VOCATION AND CAREER

 VOCATIONAL CHOICE AND IDENTITY

The choice process of an occupation is very complex. Most young people have direct contact with an extremely limited number of occupations. Young people today seek work that is interesting and in which they will be able to use and develop their special talents. These talents are set by educational choices. Thus, the occupations to choose from become limited.

The term occupation refers to a specific set of related jobs and positions in the occupational structure. A career, on the other hand, incorporates the idea that there is continuity in vocational development. The sequence of jobs or positions pursued by an individual over time is defined as that person’s career.

Need for career planning

The question of ‘what to do next’ plagues most people. It becomes critical (especially) as students approach major life decisions with further educational and occupational plans. Young people are in the process of defining themselves as adults in the world.

Decisions about work have a significant impact in adulthood. Occupation is a significant determinant of an individual’s social status and exerts a major influence of his/her way of life, his/her values and on his/her attitudes. The work he/she does enables him/her to meet important human needs for economic survival and provides an arena, in which, he/she can develop self-esteem and personal fulfillment.

Career is a lifelong companion and will influence one’s position in society and will contribute to the overall happiness of the individual. Blindly acquiring any degree without thought for the future is foolish in this age of professionalism.

 

VOCATIONAL CHOICE – PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Psychological approaches can be categorized into two major groups:

Vocational choice as an event

People attempt to match their personal characteristics with those required by occupation in making vocational decisions. The main characteristics are:

-          Ability – more intelligent students choose higher level jobs and less intelligent choose (social service) field which require less extensive educational preparation.

-          Interests – Most people discover interests in occupations once they start off on it, others pursue their interests in acquiring jobs. A job that is of interest will give more satisfaction and fulfillment.

-          Personality – Variables like values, needs, risk-taking tendencies, achievement motivation, extroversion, personality styles and cognitive styles influence the kind of occupations chosen. Personality factors need to fit well to make a success of the occupation chosen.

Vocational choice as a process

The stages of process of vocational development are explained in the form of developmental theories

-          Ginzberg’s Theory of Vocational Development – This theory incorporates aspects of basic personality development in the form of different stages

 

a.    The Fantasy stage (Up to 11 years)

At this stage, the child’s choices are unrealistic. The child shifts his orientation from play to work. In this attempt to cope with this frustration of dependency, children enact adult roles in a variety of occupations without taking into consideration their talent, interest, ability, or attention to reality. It is in this stage that children pretend to be movie stars, politicians, teachers, doctors, or bus conductors. These are occupations that attract them due to their power, prestige and glamour or interest.

b.    The Tentative Stage (between 11 to 18 years)

Adolescents gradually become aware of their own abilities, interests and values and develop a more realistic view both of themselves and the world of work. Also, at this stage, they need to make an occupational choice because of the course of education they need to take.

c.    The Realistic Stage (18 to early 20’s)

Young adults explore a variety of occupational alternatives to crystalize a choice and finally to specify it in terms of a particular field and specialized occupation within that field.

 

Most individuals may not be able to achieve exactly what they want, but efforts are generally made. They attempt for the best possible fit between themselves and the world of work i.e. a process of optimization rather than compromise.

 

Super’s Self-Concept Theory of Vocational Development

This theory comprises a dynamic aspect of personality development, viewed through a series of developmental changes. Super highlights the importance of the development of a person’s self-concept. The self-concept at this stage is a vocational self-concept. Vocational self-concept can eb defined as a person’s view of himself in relation to the world of work. In making occupational choices, people attempt to choose occupations that they perceive as congruent with their picture of themselves. The stages of development, as outlined by Super, cover the entire lifespan.

a.    Growth stage – Between childhood and early adolescence, the critical tasks for the child are to develop a concept of himself and an orientation to the world of work.

b.    Exploratory stage – Begins in early adolescence and ends in early adulthood, the young person moves from tentative choices to an early trial period in which he attempts to implement choices with relatively less commitment to these choices.

c.    Establishment stage – Early adulthood to middle age, the person begins to settle down, choices become stabilized and advance in a chose occupation.

d.    Maintenance stage – From middle age until retirement individuals are concerned with preserving the gains they have achieved and are preparing for retirement.

e.    Decline stage – Following retirement, there is a general slowing down and disengagement from the world of work.

Super, in his theory, uses the concept of vocational maturity. The critical dimensions of vocational maturity are a sense of playfulness, about one’s life, exploration of the world of work, amount of information about self and occupation and ability acquire to make decisions and reality orientations.

Each individual has to assess his capacity, intelligence, potential, interest, ability and motive in selecting a job. The personality characteristics are also essential. If an individual chooses a job for getting money, he may not be satisfied with his job. Therefore, knowing one’s self is important.

There are numerous influences from different areas that set the course of events. Starting from the ideas, the family has, the educational discipline that is chosen, the area in which one lives, the peer group and culture one has, the pressure from society could affect the kind of career one chooses.