These studies explore the usefulness of thinking about one's occupational future in gender-linked jobs from the perspective of "possible selves." We developed lists of feminine, masculine, and neutral occupations and asked 31 women and 66 men how possible they thought these jobs were for them, and how much they feared them (i.e., believed they would be unhappy doing them). Women feared masculine jobs more than they rated such jobs as possible. Both women and men feared feminine jobs more than they viewed these jobs as possible. The occupational list was revised and a second sample of 34 women was asked how much they expected, feared, and hoped for these gender-typed jobs. The results were similar. Women feared both the masculine and feminine jobs more than they saw these jobs as possible, and there was some indication they hoped for the masculine jobs more than they expected them. The results are discussed in terms of how a possible selves approach could facilitate career assessment and counseling.

Using possible selves as a theoretical basis, this study examined self-perceptions of occupational futures by asking 98 undergraduate women to rate feminine, masculine, and neutral jobs as to how expected, feared, and ideal (or hoped for) they were. Participants also identified their most feared job, rated the salience of 10 reasons for this choice, and completed other measures related to self-efficacy, sex role orientation, and attitudes and values toward work. Participants feared feminine jobs more than they expected or idealized these jobs. They feared masculine jobs more than they expected these jobs but not more than they idealized them, and they idealized these jobs more than they expected them. No differences were found among neutral jobs. Participants who chose a masculine occupation as their most feared job cited reasons of job demands, competition, and doubts about success. Those whose most feared job was a feminine occupation placed importance on the job's low status and others' disappointment.

Possible selves is a future-oriented, personalized, affect-laden, motivating form of self-knowledge, which provides a link between one's self-concept and incentives for future behavior, an interpretive framework for an individual's current views of self, and a way to link present behaviors with future outcomes. This article explores the usefulness of thinking about one's occupational future in the context of possible selves. Beneficial aspects of doing so include a personalization of career-related choices including their affective components, incentives to be planful, and an explicit focus on the future. Ideas are presented for applying possible selves to a careercounseling focus for racial/ethnic minorities and women. Cautions related to the construct and directions for research are explored.From the time of Frank Parsons (1909), the work of those interested in providing assistance to others has had practical roots and a strong integrative tradition. This tradition endures in contemporary scholarship in literature that integrates theory and practice (cf. Savickas & Walsh, in press), explores the common ground among major contemporary theoretical approaches (cf. Osipow, 1990), or seeks commonalities between the processes and practices of so-called career counseling and personal psychotherapy

Possible selves is a future-oriented, personalized, affect-laden, motivating form of self-knowledge, which provides a link between one's self-concept and incentives for future behavior, an interpretive framework for an individual's current views of self, and a way to link present behaviors with future outcomes. This article explores the usefulness of thinking about one's occupational future in the context of possible selves. Beneficial aspects of doing so include a personalization of career-related choices including their affective components, incentives to be planful, and an explicit focus on the future. Ideas are presented for applying possible selves to a career-counseling focus for racial/ethnic minorities and women. Cautions related to the construct and directions for research are explored.

The current status of multicultural counseling training at university counseling center predoctoral internship sites was evaluated. Fifty training directors completed a mailed survey, and the results contribute to an understanding of graduate training programs. Training considerations and recommendations are discussed.