Development of the “Getting Ready for Your Next Job” Inventory for Unemployed Individuals

Abstract

This article describes the development of a self‐administered inventory to provide unemployed job seekers of varying education levels and backgrounds with insight into their job search. The inventory was refined in 5 phases with multiple samples. Evidence for predictive validity was provided by examining the relationship between the inventory components ( job‐search intensity, Internet use, job‐search confidence, job‐search clarity, support, stress and worry, skills, barriers, job‐search experience, difference between last wage and wage desired, time spent in job search, and number of interviews in last 2 weeks) and employment outcomes several months later. The inventory, titled “Getting Ready for Your Next Job” (YNJ), is shown in the . Interested users may download a PDF or Microsoft Word version of the YNJ from http://www.ynj.csom.umn.edu/.

Exploring the Impact of Situational Background, Emotional, and Job Search Variables on Coping With Unemployment by Drinking Versus Considering Self-Employment

“…Positive self-assessment is an example of problem-focused coping, which McKee-Ryan et al (2005) found to be positively related to mental health outcomes across unemployed samples. Job search confidence focuses on one's belief in their ability to execute different aspects of the job search function such as networking, communicating specific skills, impactful interviewing, explaining unemployment, and offer negotiation (Wanberg, Zhang, & Diehn, 2010). Waldemar and Schwarzer (1993) found that positive self-beliefs were associated with lower alcohol consumption for unemployed men.…”

New job market entrants' future work self, career adaptability and job search outcomes: Examining mediating and moderating models

“…For example, career concern may enable individuals to form meta-cognition to guide the job search process (e.g., Turban et al, 2009), which in turn will predict their employment status. On the other hand, as career control facilitates individuals' being deliberate and organized in making career decisions and transitions, it may relate positively to individuals' job search clarity, which in turn mediates its effects on fit perceptions (Wanberg et al, 2010). Future search should continue to examine the underlying mechanisms on how career adaptability affects individuals' job search process by incorporating these important variables.…”

“…To obtain a job offer, job seekers usually go through a series of tasks like assessing personal characteristics (e.g., values, needs, abilities), searching job market information, submitting applications, participating in interviews, negotiating with potential employers and making decisions on which job offer to accept (Brown et al, 2006;Wanberg et al, 2010). As university graduates generally have little familiarity with these tasks, job search is often regarded as stressful and full of unexpected difficulties (Turban et al, 2009).…”

“…Participants' job search self-efficacy was measured by the scale developed by Wanberg et al (2010), which consists of 11 items concerning beliefs about one's ability to perform well in job search tasks, such as writing a good resume, finding information about companies before an interview, presenting themselves well in an interview, Career Adaptability and Job Search Success 10 and so on. We modified one item "explaining why you no longer work for your last employer" into "explaining why you want to work for the current employer" to fit the job search context of new entrants.…”

“…In addition, to identify the mechanisms underlying the positive effects of career adaptability, we further examined the mediation role of job search self-efficacy (Wanberg, Zhang, & Diehn, 2010) in this process.…”