By Master Precious and Pipeloluwa Odunfa
Vocational development does not take place in one “snap shot” moment but involves series of decisions that occur at different development stages.
Self-concept plays a prominent role in understanding the stages of vocational development. Self Concept is generally thought of as the child’s perceptions of his or her behaviours, abilities, and unique characteristics; a mental picture of who he or she is. The decision people make about what to do must be congruent with their self-concept. The five stages of vocational development are discussed below. The implications for counselling are also highlighted.
- The growth stage (0-14 years)
This stage begins from (0-14 years). It is during this stage that the individual develops self-concept. This is by interacting and identifying with family members, friends, peer group members and even teachers. This interaction with people helps them to form opinion about people. They also imitate those they see. This is why adults need to be careful so that they do not serve as bad models to these young ones especially as it relates to their daily work or vocation.
The substages of the growth stage are
- Prevocational (birth to 3). There is no interest or concern with vocations or vocational choice.
- Fantasy (4 -10). The needs are dominant and role playing is important.
- Interest (11-12). Vocational thoughts are based on the individual’s likes or dislikes
- Capacity (13-14). More weight is given to abilities and jobs requirements are considered
- The exploration stage (15-24 years)
This period covers roughly between 15and 24 years. The individuals explore different occupational alternatives, they match this alternative with the knowledge he has acquired about various occupations. Because the individuals at this stage are adolescents and young adults, they make some tentative choices because they are not really sure of what they want to do for a living, but they just speculate just as they get more information about careers. Towards the end of this stage, most of them try their hands on a beginning job to see what it looks like. It may be or may not be in congruence with their self-concept.
Sub stages of the explorational stage are:
- Tentative (15-17). Needs, interests, capacities, values and opportunities become bases for tentative occupational decisions.
- Transition (18-21). Reality considerations become a basis for vocational thought.
- Trial (22-24). Individuals enter the first trial job making an initial vocational commitment.
- Establishment stage (24-48 years)
This stage begins roughly from 24-44 years. This stage is the most important of all stages because the individual is at his prime age, full of dreams and ideas, visions and strength. It is the most productive of all ages. At the beginning of this stage, the individual searches for a job gets it and engages himself in activities that help him or her to earn a living. If the choice is done properly taking into consideration his self-concept, he may decide to build a career from it and stabilizes in the job. This stage has two sub stages that is, the trial and stabilization stages. All these sub stages have counselling implications. Whether the occupation chosen is suitable, if not, he keeps looking for a job that will satisfy his needs.
Also, between 36 and 40 years, the person goes through stabilization sub stage. Maybe at the trial state, the person might get some goals which he may want to achieve during the stabilization stage. He is stable in the job and enjoys series of upliftment in the job. If these stages are not managed properly, the person may become dissatisfied and disillusioned about life generally. Also, the individuals at this stage may face mid-career crisis, where they evaluate their dreams, goals, vision for what they want in life. If the most experiences are dominated with uncertainty, failure and disappointment, the person might not be a successful and fulfilled person. Some of such problems may have its foundation in the growth stage where the self-concept about a vocation is not crystallized concretely.
Sub-stages of the establishment stage are:
- Trial (25-30). Occupational changes take place due to unsatisfactory choices at this period.
- Stabilization (31-44). This is a period of stable work given in an occupational field
Hollands theory of vocational choice
Holland’s (1959) theory of vocational choice emphasizes the crucial importance of human needs and personality types in career fitness. The main assumption about this theory is the vocational choice is a manifestation of personality type which suggests that individuals in a particular occupation have fairly similar needs, personality characteristics and historical background. Holland also opined that by choosing a particular occupation, an individual projects onto one of the titles he preferred (life style) as a result of his view and the view of the world of work. Everyone is therefore required to adjust to each of the environments and develop certain skills with reference to the work setting. The congruence between at individual’s personality and the environment in which he works then becomes a determinant of vocational satisfaction, stability and achievement.
Based on all these assumption therefore, Holland formulated a series of occupational classification comprising six occupational environments. Every individual belongs to either one or a combination of these six occupational classifications otherwise known as personality traits.
