Connecting Theory and Practice: Using Interests in Career and Educational Decision Making

Dr. Janet WallCEUonestop.com

Goals for Today• Discuss concept of career development theory• Focus in on one theory – Holland and Interests• Describe the theory and its components• Show applications of the theory

Benefits of Career Development Theories• Model or framework to help explain things

• Career choice and change

• Predict future events• Such as job satisfaction

• Can be verified or modified with research and experience• Serve as guidelines for practice, tools, and techniques

• Selecting education and training• Identifying career pathways

General Model

Person Characteristics

Environment Characteristics

Abilities and Skills

Primary Interests

Values

Styles/Personality

Beliefs

Ability Requirements

Interests Satisfied

Values Supported

Work Styles

Barriers

Dependable Strengths?

5

Fit Into Compatible Environment

Nice try!

Today’s Focus = Interests

John Holland – Vocational Personality Theory

Basic Tenets of Holland’s Theory• Each individual can be described as a combination of one or

more of six “types”• Environments can be described as a combination of one or

more of six “types”• Individuals seek environments which have the same or similar

type as theirs

Kinds of Environments• School Subjects/Courses• Friends• Majors• Career Paths• Education and Training• Hobbies and Other Out-of-School Activities• Decisions• Occupations• Jobs

Basic Tenets of Holland’s Theory• Having a match between a person and their environment

predicts satisfaction, longevity, and contribution

Realistic

Investigative

Artistic

Social

Enterprising

Conventional

RIASEC

Holland’s Six Types - Realistic

• Realistic - work with hands, tools, equipment, animals; see tangible results; prefer to work alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5ctuFH9PsE

Holland’s Six Types - Investigative• Investigative - work with science, math, abstract thinking,

ideas; prefer to work alone; problem solvers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp-xehRQSGQ

Holland’s Six Types - Artistic

• Artistic - work with art, music, words to express self creatively; like to entertain; don’t like rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5DWQ3nbJTg

Holland’s Six Types - Social• Social - work face-to-face with people to help, teach,

counsel; high value on verbal skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyHcLsLvTTQ

Holland’s Six Types - Enterprising• Enterprising - work face-to-face with people to sell,

lead, manage; high value on influencing others; take risks to make money; influence people toward goals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRUyjVcDRAY

Holland’s Six Types - Conventional

• Conventional - work with data, numbers, records, to keep them orderly; follows rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENngVDNtm6Qhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To8UOklCooU

Career Video Resources

• http://www.careeronestop.org/Videos/CareerandClusterVideos/career-and-cluster-videos.aspx• www.jobsmadereal.com• www.youtube.com

What are Your Interest Areas?

Personal Codes• An individual’s Holland code is usually expressed as a two

or three-letter code obtained from an interest inventory• Ties are possible

Holland’s Hexagon

Three Important Concepts

•Consistency

•Differentiation

•Congruence

Consistency

•Consistency – the relationship of the first two letters of a Holland code as indicated by the hexagon

Differentiation

•Differentiation – the numerical difference among the six scores of a profile; degree of difference of the results• Most of us have peaks and valleys.• Things were are most and least interested in

Differentiated Profile

Undifferentiated High Profile

Undifferentiated Low Profile

Our Job in Education• Give as many opportunities and experiences as we can.• Interests often don’t get solidified until high school and

young adult.• One interest inventory is just a snapshot – give every year

or two to see if there are changes.

Congruence

•Congruence – the degree of “fit” between a person’s code and an environment

Applications of Holland’s Theory• learn about the interests of individuals• understand why people are satisfied or dissatisfied in their

work• assist individuals to choose majors, career pathways,

courses of study, school courses, and leisure activities• organize high school curriculum or college majors

Applications of Holland’s Theory• organize career information, job shadowing, and career days• provide the structure for career guidance services• help place individuals in course of study• assist individuals to find jobs/careers in which their interests

can be used

How to Match with Occupations and Jobs

http://www.onetonline.org

http://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip

Activities to Help Understand Interests Better

• Art• English• History• Current Events• Cinema• And More……

Ideas from Wall, J. E. (2005). What Do I Like to Do?: 101 Activities to Identify Interests and Plan Careers, Austin, TX: ProEd, Inc.

Oscar Nominees 2014

American HustleCaptain PhillipsDallas Buyers ClubGravityHerNebraskaPhilomena12 Years a Slave The Wolf of Wall Street

Maryland County Hospital

You are the HR Supervisor of a new hospital that will be opening in 4 months. It is your job to fully staff this hospital with the people needed to operate and serve its patients on opening day.

List 20 occupations needed and the primary interest code for each.

From: Wall, J. E., What Do I Like to Do: 101 Activities to Identify Interests and Plan Careers. Published by ProEd, Inc. www.proedinc.com. Order Number 10939. 800-897-3202 ©ProEdInc, 2005

Abilities

Experiences

Skills

DependableStrengths

Values/ Attitudes

Personality

Interests

Whole Person View