Transitions, Crossroads and Career Decisions

written by James Sofia, Ph.D. and provided by Career Magazine

It would appear that the vision of a "career path" is taking on a new dimension in today's market. In this era of job transition, we are now continually asked to re-evaluate our skills, goals, values and aspirations in what would seem to be a set of crossroads. And, at this juncture, what information do we consider when we decide upon a career path? What other potential crossroads do we face as the global economy evolves? The ability to adapt to the changing times and make informed decisions is an important key to our survival in the world of work. As anxiety provoking as this certainly is, there are tools at our disposal which serve to broaden our horizons and explore new directions, especially during a time of transition.

In the mid 20's Edward Strong published a questionnaire called the Strong Interest Vocational Blank which purported to predict a respondent's job satisfaction or dissatisfaction with many occupational areas - the first of its kind. This was based on a response analysis using a complex statistical correlation procedure called factor analysis. The questionnaire and scoring format was constructed by first enlisting thousands of working people from a wide variety of occupations who reported a definite liking for their job over an extended period of time and had a good employment record, among other qualities. Item statistics from each of these occupations or occupational groups were contrasted to the general population. Items that revealed statistical differences were then selected and marked for scoring to represent the responses actually given by people of a particular occupational group. What Strong found was that each occupation or occupation cluster was associated with a unique mix of reported likes and dislikes ranging from interpersonal tendencies to preferences performing certain work related activities.

Subsequent research has shown that greater career satisfaction is likely to occur to the extent that a one's interest pattern resembles the interest pattern of those happy with the attributes of their career calling. The reverse is also true, in that if your interest pattern is very dissimilar to those represented in a particular occupational group, the greater the chance that you will be dissatisfied in that occupation as well. Over the years, career interest assessment tools have evolved to include new, emerging jobs to the market place.

Vocational theorists conceptualize the world of work as tapping a number of general personality characteristics. Each of these general personality characteristics or general themes are related to an occupation type or cluster. Most occupations are a combination of two or three themes. An example of one theme is "Enterprising" - (E). The (E) theme is characterized by individuals who enjoy taking risks, are competitive, energetic, adventurous, and enjoy positions of leadership and status. They also prefer to be in positions where they have an opportunity to persuade others. Typical work activities may include selling, purchasing, political maneuvering, giving presentations, etc. Occupations that load high on the E theme include realtors, life insurance agents, auto salespersons, stock brokers and managers. As diverse as these careers may seem, they share a common distribution of preferences, tendencies, likes and dislikes which are well suited to the experiences and demands placed upon them in their careers. These individuals, which have predominant (E) personality characteristics, report a high level of satisfaction in the sample of careers just mentioned.

Those scoring high on the Conventional (C) theme work well in large corporations, like Enterprising people, but are less comfortable with leadership roles. Additionally, they have a great eye for detail, accuracy and organization. They tend to be very conscientious, perfectionistic, and systematic. Accountants, proofreaders, and statisticians who are happy with their work usually score high on the (C) theme. Of course, this is not to say that the work world is made up of pure theme types. This is just the contrary! Credit managers tap both the (C) and (E) themes as do Tax Accountants.

An occasional twist to the general theme - career match scenario occurs when you consider the influences of specific work environment and co-worker interaction. An example that comes to mind was a very effective salesperson with a strong Enterprising (E) score working in a subsidiary of a large corporation. Her profile also showed a preference for an independent and adventurous work setting, for which she had and enjoyed immensely. This talented person had total control over her decisions, planning and schedule. Because of her outstanding performance, she was rewarded by a position in the home office and a raise in salary. When her performance began to deteriorate, she contemplated a mid-career change to a new occupation; not realizing that her dissatisfaction and poor job performance reflected a mismatch between her interests and work environment rather than a mismatch between her interests and occupation. A return to her former position with a negotiated salary increase was mutually beneficial to her and the firm she worked for.

It is sometimes the case that one's interest pattern is highly correlated to an occupation for which the individual is lacking the prerequisite skills or educational background and academic striving. The more current interest assessment tools incorporate an "academic orientation" or skills survey which incorporates these factors into account in establishing a career path. This data is then taken into account in preparing the client to either make the kind of investment necessary to achieve these goals or exploring related occupations with less academic or skill requirements. The strata within the medical, teaching, scientific or social service areas are some of the many examples where this is possible.

Once specific occupations are identified for consideration, the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor, is an excellent resource to use. It can be found in most libraries or employment centers. If you have access to the internet, there are web sites which link to sources containing some of this helpful information. For each occupation you can learn the job description, training needed, advancement possibilities, future job outlook, earnings and related occupations which are referenced in this handbook. Canadian readers are referred to the National Occupational Classification handbook.

Initially deciding upon a career direction or being at a mid-career crossroad requires careful thought and planning. No single source of data is enough to do it right. The advantage of career interest feedback, however, is that it allows you to survey the many occupations for which a potential match or mismatch is possible. Considering how little some of us know about what a job really entails, the more career related knowledge we have about ourselves the better informed we'll be when faced with a transition. To learn more about career interest assessment data and how you might obtain this information economically, check out my web site at http://www.hawk.igs.net/careers or drop me a line at jim@hawk.igs.net

Dr. Sofia has a teaching background and received his doctoral training in educational psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. He has spent over 20 years of his professional career as a consulting psychologist for various educational boards and mental health agencies in the United States and Canada. He has taught courses in vocational assessment at the University of Ottawa to teachers pursuing further credentials in guidance and counseling.