The Undecided Student: Effects of Combining Levels of Treatment Parameters on Career Certainty, Career Indecision, and Client Satisfaction

Abstract

The author investigated the impact of a 4-phase combined intervention on outcomes of career certainty, career indecision, and client satisfaction in undecided college students and compared it t o a 2-phase intervention. Both interventions were effective in increasing career certainty in the sample population: however, the 4-phase treatment was significantly more effective in increasing career certainty. Both treatments were effective in decreasing career indecision, although no significant difference was found between these 2 groups. There was no significant difference in ratings of satisfaction between the 2 groups. The findings suggest that even the most basic and cost-effective intervention may benefit the undecided student.For over 70 years, indecision in educationally and vocationally undecided-undeclared college students has been a concern of college faculty, counselors, academic advisors, administrators, and researchers. In the last decade, attention has focused on these students at an unparalleledpace, perhaps due to retention concerns and the steady rise in the numbers of these students (Gordon, 1995). In an effort to assist undecided-undeclared college students with their career decision-making skills, many interventions have been offered. Fretz (1981) categorized these interventions based on three treatment parameters: content domain, interpersonal context, and degree of structure.Jill C. Jurgens is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling, at

La multiplicité des ancres de carrière chez les ingénieurs québécois

“…La plupart des programmes visant à aider les individus indécis dans le choix d'une carrière portent généralement sur trois aspects : l'information sur les professions, le processus décisionnel et l'information sur soi (Jurgens, 2000). Ceci nous amène à comprendre une limite importante liée au « concept de soi de carrière », à savoir la difficulté pour l'individu de le percevoir clairement.…”

Where This Path May Lead: Understanding Career Decision-Making for Postcollege Life

“…Use more students to send messages where students congregate (e.g., make announcements at dinner). Create "friend packs" to focus on smaller groups and do more small group work (Jurgans, 2000). Take advantage of natural linkages among student groups (e.g., new members to organizations, individuals who just declared a major).…”

“…The research for this article was funded by a research grant from the American College Personnel Association Commission for Career Development. Anderson, & Risinger, 1995;Murray & Hall, 2001); race/ethnicity (Liu, 1998;Mau & Fernandes, 2001); sexual orientation (Nauta, Saucier, & Woodard, 2001;Tomlinson & Fassinger, 2003); class year (Long, Sowa, & Niles, 1995;Luzzo, McWhirter, & Hutcheson, 1997); levels of self-efficacy (Gianakos, 2001); approaches to career decision-making (Niles, Erford, Hunt, & Watts, 1997); career assumptions (Laker, 2002); and levels of indecision (Gaffner & Hazler, 2002;Jurgans, 2000;Skorupa & Agresti, 1998). A number of external factors might influence college decision-making, including: student involvements such as athletics (Martens & Cox, 2000); institutional types (Zagora & Cramer, 1994); and interpersonal interactions with others such as family (Hargrove, Creagh, & Burgess, 2002) or mentors (Packard, 2003;Packard & Nguyen, 2003).…”

An Exploration of Career Decision-Making among Domestic and International Instructional Design Students

“…It is well documented that students who struggle with uncertainty for long periods of time are more likely to leave college without completing a degree program (Blustien & Ellis, 2000;Gati, 1996;Gordon, 1995;Jurgens, 2000;Tinto, 1993). A large number of international students are uncertain about long-term career goals for a variety of reasons (Bluestien & Ellis, 2000) and current research conducted into career transition needs of international students indicate various levels of career readiness as some students lack information about personal values, interests, skills, career options or decision making resources (Gati, 1996;Gordon, 1995;Jurgens, 2000). In addition, student may be unprepared to make a college to career transition because they lack readiness to begin the decision making process or because they have received unreliable or inconsistent information (Gati, Krausz & Osipow, 1996).…”