UNIVERSIDAD DE STA 

ISABEL S​ enior High School   

CAREER  
LEARNING MODULE 8 
Personal
Development
 NAME: 
Module 8 

Career

INTRODUCTION  
People have different goals in life, and career is considered as one of the most important
part of one’s life. Some may want to be a teacher while some may want to pursue business.
There are lots of preparation to achieve a career such as education, trainings, seminar, and
enhancement of one’s skill and interest. But nowadays, some people are still confused on the
path that they would take. They are stuck between pursuing what they want or what the world
wanted for them. While others, still have no idea of what they wanted to do. This module is all
about career, career development theories and the factors that affect one's career choice.

LEARNING GOALS  
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Explain that understanding different factors, career development concepts and
personal life goals influence career planning and decision-making.
2. Identify career options based on different factors, career development concepts and
personal life goals.
3. Explain the importance of personal development in making a career decision as an
adolescent.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE  

What is career?
 According to Mckay (2019), career may be defined in two ways. They may be related to
one another but there are substantial differences between the two. First, it is used as a
synonym for occupation and vocation. It refers to the part of life that is concerned with
employment or what people do to earn a living. The education, trainings and seminars are all
part of the preparation to attain careers such as doctor, engineer, carpenter and teacher.
Second, it is defined as a series of job or a career path. It is an individual’s progression through
a series of jobs over their lifetime which includes a person’s education and unpaid work
experiences such as internships and volunteer opportunities. It covers everything related to
career development including career choice and advancement.

Career Development Theories

Career Development is a “continuous lifelong process of developmental experiences that

focuses on seeking, obtaining and processing information about self, occupational and
educational alternatives, life styles and role options” (Hansen, 1976). It is the process through
which people come to understand them as they relate to the world of work and their role in it.

Career development theories:

1. Frank Parsons’ trait and factor theory

Trait and factor theory entails three actions. First, examine the personality traits of the
person whose career is being planned. Second, inventory the character traits of the job. Third,
measure the personality traits of the individual against the traits of the job.
The trait and factor theory is used in a number of aptitude tests,
including: ​∙ ​Interest-Kuder Career Search (KCS)
∙ ​Aptitude-Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT)
∙ ​General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB)
2. Holland theory of vocational types

The Holland theory of vocational types focuses on personality types as the main factor in
career choice and development. John L. Holland developed his theory on the idea that career
choice is based on personality. He believed that a person’s work satisfaction is linked to
similarities between their personality and job environment.

Holland’s theory has six personality types, sometimes call the Holland Codes or Holland
Occupational Themes:
 ∙ ​Realistic (R): ​Also called “Doers,” people in this type solve problems by taking action rather
than discussing it. Realistic types are interested in work that requires skill and strength.
Carpenters, chefs and personal trainers all fit into the realistic personality type.
∙ ​Investigative (I): ​Also called “Thinkers,” people in this type like to work with information.
Investigative types enjoy working by themselves rather than with a group. Actuaries,
lawyers and doctors all fit into the investigative personality type.
∙ ​Artistic (A): ​Also called “Creators,” people in this type are creative, inventive and typically
more emotionally aware than other Holland Types. Artistic types are independent but
enjoy working with other people. Graphic Designers, writers and musicians all fit in the
investigative personality type.
∙ ​Social (S): A
​ lso called “Helpers,” people in this type enjoy teaching or helping others. Social
types value working with others and creating relationships. Teachers, counselors and
human resource professionals all fit in the social personality type.
∙ ​Enterprising (E): A ​ lso called “Persuaders,” people in this type enjoy working with people
and information. Enterprising types of value status and security. Entrepreneurs,
stockbrokers and salespeople all fit in the enterprising personality type.
∙ ​Conventional (C): ​Also called “Organizers,” people in this type enjoy rules and regulations.
Like enterprising types, they put a value on status and money. However, they have a
dislike for unclear or unstructured work. COOs, personal financial planners and
economists fit in the conventional personality type.

3. Bandura’s social cognitive theory

Social cognitive theory, developed by Albert Bandura, is the idea that an individual’s
motives and behaviors are based on experience. These experiences can break into three main
categories:
∙ ​A person is influenced by self-efficacy, or what they believe they can achieve.
∙ ​A person is influenced by what they see other people achieve and the actions they
take.
∙ ​A person is influenced by factors around them that they cannot control.

In career development, social cognitive theory helps to explain how a person can set up
their career development plan for success. Through a positive view of their own abilities and
surrounding themselves with a positive network of mentors, a person has a better chance of
achieving their career goals.

