Career Self‐Efficacy and Perceptions of Parent Support in Adolescent Career Development

The authors examined the relative contributions of both proximal and distal supports to the career interests and vocational self‐efficacy in a multiethnic sample (N = 139) of middle school adolescents. Consistent with Social Cognitive Career Theory, it was found that (a) vocational self‐efficacy and career planning/exploration efficacy consistently predicted young adolescents' career interests across Holland (J. L. Holland, D. R. Whitney, N. S. Cole, & J. M. Richards, 1969) themes; (b) gender and career gender‐typing predicted interests in Realistic, Investigative, and Social careers; and (c) perceived parent support accounted for 29% to 43% of the total unique variance in vocational self‐efficacy for all Holland theme careers.     

The Internationalization of Educational and Vocational Guidance

The authors identify and discuss the main themes from the discourse on the internationalization of educational and vocational guidance at the 2004 Symposium on International Perspectives on Career Development, cosponsored by the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance and the National Career Development Association. Participants from 46 countries discussed international perspectives on and comparative features of educational and vocational guidance. They concentrated on issues of designing and adapting models, methods, and materials for career education and counseling. Three additional themes revolved around the importance of public policy initiatives, training enough practitioners to meet the growing international need for career services, and the promise of information technology for expanding the delivery of educational and vocational guidance and for supporting career counselors.     

Breadth of Vocational Interests: The Role of Career Adaptability and Future Orientation

The authors examined the relationship between career adaptability, future orientation, and vocational interests. Specifically, they tested the role of career adaptability and future orientation in promoting a broader range of vocational interests, based on the principle that experiencing more interests can be useful in giving one's best in multiple occupations and in planning a broad range of career goals. A total of 762 Italian adolescents (383 males, 379 females) participated in the study. Results highlight the mediating role of future orientation in the relationship between 4 career adaptability resources and breadth of vocational interests. These results underscore that specific interventions in career adaptability and future orientation may foster a broader range of vocational interests, providing more opportunity for adolescents to respond to the demands of the current job market.     

Vocational Pathways in the Early Part of a Career: An Australian Study

The vocational pathways of a representative national sample of Australian school students (N = 1,201) were examined over a 7‐year period after the students left school. Results indicated that there was a disparity between the students' initial vocational interests and their occupations at the beginning of their careers. Only 21% of the students were in identical high‐point interest areas at initial assessment and 7 years later. The results suggested that there was a period of career exploration that was followed by adjustment to the labor market.     

Vocational Psychology and New Challenges

A discussion group composed of vocational psychologists, guidance professionals, and career development specialists from around the world identified and discussed new challenges in understanding work and providing relevant career services. Four major themes emerged: What revisions are necessary in the profession's theory and practice to address changes in the nature of work and be more inclusive? How is culture to be addressed? What will help in the advancement from social justice rhetoric to meaningful practice? How can research continue to advance the field?     

Donald Edwin Super: The Career of a Planful Explorer

Donald Edwin Super was a member of the National Career Development Association from 1934 to 1994, a full 60 years. Starting at midcentury, his writings and lectures provided the main impetus to expand vocational guidance to encompass career counseling. This article, structured around the five stages in Super's life stage model and narrated in the language of vocational development tasks that he identified and researched, tells the story of Super's own career development and extrapolates the major themes in his unparalleled career as a vocational psychologist and career counselor.     

Vocational Skills and Outcomes Among Native American Adolescents: A Test of the Integrative Contextual Model of Career Development

This study tested hypotheses of the Integrative Contextual Model of Career Development (R. T. Lapan, 2004a) by investigating the multivariate effects of 6 interrelated career development skills (career exploration, person‐ environment fit, goal setting, social/prosocial/work readiness, self‐regulated learning, and the utilization of social support) on 6 intermediate vocational outcomes (academic achievement, self‐efficacy expectations, positive self‐attributions, vocational interests, vocational identity, and proactivity) among Native American adolescents. Results showed that individual and shared variance among the skills positively predicted 79% of variance in 5 of the 6 outcomes. Results suggest that each of the skills contributes substantially and in combination to Native American adolescents' career development.     

