Enhancing Self-Help Career Planning Using Theory-Based Tools

Abstract

From the earliest days of the vocational guidance movement, controversy existed regarding the place of self-report in assessment. Contemporary career theories, cognitive information processing theory (CIP), and Holland's typological theory (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional [RIASEC]) provide ideas and tools for informing this issue. CIP theory includes self-help among three levels of career service delivery. Readiness screening including in both theories is the mechanism for determining which individuals can benefit from differentiated services, for example, selfhelp, brief staff assisted, and individual case managed. This article shows how these theories can be used in career assessment and describes tools and procedures for service delivery. A narrative flowchart illustrates how a practitioner would work with individuals in this enhanced self-help approach.In a review of the literature on career development and vocational psychology published in 2013, Sampson et al. (2014) examined the integration of theory, research, and practice. They found the greatest amount of integration was theory into research at 54.5%, while the integration of theory into practice and research into practice were both substantially less at 38.9%. This article seeks to address this issue by examining how two career theories, cognitive information processing theory (CIP; Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004) and Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional (RIASEC) theory (Holland, 1997), could be used to inform practice. More specifically, the article focuses on an enhancement of self-help or counselor-free interventions in service delivery.The article begins with a brief review of the historical controversy surrounding the use of selfdirected career assessment and then moves to define self-help career interventions as described in the contemporary literature. Readiness screening as illustrated in both theories is the mechanism for

An Introduction to Cognitive Information Processing Theory, Research, and Practice

“…Numerous studies have shown the efficacy of this course for various career decision-making outcomes. Evidence also exists for the efficacy of self-help interventions (Kronholz, 2015;Reardon, 2017) and brief staff-assisted interventions (Osborn, Hayden, Peterson, & Sampson, 2016). For additional research studies on evidence-based practice for CIP theory, see the CIP Theory and Evidence-Based Practice section of the CIP Bibliography (Sampson et al, 2020).…”

“…Self-help services involve individuals guiding their own use of assessment, information, and instructional resources in a library, resource center, or on a website, where follow-up support from practitioners are available, and resources are designed for independent use. [See Reardon (2017) for additional details on the design and efficacy of self-help career services.] Brief staff-assisted services involve practitioners guiding client use of assessment, information, and instructional resources via drop-in services, career courses with large group interaction, short-term group counseling, and workshops.…”

Developing a self-help career resource for international Chinese doctoral students in Australia

“…Several authors have argued for the inclusion of technology in the provision of career services (e.g., Bimrose, Kettunen, & Goddard, 2015; Bright, 2014; Hooley et al., 2010). Well-designed and evidence-based self-help resources such as the Journey to the West Guide that have been developed from the users’ perspective can offer a cost-effective solution to aiding users to explore their selves in their surrounding world, and to independently make decisions and implement career planning (e.g., Kronholz, 2015; Reardon, 2017).…”

Sustainability of Youth Careers in Romania—Study on the Correlation of Students’ Personal Interests with the Selected University Field of Study

“…The Holland: Self-Directed Search (SDS) test, currently the best known and most used interest questionnaire, was used to identify students' interests [60][61][62]. Holland believes that people have different interests in working with people or objects and preferences for working with ideas or facts.…”