A cognitive Information Processing (CIP) Approach to Career and Life

Planning

Catherine Hughes, PhD

Career Counsellor, St Patrick’s College

Founder and Author, Grow Careers

Aims of the Workshop

This workshop aims to:

• Introduce the cognitive information processing (CIP) approach to career problem and solving and decision making.

• Apply the CIP career problem solving and decision making model to typical student career problems.

• Demonstrate matrices to assist students working through the CIP model.

• Align the Career and life Planning course to steps associated with the CIP model.

What TASC Career and Life Planning Teachers Need to Know

What is the Cognitive Information Processing Approach?

Concerned with:

• The knowledge base required for effective career problem-solving and decision-making.

• Information processing skills that facilitate the transformation of self knowledge and options knowledge into meaningful and satisfying career decisions throughout life.

TASC Career and Life Planning is also concerned

about these.

CIP Aims = Career and Life Planning Aims

“Give people a fish and they eat for a day, but teach them how to fish and they eat for a

lifetime.”

CIP and TASC Career and Life Planning help individuals make an appropriate current career

choice and, while doing so, learn improved problem solving and decision making skills that

they will need for a life time of career transitions.

CIP and Career & Life Planning Develop Career Adaptability and Career Self-Management Skills

Career adaptability refers to internal self-regulation strengths that help individuals cope with current and anticipated career development tasks and transitions.

Career adaptability dimensions:

• Concern – looking ahead and planning for one’s future career

• Control – preparing for and making career-related decisions

• Curiosity – exploring possible selves and future scenarios

• Confidence – building confidence in being able to implement and pursue one’s learning, work and life preferences.

These qualities and strengths, developed through Career and Life Planning, help individuals to manage career transitions throughout

life.

School students who look ahead and plan for

their future, who prepare for, and are capable

of making the career-related decisions required

of them, who look around and explore self and

future life, learning and work scenarios and

who feel confident in being able to implement

their preferences have the inner resources to

respond to current career choices and future

planned and unexpected career transitions.

What TASC Career and Life Planning Teachers and Students

Need to Know

Why is Career and Life Planning Important?

Each year students make career-related decisions:

• What subjects should I study next year?

• What co-curricular or extra-curricular activities should I sign up for?

• Should I get a part-time job?

• What apprenticeship should I aim for?

• What post-school courses should I apply for?

• What education institution should I apply for?

With 17 jobs across 5 career fields over the lifetime to be expected for many of today’s young people (FYA, 2015), CIP and Career and Life Planning teach life skills!

CIP Basic Elements of Career Problem Solving and Decision Making

Knowing About Myself

Includes factors such as:

• Interests

• values

• Skills (e.g., job-specific, employability, relationships)

• Abilities (e.g., natural tendencies to do well in certain knowledge or skill areas)

• Identity

• employment preferences (e.g., outdoors, no weekend work, variety, etc.)

• Personal situation and context

• Chance factors (e.g., did better or worse in a subject than expected, unanticipated health issues).

Knowing About My Options

Includes factual information about: • Occupations• Education and training• Employment options • How the world of work is organised (e.g.,

RIASEC/other types, skill levels, etc.)• Labour markets• Changing ways of working – gig economy,

portfolio careers, contract work.• Effect of automation and globalization.• New ways of learning (e.g., MOOCs, online

learning.)

What to do with Self and Options Knowledge?

• Many career tools help students get self and options knowledge (e.g., Kuder, myfuture, Good Universities Guide, Job Outlook, Labour Market Information Portal, Good Careers Guide, Grow Careers to name a few.)

• Not many career tools guide individuals in how to process that information to make realistic and informed choices.

www.growcareers.com.au

CIP: Knowing How I Make Decisions

The model below is the same as the model in the Career and Life Planning course document.

The Decision Making Cycle:• Teaches students decision

making skills needed to adapt to multiple career transitions in a lifetime.

• Guides students in how to process self and options information to resolve gaps between where they are and where they want to be (i.e, career problems).

• Guides teachers in how to support students in career problem solving and decision making.

Knowing I need to make a choice

This knowledge can come from internal or external sources:Internal – feeling stressed, anxious, unwell, uneasy, or similar because of a gap between where you are and where you want to be, e.g.• “I wish I could make up my mind about the

out the type of apprenticeship I want.”

External – feeling stressed, anxious, unwell, uneasy, or similar because of the pressure from significant others, institutions and social expectations in relation to a gap, e.g.• “My parents keep hassling me about what I

am going to do after I leave school.”• “School expects me to choose next year’s

subjects in August this year.”• “I got two apprenticeship offers and I don’t

know which one to take.”• “I’m finishing Year 12 so I have to do

something next year but I don’t know what”.

Understanding myself and my options

InvolvesClarifying interests, abilities, values, preferences, contextual factors.

Gathering factual information about:• Occupations and how they are

organized (i.e., clusters, interest categories, levels)

• Courses and how they are organized (i.e., AQF), modes of delivery, institutions.

• Labour market.• Employment options – broad ranging,

from choosing between job offers to the changing world of work and new ways of working.

• The relationship between self and options.

Decision Making Matrix

Occupation Interests Skills Study Prefer-ences

Values LifeThemes

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Expanding and Narrowing My Options

Involves

• Maximize the number of potentially promising options that complement self knowledge (i.e., possible future selves) being considered to avoid missing promising alternatives.

• Narrow options to a shortlist of the best 3-5 –best fit with self information.

