Occupational themes, ambiguity tolerance level and coping strategies in career decision-making

The process of career adaptation is counted as a very significant topic, especially regarding career counseling. The aim of that article was to analyze the dependence between type of vocational personality, ambiguity tolerance level and styles of coping with career indecision making. There have been 227 students examined. Each of the examined individuals has got a vocational type of personality referring to gained outcomes from WOPZ questionnaire based on J.L. Holland’s model of vocational personality. Types of vocational personality have been being analyzed according to ambiguity tolerance in career decisions making (by using The Career Decision Ambiguity Tolerance Scale, CDAT) and strategies of coping with career indecision (with usage of Coping with Career Decision-making Difficulties, CCDD). The study has revealed that gender is not associated with personal dispositions as those mentioned above. Individuals characterized by Social type of vocational personality tend to seek help more often than those characterized by other types of vocational personality. Artistic type turned out to be linked to unproductive style of coping with career indecision more than any other type of vocational personality while individuals described as Enterprising type tend to have reversed tendency. Moreover, the present study has indicated that dependence between ambiguity tolerance and productive style of coping with career decisions making does occur.

Examining Holland’s model for Ecuadorian youth. Tool development and psychometric implications for vocational counseling

Holland’s (1997) scale is one of the most frequently used measures of vocational personality. The study describes the multiphase development and cultural validation of a short version of the sixfactor scale on a representative sample of 1735 Ecuadorian undergraduates. The Questionnaire of Vocational Preferences of Youth (Inventario de las Preferencias Profesionales de Jovenes: IPPJ) as the first culturally-rooted tool for Ecuadorian youth corresponds with the circular model by Holland (1997). Factorial analysis (EFA and CFA), validity, follow-up study, and reliability indicators support the factorial equivalence of the new, short version of the IPPJ. Some practical implications are outlined for vocational guidance in Ecuador.

The Relationship between Vocational Personality Types and Vocational Values

In this study, the relationship between high school students’ vocational personality types and vocational values was examined. The study data were collected from 488 high school students going to schools in Niğde city center. In the study, Vocational Personality Types Inventory and Vocational Value Inventory were administered. Canonical correlation analysis technique was used to analyze the data. The study results revealed that the canonical model was significant, and when the data on canonical functions were evaluated separately, three canonical functions were found significant. The common variance shared between the data sets of the canonical variables showing that there was a significant relationship between occupational personality types and occupational values were 44% for the first canonical function, 30% for the second canonical function and 11% for the third canonical function, respectively. The findings were discussed in the light of the related literature.

Reconsidering the Career Construction in Modern Era

There have been significant changes in business—in the nature of employment—influenced by the transformations in the economy, society and technology. These changes led to uncertainty and competition in the labor market, insecurity in employment, and divisions in career paths. This was especially important in the 21st century where the technological advancements have created a more mobile, unstable environment. Career construction theory describes elucidative and relational progress through which individual impose meaning and direction on his/her vocational behaviors. This chapter, which approaches the idea of Savickas in a theoretical basis, offers a consideration on the career construction thinking based on his propositions. The chapter provides a framework for viewing vocational behavior across the lifespan as a dynamic process which considers life themes, vocational personality, and career adaptability. To this end, it aims to support academics, human resources specialists, and counsellors to benefit from Savickas' seminal thought.