1. The Realistic Personality (Psychomotor)
The individual is physically strong, unsociable, aggressive, lacks verbal and interpersonal skills and also likes concrete activities. He also avoids occupation involving excessive ideas in words. For him, action speaks louder than words. Realistic individuals are most often pragmatic in orientation and often prefer occupations involving practical manipulation of things, tools and instruments. People in this group prefer occupations such as airplane engineer, construction inspector electrician, filling station attendant, locomotive engineer, plumbing, farming, driving heavy lorries, surveying, typing, machine operator, loading and off-loading of timber, carpentry, mason, watch or clock repairing, motor mechanic, etc.
2. Investigative Personality (Investigative)
The personality prefers to think rather than to act. He has unconventional values and aptitudes and avoids close interpersonal relations (unsociable). He also prefers to organize and understand situation rather than to persuade and dominate others. This individual is also very investigative and depends on intensive cognitive processes for occupational choice. These people include aeronautical design engineers, anthropologists, biologists, editors of a scientific journals, writers of technical articles, university professors, the chemists, physicists, pilots, police, criminal investigation department, court judges, etc.
3. Social Personality (Supportive)
These are very sociable individuals who give attention to people and also need love
and attention from others. Social people seek close interpersonal situations and are skilled in their interpersonal relations. They also avoid situation where they might be requested to engage in individual problem-solving. They like occupation that deals with people but avoid the one that involves extensive physical activities. Some of these are teachers, Counsellors, speech therapists, musicians, priests, proprietors of hairdressing saloons, salesmen psychologists, etc.
4. Conventional Personality (Conforming)
These personalities prefer occupation with routine environments, that is, obeying the rules and regulations of work processes. They admire those with power and status and try to identify with them. In fact, they like structured work environment. These kind of people prefer work such as pay roll clerks, receptionists, company or public secretaries, book-keeping, budget reviewing, court stenographers, tax experts, traffic managers, soldiers, police men. traffic wardens, various administrative staff in the civil service and so on.
5. The Enterprising Personality (Persuasive)
This individual possesses very high verbal skills for selling, dominating and manipulating other people and being at the centre of attention for other people. In fact, he is ambitious, sociable, optimistic. domineering, and above all, interested in occupying position of power and high status. His vocational preferences include business, buyer, hotel manager, economist, contractor, insurance agent advertising salesman, land agent, banker, politician, business executive, officers in diplomatic mission, master of ceremonies, sports promoters, television producers, etc.
6. The Artistic Personality (Aesthetic)
The artistic people manifest strong self-expression and relations with others. They dislike structure and enjoy interpersonal interaction. They also like occupation involving fashions and modeling. Examples of such people include the cartoonists, interior decorators, authors, composer, architects, painters, musicians, poets, playwright, stage directors, music teachers, fashion-designers, photographers etc.
From the foregoing, we can see that Holland’s theory is based on some assumptions regarding personality types, their determination and relation to various outcomes and vocational choices. He then summarized these assumptions by saying people search for environments and vocations that will permit them to exercise their skills and abilities, express their attitudes and values, take on agreeable problems and roles, and to avoid disagreeable ones. An individual who approaches a work environment that is incompatible to his personal resources is therefore likely to fail and get frustrated.
IMPLICATIONS OF HOLLAND’S THEORY FOR COUNSELLING
Since the major criticism of Holland’s theory is its failure to adequately explain the manner in which the individual is shaped to conform to a particular occupational choice, the task facing the counselor then is how to assess the personality and need of the counselee. The vocational counsellors will therefore make the client to:
- Understand clearly the kind of a person he is and the kind of pressures and expectation associated with a variety of work environment
2. Explore his own personality characteristics such as interiors, imaginations, competence, experiences, and their overall suitability for various kinds of occupations requiring different skills. The use of personality and interest inventories such as Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) by Holland’s, Self-Directed Search (SDS) Vocational Interest Inventory (VII), Motivation for Occupational Preference Scale (MOPS) and Occupational Perception Questioner (OPQ), are therefore necessary in the vocational decision making process in schools’ counseling. These tests are also useful to counselors in diagnosing the underlying factors contributing to vocational indecision or decision.
3. Utilize these identified personality characteristics to choose an occupation or a job environment he will derive success and optimum satisfaction.
