences their career decision making.
Assumptions of a Cognitive Information Processing Approach
Prescriptive point of view – prescribe or suggest ways that individuals can think about
career decision making that will improve their ability to make good career decisions
Four assumptions:
1. Both affect and cognitive processing are important components of career decision
making.
The Pyramid of Information Processing
Based on Sternberg’s approach to understanding human intelligence; Three basic
components: knowledge domain (knowing oneself and knowing about the world of
work), decision-making skills domain (learn how to make decisions), and the executive
processing domain (become aware of how their thoughts influence their decisions).
Decision-Making Skills – the capabilities that enable people to process information about
themselves and occupations is referred to as generic information processing skills; these
skills are Also known as CASVE:
Communication – when people get input from within themselves or from the environment,
the communication process begins.
The Executive Processing Domain – top section of pyramid; refers to higher order functions
Three major ways of decision making:
Self-Talk – internal messages that we give ourselves about career choice and other issues;
can be positive or negative.
Materials for Students
Reardon, Lenz, Sampson, and Peterson (2005) have developed Career Development and
Planning: A Comprehensive Approach to be used by students in career-planning classes or
workshops for college students.
A Web-based approach called Career Decision-Making Tool (O’Connor, Peterson,
Sampson, Reardon, Lenz, & Darabi, 2005) has been developed for the America’s Career
Development Resource Network sponsored by the United States Office of Education .
The Career Thoughts Inventory
Three scales
Decision-Making Confusion – indicates the difficulty that individuals have in initiating
or sustaining career decision making; relates to difficulties involved in CAS steps of
CASVE.
Career Thoughts Inventory Workbook – includes five sections
Seven-Step Service Delivery Sequence
Seven-step approach to cognitive information processing
Represents a structured model of career counseling that is more organized than most
1. Initial Interview – information is gathered about client’s career problem; rapport;
CASVE explained.
5. Develop Individual Learning Plan – together develop an ILP that lists the activities
that are to be completed by the client in order to achieve her goals.
6. Execute Individual Learning Plan – with counselor’s help, clients follow through on
the ILP which is integrated with the CASVE cycle.
THE ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION
Spiritual approach – Not only use libraries but use job experience and discussions with others.
Cognitive Information Processing Theory – Occupational information is at the base of the
pyramid of information processing.
Analysis and synthesis refers to weighing occupational information.
THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
Spirituality approach – clients rely on their own view of assessment results; counselors use non-
technical terms to describe limits of assessment.
APPLYING THE THEORIES TO WOMEN AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS
Spiritual approach – awareness of wide cultural differences in spiritual view of clients
Attend to not letting societal norms pressure client.
COUNSELOR ISSUES
Spiritual approach – Focus on internal decision-making process
• Be aware of different approach to decision-making for counselor and client.
• Avoid “shoulds” and attend to client’s personal reality.