HOW DO I CHOOSE MY OCCUPATION?

The following is a brief review of several theories of career choice that can be found in the recommended text authored by Jack L. Rettig, Careers, Belmont, California: Fearon/Janus/Quercus 1986, pp. 1-8 You may wish to consult the references listed in the bibliography in the back of the text or consult other online references.

61200.jpg (3664 bytes) 1. Early Childhood, ( Roe) Anne Roe, The Psychology of Occupations

This theory states that how the original family behaved toward the child (warm or cold) is directly related to how a person chooses a career either person or non-person directed. Such careers as astronomy, engineering, and accounting would be classified as non person directed careers.

60000.jpg (4931 bytes) 2. Self-Concept Donald E. Super, Career Development: Self-Concept Theory. 1963

The self-concept theory hypothesizes how a person, consciously or unconsciously, defines oneself in terms of self-concept predisposes one to seek that type of career choice.

3. Personality (Holland) John L. Holland, Making Vocational Choices; A Theory of Careers, Englewood Cliffs, N. J: Prentice, Hall, 1973

I am Joe\Jane College!

What kind of person are you?

Personality theory classifies persons into types: The basic assumption is that people select a career similar to their type of personality fit. (Resource "Self-Directed Search "(SDS) Specimen Set, John L. Holland)

Realistic

Social

Conventional

Enterprising

Artistic

4. Chance (Fate) Jack Rettig, Careers, Belmont, California: Fearon & Janus Quercus, 1986 p.4

Many people believe that they have selected their career in a random manner. Much as winning the lottery they believe that had little to say about their career choice. Others think their fate is cast in the stars.

5. Complicated (Ginzberg) Eli Ginzberg and others, Occupational Choice: An approach to a General Theory, New York: Columbia University Press, 1951

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This theory is classified into three stages:

Choices take place over a 8 to 10 year period. A fantasy stage occurs between years 10-12. A tentative period occurs between 12-17. A realistic period occurs between 17-20.

2. During these periods a person makes a series of decisions that gradually reduce the number of choices left.

3. Every choice ends up being a compromise.

What is your favorite theory of how people choose their occupations? Explain your reasoning and which theory best seems to explain your career choice up to the present time?

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