TYPES OF INFORMATION NEEDED FOR CAREER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
The essence in providing adequate information to students for proper career planning and development cannot be overemphasized. This is so important because of the numerous problems faced by the youths of today. One of the problems of the youths has been traced to lack of proper career guidance and counseling. This has had untold consequences on the development of the adolescents and youths. In order to address this problem, it is expedient that these individuals be given adequate career information that would help them plan their Iives.
Any endeavor embarked upon without proper and adequate planning may not succeed. If it does, there may be obvious problems later. Therefore, the students need to consider the following points before choosing a career later in life:
- Personality Make-up
Any person seeking to choose a vocation must ask himself this question. Who am I? What do I want in life? Am I by nature a lazy person? Hardworking?, An introvert or extrovert? Do I like indoor activities or outdoor activities? How will my personality fit into the job I am aspiring to take? Answers to these questions will help the person plan adequately and choose a vocation that is in congruence with his personality.
- Interest
This is paying personal attention to something, for example the type of job somebody is interested in doing. It is obvious that whatever one has interest in, one will do it very well. Interest counts a lot when going for a particular Job because it is assumed such a person will be able to perform to his satisfaction and contribute to the society he or she lives in. The client should guard against negative peer group and parental influences affecting the interest of career of the client. So, they need to be educated so as to choose vocation that they have interest in.
- The student need to be educated
Academic ability counts in choosing a vocation. This is because some vocation needs highly intelligent persons while some do not need such requirement. The student should know his academic ability so as to help him make wise decision.
SPECIFIC INFORMATION NEEDED
In planning for career, the student needs to know that educational qualification counts. Employers may require specific educational qualifications, skills and years of experience before getting a job. The population in the country is on the increase more than those looking for what to do. Due to this reason, employers of labour device means of screening potential workers and take the best. That is why devices such as interview and test taking may be used when selecting candidates for employment. Some vocations may need only secondary school certificate while others may require degree and postgraduate degrees.
NATURE OF JOB
Any career planning must make concerted effort to explain to students the nature of jobs. This involves telling them about the description of the Job, schedule of work, hours to be spent doing a job and tools to use. You may need to know whether the job is a seasonal or permanent job. For instance, a student who is aspiring to take to teaching may need to know that, he is expected to do extensive reading and research to acquire the information needed to plan his lesson note as well as, write his lecture notes. He is also to use teaching aids, provided or improvised. The job itself involves actual teaching, imparting knowledge, hours of standing while teaching, marking examination and continuous assessment scripts, and preparing results.
JOB PROSPECTS AND ADVANCEMENT
Any planning about job must furnish students with information about prospects and advancement about the job. The students need to know and ask questions such as, how many years do I need to work before getting promotion and what do I need to do on the job to get promotion? Is it based on mere hard work as ascertained by his boss or superior? Or through publication of papers, attending interview or examination? Do I need to go for further studies? Or additional qualification not withstanding?
SALARY AND OTHER BENEFITS
Studies have shown that one of the motivating factors for choosing a job is the economic benefit attached to that job. In as much as economic reasons should not be the only determining factor, salaries and other benefits are very important factors to consider. This is because the amount one collects determines the type of life style to adopt, house to live in, what to eat and wear, health needs and social recreation facilities to engage in. The students also need to know whether the job is a daily paid, monthly paid or if other allowances are paid such as house, transportation, hazard, utility, medical, children’s education allowances, etc
JOB HAZARDS
The students should know that there is no job that does not have its hazards. Job hazard may be described as any danger, difficulties or harassment faced by a worker that is threatening to the person’s life. This could include death, diseases, accidents that could cause deformity, jail terms etc. For instance, in medical profession doctors or medical practitioners could be infected, especially when carrying out an operation or simply coming in contact with a sick person. Long hours of work may result to occupational stress, which may lead to other serious diseases. Also, a lawyer may be attacked by a losing opponent or be involved in an accident while trying to get information about a case. A factory worker may get his fingers cut off accidentally while working or may develop pains on the arms or legs having to stand or sit for too long a time, while a farmer may be bitten by a snake while farming. Giving the students all these useful information will make them choose wisely what they want to do later in life.