The framework for this theory is called Bandura’s Triadic Reciprocal Model of Casualty.
This model says a person’s output is based on a mixture of:
 ∙ ​Personal characteristics
∙ ​Behaviors and actions they see from other people
∙ ​Outside factors

4. Super’s developmental self-concept theory

Donald Super built his developmental theory on the idea that your view of yourself
changes. Time and experience help shape the way a person values their career and the goals
they set. This theory defines a “career” as the entire lifetime of a person.

Super broke career development into five stages:

∙ ​Growth: ​This stage starts at birth and continues through age 14. A person develops
their sense of self and attitude toward work.
∙ ​Exploration​: This stage starts at age 15 and continues through age 25. A person tries
out different career paths through classes, hobbies and actual work.
∙ ​Establishment: ​This stage starts at age 25 and continues through age 44. A person
develops entry-level job skills and develops work experience.
∙ ​Maintenance: ​This stage starts at 45 and continues through age 64. A person changes
elements of their career to improve their position.
∙ ​Decline:​ This stage begins at age 65. A person reduces the amount of work they do and
prepares for retirement.

Super believed that people found career satisfaction based on their view of themselves
at each of these five stages of development. For example, a person may value a work-life
balance
more in their maintenance stage than they do in their establishment phase. The career can be
the same, but time and experience change how the person perceives their profession.

5. Roe’s personality theory

Anne Roe’s personality theory states that a person chooses their career based on their
interaction with their parents. Roe believed that the way a child interacts with their parents
would lead them to pursue either person-oriented or non-person-oriented jobs.
Person-oriented jobs have a high amount of interaction with other people.
Non-person-oriented jobs are more independent.
 Roe created several categories of careers that could be person-oriented or non-person
oriented based on the skill level of the job. Roe broke careers into eight categories: ​∙ ​Service
∙ ​Business Contact
∙ ​Organization
∙ ​Technology
∙ ​Outdoor
∙ ​Science
∙ ​General Culture
∙ ​Arts and Entertainment

Each of these categories, Roe stated, has six levels based on how much skill is required
for the job:
∙ ​Independent responsibility
∙ ​Less independence
∙ ​Moderate responsibility
∙ ​Training required
∙ ​Special training
∙ ​Follow basic instructions
An individual is then classified into the eight categories and six levels based on the
interaction they had with their parents as a child.
6. Krumboltz's theory

John Krumboltz's planned happenstance theory makes it OK to not always plan, because
unplanned events could lead to good careers.

John Krumboltz is an established career theorist. He most recently developed ideas

about supporting indecision in clients. He states that indecision is desirable and sensible, as it
allows the opportunity for clients to benefit from unplanned events. This theory is called
planned happenstance.

This emerging theory specifically addresses the need for people to deal with change
within the rapidly changing labour market. Managing life transitions is seen as an essential
career management skill. Krumboltz’s theory offers insight on how to deal with the limited
degree of control we have over some career experiences.

At the core of this theory is the fact that unpredictable social factors, chance events and
environmental factors are important influences on clients’ lives. As such, the counsellor’s role is
to help clients approach chance conditions and events positively. In particular, counsellors
foster in their clients:
∙ ​curiosity to explore learning opportunities
∙ ​persistence to deal with obstacles
∙ ​flexibility to address a variety of circumstances and events
∙ ​optimism to maximize benefits from unplanned events.

Krumboltz states that people with these qualities are more likely to capitalize on chance
events and turn serendipity into opportunity.

Furthermore, several factors have been highlighted as being helpful in career

management, including:
∙ ​the commitment to ongoing learning and skill development
∙ ​ongoing self-assessment
∙ ​assessment and feedback from others
∙ ​effective networking
∙ ​achieving work-life balance
∙ ​financial planning to incorporate periods of unemployment.

These attributes and tasks enable you to turn chance encounters and occurrences into
career opportunities.
Career development theory can help you gain a better understanding of yourself and
your career. Many people find a combination of several theories enables them to gain better
insight. While learning about these theories can help people begin to understand their interest
in a career path, a career counselor can more specifically guide you using tools and tests based
on these theories, as well as their own professional expertise.

References:
∙ ​Career development theory: definition and introduction. (2020). Retrieved from
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/career-development-theory ∙​
Krumboltz's theory. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.careers.govt.nz/resources/career
practice/career-theory-models/krumboltzs-theory/

What Factors Influence a Career Choice?

At the present time, most adolescents are still confused of their career path. They are
still uncertain about they want in the future and still have an unclear vision of what they want
to do. According to Melissa Venable, the following are the factors that affects one’s career
choice:

1. ​Childhood Fantasies.​ What do you want to be when you grow-up? You may remember this
question from your childhood, and it may have helped shape how you thought about
careers then, as well as later in life. Career counseling theories are expanding as programs
related to career choice are developed for all ages, including the very young. Ginzberg
proposed a theory that describes three life stages related to career development. The first
stage, fantasy, where early ideas about careers are formed, takes place up to age 14.