Decision Making MatrixOccupation Interests Skills Study Prefer-

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Vet Nurse

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Flight Attendant

FashionDesigner

Science Lab Technician

HistoryTeacher

FitnessInstructor

Decision Making MatrixOccupation Interests Skills Study Prefer-

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Vet Nurse ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 10

Enrolled Nurse

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 8

Flight Attendant

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 7

FashionDesigner

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 8

Science Lab Technician

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 5

HistoryTeacher

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 6

PersonalTrainer

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 9

Choosing

Involves

• Prioritizing the top 3-5 options, making a tentative choice with back-up options.

• May include further analysis of pros and cons with reference to factors such as:• personal circumstances • contextual information• labour market realities• new perspectives as a

result of work exposure

Prioritizing Top Occupations MatrixOccupation Relevant Courses Subjects Labour Market Info Personal

FactorsRank

CourseAchiev-ablefor me?

Pre-requisites orHelpful

Achiev-ablefor me?

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Vet Nurse Cert IV Vet Nursing

✓ Literacy & numeracy subjectsComputer skills

✓ ? ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 2

Personal Trainer

Cert III Fitness leading to Cert IV

✓ Literacy & numeracy subjectsBiology & Science

✓ ? ✓ ? ✓ ✓ 3

Enrolled Nurse Dip. Enrolled Nursing

✓ Literacy & numeracy subjectsHealth

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 2

FashionDesigner

Dip. Applied Fashion design

✓ Literacy & numeracy subjects

✓ ? ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 1

Implementing my choice

Involves

• Developing a transition plan with SMART goals and steps to transform the choice into action

• Identifying the action steps

• Taking the necessary actions, including using contemporary recruitment processes.

Knowing I made a good choice • Has the gap been removed? Is the

student where she/he want to be? E.g.:• Happy with chosen school subjects?• Accepted into preferred post-school

course?• Did the quality application aligned with

contemporary recruitment processes lead to apprenticeship in preferred field?

• If yes, then all is well for the present, if not then the cycle is revisited and the process continues.

• Elements of the cycle may be revisited during the process, as more self or options knowledge is acquired or as circumstances change or chance factors occur. E.g.:• Wanted to study medicine, but did not

pass Physical Sciences 3 in Year 11.• Unsuccessful apprenticeship interview.

Metacognition

All the while throughout the information gathering and decision making cycle, studentsneed to monitor their progress:

• Motivating themselves to engage in career problem solving and decision making.

• Awareness of where they are at and what to do next.

• Monitoring whether they have enough information to progress to the next step.

• Motivating themselves to take the action steps to transform their decision into action.

For Teachers

The relationship between TASC Career and Life Planning Course

Document and the Career Decision Making Cycle

- See handout

Career and Life Planning Scope and Sequence – Section A

Knowing I need to make a choice: • What do I want to do with myfuture?• Understanding the career and life

journeyUnderstanding myself and my options: • My identity• Respectful relationships• Enterprise and the changing worldExpanding and Narrowing my Options:• What do I want to do with my future?• Choosing an occupation or course • What do I want to do with myfutureImplementing My Choice• What do I want to do with my futureKnowing I made a good choice• What do I want to do with my future

Transforming Theory into PracticeCase Studies

ACELL Research

Greg Souvan, PhD candidateSupervisor: Assoc. Prof. Peter McIlveen

Study:

School Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Career Development Learning and Teaching

http://www.createsurvey.com/s/lFjVMl

Amelia, Year 12As a result of Career and Life Planning Amelia prioritized her career preferences:1. Hairdressing apprenticeship 2. Salon Assistant traineeship3. Retail Make-up Sales Consultant4. Wedding Coordinator. She was very happy with these choices and was preparing to make approaches to salons in the hope of getting work experience to show her interest in hairdressing and hopefully be offered an apprenticeship. Her school careers service advertised a Florist apprenticeship very close to Amelia’s home. Amelia had never thought of becoming a Florist, but she thought it might be interesting. She has asked you, her Career and Life Planning teacher for advice.

Apply the career decision making cycle to Amelia’s situation.

Caleb, Year 12

• Caleb’s dream is to get into the Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne (ATAR 96.8) and then to follow up with the Doctor of Physiotherapy.

• Failing this, his next option is going to LaTrobe University and studying a Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Physiotherapy Practice (ATAR 95.5).

• All was going to plan until Caleb failed his mid-year MathsMethods exam. A pass in this subject appears to be unlikely and Caleb thinks an ATAR of about 80 is fairly realistic.

• A disappointed Caleb came to you because he doesn’t know what to do. He had his heart set on physiotherapy and is worried he won’t fulfill his dreams.

Shani, Year 11

Shani’s work exposure for Career and Life Planning involved two lots of work experience to explore the occupation of Diesel Mechanic. Through social media the year she kept in contact with her work experience supervisors during the year.

Shani attended Rotary Employment Day where she had interviews with three local employers of Diesel Mechanic apprentices. As soon as they were advertised on Seek, Shani applied for Diesel Mechanic apprenticeships with William Adams, Komatsu and Hitachi Construction Machinery (taking note of the contemporary recruitment information she gained from Career andLi fePlanning). She was thrilled when she was selected for aptitude testing for all three companies and subsequently for an interview with each company.

Shani was so excited to receive apprenticeship offers from Komatsu and Hitachi Construction Machinery. She couldn’t decide which offer to acceptand has asked for advice from you, her Career and Life Planning Teacher.

Apply the career decision making cycle to Shani’s situation.