Assessing career preference cohesiveness

Personal values and career-related preferences among young adults

OBJECTIVE

The present study investigated personal values underlying career-related preferences among young adults deliberating on their career choice. As a fundamental component of one's identity, personal values can offer valuable insights into how individuals prioritize their career-related preferences.

METHOD

We employed two complementary approaches: variable-centered and person-centered, using a sample of 636 young adults (69.5% women; Mage = 21.9, SD = 2.12).

RESULTS

Using a variable-centered approach, we identified 14 value-expressive career-related preferences, demonstrating that individuals are less willing to compromise on these preferences than on non value-expressive preferences. Using a person-centered approach, we applied latent profile analysis to identify four groups of young adults with distinct value profiles: (1) growth-focus (n = 212; 33.3%), (2) protection-focus (n = 206; 32.4%), (3) self-focus (n = 122; 19.2%), and (4) social-focus (n = 96; 15.1%). Importantly, the four profiles varied in 18 of 31 career-related preferences, revealing the composition of values underlying these career preferences. Fourteen of these preferences were identified as value-expressive in a variable-centered approach.

CONCLUSION

The two complementary approaches employed in the present study introduce a fine-grained understanding of the value-expressiveness of career-related preferences.

Evaluating the quality of the list of occupations recommended for further exploration

Access to online career information increases the complexity of career decisions (choosing a major or job). When the number of alternatives is large, the first step is to compile a list of promising career alternatives for further exploration, often by using interest inventories (e.g., the Self-Directed Search). But what makes such a list useful? The judgments of 20 career counselors and 103 graduate students supported the hypothesis that higher list quality is associated with a greater similarity between the occupations on the list, fewer occupational fields represented by the occupations on the list, and a list length approximating seven occupations.

New Frontiers in Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Systems (CACGS): Implications From Career Construction Theory

This article addresses the use of computer-assisted career guidance systems (CACGS) in career interventions. Major CACGS developed in the past decades were based on the trait-factor or person-environment fit approaches in their conceptualization and design. The strengths and limitations of these CACGS in addressing the career development needs of individuals are discussed. The Career Construction Theory (CCT) is a promising paradigm to guide the development of new generations of CACGS. The narrative tradition, career adaptability model, and life-design interventions of CCT offer rich conceptual and practical applications that could expand the scope and breadth of career exploration and identity construction through using CACGS. A digital system developed in Hong Kong called Infinity is a case-in-point of a CACGS where users could learn about career planning, engage in self and career construction through using the quantitative and qualitative assessment applications and gamified tools, take career planning actions over time, and communicate with their social supportive systems. Initial findings suggested that users of the system reported lesser decision-making difficulties, higher levels of decision clarity, and better understanding of what is career planning than non-users. Users from high academic achievement schools reported higher levels of career adaptability than their counterparts in schools of similar academic background. Users from low achievement schools reported higher intention to pursue government-supported universities than non-users from schools of similar background. Research and practice implications in schools and organizational settings are discussed.