2. ​Culture ​– Racial and ethnic background, as well as the culture of an individual's regional area,
local community, and extended family, may impact career decisions. Our culture often
shapes our values and expectations as they relate to many parts of our lives, including jobs
and careers. Multicultural career counseling has emerged as a specialized field to take these
influences into consideration when counseling clients and students. We can’t attribute the
predominant characteristics of a culture to any one of its individuals, but having an
awareness of the values and expectations of our culture may help us understand how we
make our career choices.
3. ​Gender. ​Both men and women have experienced career-related stereotypes. Gender is a
factor included in multiple career development theories and approaches including, Social
Learning and multicultural career counseling. How we view ourselves as individuals may
influence both the opportunities and barriers we perceive as we make career decisions.
Studies of gender and career development are ongoing as roles of men and women in the
workforce, and in higher education, evolve.

4. ​Interests​. Holland's Career Typology is a widely used to connect personality types and career
fields. This theory establishes a classification system that matches personality characteristics
and personal preferences to job characteristics. The Holland Codes are six personality/career
types that help describe a wide range of occupations. You can find out your Holland Codes,
and receive a list of related occupations, by completing a questionnaire such as the one
provided by the U. S. Department of Labor's O*Net Interest Profiler.

5. ​Life Roles​. Being a worker is just one of your life roles, in addition to others such as, student,
parent, and child. Super's Lifespan theory directly addresses the fact that we each play
multiple roles in our lives and that these roles change over the course of our lives. How we
think about ourselves in these roles, their requirements of them, and the external forces
that affect them, may influence how we look at careers in general and how we make
choices for ourselves.

6. ​Personality Type. ​Understanding your Personality Type can assist your career development
 in a number of ways.
a. It can help you select a career field that is a good fit for your personality make-up. b.
It can increase your awareness of your learning style so you can better benefit from
career related education.
c. Understanding your personality preferences can help you better manage Job
Challenges that inevitably rise their ugly heads during the course of our career. d.
Knowing your Personality Type, and especially knowing the specific details of your
individual type can provide, will aid you in a job search, both in marketing yourself and
in evaluating opportunities that arise.

7. ​Previous Experiences.​ Krumboltz's Social Learning and Planned Happenstance theories

address factors related to our experiences with others and in previous work situations.
Having positive experiences and role models working in specific careers may influence the
set of careers we consider as options for ourselves. One aspect of Social Cognitive Career
Theory
addresses the fact that we are likely to consider continuing a particular task if we have had a
positive experience doing it. In this way, we focus on areas in which we have had proven
success and achieved positive self-esteem.

8. ​Skills, Abilities, & Talents.​ Considering your skills, abilities and talents and how they may fit a
particular occupation comes out of one of the earliest career development fields, Trait
Factor theories, and is still used today. These theories recommend creating occupational
profiles for specific jobs as well as identifying individual differences, matching individuals to
occupations based on these differences.

9. ​Social and Economic Conditions.​ All of our career choices take place within the context of
society and the economy. Several career theories, such as Social Cognitive Career Theory
and Social Learning, address this context in addition to other factors. Events that take place
in our lives may affect the choices available to us and even dictate our choices to a certain
degree. Changes in the economy and resulting job market may also affect how our careers
develop.

Note: Refer to your Personal Development textbook on pages 175-177 and 184-186 for other
factors that influence career choice.
 A
​ CTIVITY  
Accomplish a career test.
1. For online test, visit the link ​https://www.truity.com/test/career-personality-profiler-test
2. For offline test, answer the career test attached at the end of this module.

EVALUATION   

1. What is the difference between career and vocation?

2. Which career development theory/theories applies to you best? Explain your answer.

3. What factors influences your career choice?

4. How does understanding the concepts on career theories and the factors that influences
career choice helps you in determining your career path?
 5. How does personal development affects one’s career decision?

REFERENCES  

Santos, R.R. (2019). Persons and careers, and career pathways. ​Personal development ​(2nd ed.,
pp 168-178, 184-186).Manila, Philippines. Rex Book Store, Inc.
Phifer, P. (2003) ​College Majors and Careers, Fifth Edition​. New York, NY: Ferguson
Publication. Retrieved from
https://www.dbq.edu/CampusLife/OfficeofStudentLife/VocationalServices/WhatisaCar
e​ ​er/
Mckay, D.R., (2019). The two meanings of the word career. Retrieved from
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-a-career-525497
Venable, M. What factors influence a career choice. Retrieved from
https://osumarion.osu.edu/assets/marion/uploads/What_Factors_Influence_a_Career
_ Choice.pdf
Career personality profiler. (2020). Retrieved from
https://www.truity.com/test/career-personality-profiler-test
Which career pathway is right for you?: the RIASEC test. Retrieved from
http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/CTE/RIASEC.pd
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