Effects of Orientations to Happiness on Vocational Identity Achievement

There is an increased interest in vocational psychology and career counseling regarding the link between career development and well‐being, yet, little is known about how different ways to achieve well‐being or happiness relate to career development. This study explored the relationship between 3 orientations to happiness (meaning, pleasure, and engagement) and vocational identity achievement among 2 groups of Swiss adolescents (n = 268, 8th grade; n = 208, 11th grade). The results indicated that more orientation to meaning and engagement but not to pleasure positively related to vocational identity achievement.     

The Independence of Aptitudes,Interests, and Career Beliefs

The importance of client beliefs in career counseling depends on their ability to add unique information about the client over and above that contributed by aptitudes and interests. The Career Beliefs Inventory was administered to 200 Australian students in grade 10 together with measures of Holland's RIASEC interest themes and scholastic aptitudes. The correlations between scales from the three domains showed clearly that beliefs made a contribution distinct from that provided by aptitudes and interests. Even though the results may reflect possible sampling or method variance, career beliefs in this sample added unique information to that traditionally used in career counseling.     

Strategies to Foster the Career Development of People with Disabilities

Abstract

This paper addresses career development strategy within the context of social work practice in rehabilitation and disability. The author outlines the career development needs of people with disabilities and identifies contemporary ways of thinking about career development. Four specific career development tactics are discussed involving the provision of vicarious experiences, identification and appreciation of performance accomplishments, verbal persuasion to support appropriate risk-taking, and emotional arousal that facilitates the expression of feelings and the motivation to act. These tactics are promising avenues for strengthening vocational and career self-efficacy with the aim of helping people with disabilities to augment their career maturity and increase their personal flexibility.     

Family Factors Associated With Sixth‐Grade Adolescents' Math and Science Career Interests

This study tested a causal model, based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT; R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackett, 1994, 2000), of math and science career interests among 6th‐grade adolescents (N = 318). Consistent with SCCT, it was found that career gender‐typing, mother's and father's support for pursuing math and science careers, as well as the structure of the family itself (2‐parent intact vs. single parent) predicted young adolescents' math self‐efficacy; career gender‐typing and mother's support predicted math outcome expectations; and math self‐efficacy and outcome expectations predicted math and science career interests. Counselor recommendations based on these findings are included.     

Dilemmatic Constructions of Career in the Career Counseling Interview

Thirty career counseling interviews were recorded and inductively analyzed using a discourse analytic method. Findings indicate that clients in this setting present various dilemmatic themes of career in their talk. Three types of dilemmas were pervasive: uncertainty versus certainty, interests versus practical, and focus versus options. The findings suggest that career theorists and practitioners might find it useful to address the dilemmatic processes evident in “career talk.”     

Inconsistent Vocational Personalities: A Multiple-Case Study of Commonalities and Characteristics

To extend Holland's (1997) theoretical proposition regarding inconsistency in vocational personality patterns, this study examined how individuals conceptualize the origin, experience, development, and career implications of their incongruent interests. A semistructured interview was conducted with 10 participants who displayed an inconsistent vocational personality pattern. Cross-case analysis (Stake, 2006) yielded 17 themes organized into five conceptual clusters. In terms of family of origin, inconsistent personality patterns occurred more frequently among oldest or only children with incongruent or inconsistent parents who provided weak guiding lines. From an interpersonal perspective, participants described themselves as outsiders who were shy, isolated, and unpopular. From an intrapersonal perspective, they may feel odd, inferior, and different and may seek comfort by either withdrawing into media or placing themselves in a safe space. The results provide a basis for formulating three hypotheses for future empirical research with large and diverse samples.     

