Client Anticipations About Computer‐Assisted Career Guidance System Outcomes

Abstract

Although existing literature suggests that client anticipations affect career counseling, previous studies have not systematically assessed client anticipations prior to using computer‐assisted career guidance (CACG) systems in career counseling. This study describes how 55 clients from a career center at a large, southeastern university anticipated using CACG systems to help in their career decision making and problem solving. Using a Cognitive Information Processing framework, responses to a cued and a free response survey indicated that clients' most frequent anticipations included increased career options, enhanced self‐knowledge, and strengthened occupational knowledge.

Barriers to Computerized Career Interventions in Community Outreach Centers

“…The main finding of the study was that computer attitudes and age were the main predictors of whether individuals in this sample would accept computerized career services in the context of a community outreach center. This finding dovetails with the results of Osborn, Peterson, Sampson, and Reardon (2003) that undergraduates with more positive expectations (i.e., positive attitudes) of computer‐assisted career guidance systems (CACGs) were more likely to report the desire to use CACGs again in the future (i.e., intent). Additionally, individuals with less computer experience in our sample were more likely to be older and to have negative attitudes about computers.…”

“…Attempting to increase acceptance of computerized career services by influencing computer experience instead of directly addressing computer attitudes is largely determined by practical concerns. Specifically, increasing an individual's computer experience might be achieved by offering a brief orientation to the system (Osborn et al, 2003), and this orientation could also easily be modified for a group format. Attempting to change a client's attitudes about computers directly might take significantly longer and might necessitate intervention at the individual level, and the process might be more difficult to standardize.…”

Dysfunctional Career Decision-Making Beliefs: A Multidimensional Model and Measure

“…One of the challenges that vocational psychologists and career counselors often face is identifying and dealing with their clients’ dysfunctional beliefs (e.g., Elliot, 1995; Kleiman et al, 2004; Ludwikowski, Vogel, & Armstrong, 2009; Osborn, Peterson, Sampson, & Reardon, 2003). Certain clients expect to find their perfect career during career counseling (e.g., Sampson, McClain, Musch, & Reardon, 2013); others believe that a career choice is a once-in-a-lifetime decision that they will not be able to change in the future (Nevo, 1987).…”

Variables Affecting Readiness to Benefit From Career Interventions

“…Inappropriate expectations about career choice and career services . Career decision‐making readiness can be negatively affected by the unrealistic belief that there is one perfect choice and all a client must do is find the occupation or educational/training option he or she is seeking (Diemer & Hsieh, 2008; Di Fabio & Bernaud, 2008; Koszalka et al, 2005; Osborn, Peterson, Sampson, & Reardon, 2003; Wendlandt & Rochlen, 2008). For example, clients sometimes have an inappropriate expectation that a computer‐assisted career guidance system best knows how to match occupations with their characteristics (Krumboltz, 1985).…”