Ethnic Group and Social Class Differences in College Students' Career Development

The purpose of this investigation was to examine ethnic group and social class differences in 401 college students' career development. Assessments of career development included career decision-making attitudes, vocational congruence, and career decision-making skills. Statistical analyses did not reveal any social class differences in career development. Ethnic group differences, however, were observed, including significant differences in career decision-making attitudes and vocational congruence. Findings suggest that current theories of career development are lacking in their application to today's ethnically diverse college population. Future directions for cross-cultural career development research and implications for career counselors are discussed.     

Career Rehabilitation: Integration of Vocational Rehabilitation and Career Development in the Twenty‐First Century

The concept of career rehabilitation, a paradigm that proposes integrating perspectives from vocational rehabilitation and career development, is introduced. Counselors are encouraged to assess how vocational handicaps secondary to a disabling problem can affect a client over his or her “worklife” and to adopt a life‐span approach to career decision making of people with disabilities. Four common vocational handicaps are discussed: diminished access to work opportunities, need for workplace accommodations, employer bias in hiring and advancement, and diminished “worklife” expectancy. Counselors testifying in legal forums are encouraged to pursue scholarship on the career development of people with disabilities.     

Multicultural and International Research in Four Career Development Journals: An 11‐Year Content Analysis

In an increasingly diverse and global society, it is important to evaluate the cultural responsiveness of vocational research. The authors examined trends in the publication of multicultural‐focused articles from 2005 to 2015 in 4 journals: The Career Development Quarterly, the Journal of Career Assessment, the Journal of Career Development, and the Journal of Vocational Behavior. Methodological, thematic, and construct trends were examined across the identity categories of gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability status, religion/spirituality, age, immigration status, and international research. Results showed increases in social class and international research but continued neglect of sexual orientation, gender identity, and ability status. The themes of career exploration and promoting agency received the most attention; equity in work settings received the least. Findings suggest that more research with underrepresented groups is needed and that counselors may need to rely on resources outside the current literature to ensure best practices with these clients.     

Self-Esteem,Vocational Identity,and Career Salience in High School Students

This study used Super's (1980) life span career development theory to investigate the relations between self-esteem level, vocational identity, and career salience in high school students. Two hundred fifty-one students were randomly selected from junior classes in urban, suburban, rural, and vocational schools. Results indicated that high self-esteem students scored significantly higher than low self-esteem students on vocational identity and career salience (participation, commitment, and values expectations) in school and home or family roles, but they did not differ on work, community, or leisure roles. Implications for life span career counseling are discussed.     

Mindfulness and Decision‐Making Style: Predicting Career Thoughts and Vocational Identity

Mindfulness has been a focus of psychological research and practice in recent decades. Yet, there is limited research on the relationship between mindfulness and vocational decision‐making. This study’s purpose was to examine the role of mindfulness in a career context by investigating the relationships among mindfulness, decision‐making style, negative career thoughts, and vocational identity. The sample included 258 undergraduate students (204 women, 54 men) at a large southeastern U.S. university. Mindfulness was significantly (p < .01) associated with fewer negative career thoughts, external and thinking‐based decision‐making styles, and higher vocational identity. Multiple regression procedures found that mindfulness, coupled with decision‐making style, accounted for 31% of the variance in negative career thoughts and 22% of the variance in vocational identity. These findings suggest that more holistic career counseling interventions could incorporate mindfulness techniques to help reduce anxiety and negative thoughts while increasing self‐clarity and problem‐solving skills. Future research could include more diverse samples, additional constructs (e.g., choice volition, self‐efficacy), and a pretest–posttest design to examine the efficacy of mindfulness‐based career interventions.     

Improving Prediction of Significant Career‐Related Constructs for High School Students With Learning Disabilities

Preparing students with learning disabilities (LDs) to make the transition into the world of work is considered an essential preparation that high schools can provide. However, existing services are limited for career development preparation, and available programs rely on assessments normed for samples of students without LDs. This study examined the predictability of critical career‐related constructs of dysfunctional career thoughts, career maturity, and vocational identity in high school students with LDs, using a sample of 139 such students. Data analyses were performed using multiple regression and t tests. Results indicate that it is possible to predict important career constructs for students with LDs using standardized instruments, which can inform subsequent interventions.