Interests Me! Career Possibilities

Stories of LearningTLG Presentation

May 17, 2011

Learning Context

Learning Objectives

Evaluation of Data

Engaging Student Learning

Undeclared students who participate in the Winter “Identifying Interests” Workshops (based on John Holland’s theory of career choice) will be able to:• Identify their top three Holland General Occupation Themes (GOTs),• Describe how these reflect their personal and career interests with a high degree of

confidence as demonstrated by their reflection essay assignment.

Undeclared majors are given a deadline to declare a major. A partnership with the Career Center and SSEP evolved to pool together both parties’ expertise in the major/career exploration process. The Major and Career Exploration (MCE) workshops were created to assist students in conducting the research about careers and majors that will ultimately lead to making an informed decision.

Holland’s General Occupation Themes (GOTs) has proven successful in facilitating career decisions for over 40 years by identifying individual’s interests. Our goal was to learn whether the workshop content, structure, and format was succeeding in getting students to identify their major choice with a high degree of confidence. The essay forces students to stimulate their decision-making process and intellectually sort out what is best for them based on their interests.

45% Online Resources40% MCE Workshops64% Other

Identifying Majors Using John Holland’s General Occupation

Themes

Other Factors Contributing

to Career/Major Decision:

Career Center and Student Support & Equity Programs

Students participated in 50-minute interactive workshop presentation;• Students self-assessed their interests and identified their top three out of

six GOTs (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional ),

• Students engaged in an interactive exercise and identified career options vis-à-vis interest codes,

• Career Counselors and SSEP Advisors facilitated group dialogue about what student’s learned,

• Students were assigned a reflection essay. Implications for Practice

Results of the project will assist in revising and improving the workshop for the future. Additionally, SSEP Advisors will be able to gain more knowledge and understanding of their students’ respective interests and motivation for choosing majors which results in more effective advising towards selecting a major.

55 Students participated in the workshops

42 Essays were received and read 76% Return rate

Student Comments:“Overall, all my career exploration seminars have been very helpful because I feel like I

am getting closer and closer to declaring my major.”“This seminar opened my eyes. I learned a career decision will forever effect my life.”“[This workshop] helped narrow the gap of confusion for me.”

Chart1

High

Moderate

Low

Student's Degree of Ability to Connect to Career/Major Decision

Students Degree of Ability to Connect to Career/Major Decision

60%

26%

14%

40

17

9

Sheet1

Student's Degree of Ability to Connect to Career/Major Decision

High40

Moderate17

Low9

To resize chart data range, drag lower right corner of range.

Chart1

3 Codes

2 Codes

None

% of Student Who Identified their GOTs

% of Students Who Identified their GOTs

95%

40

1

1

Sheet1

% of Student Who Identified their GOTsSeries 2Series 3

3 Codes402.42

2 Codes14.42

None11.83

2.85

To resize chart data range, drag lower right corner of range.

Learning Context

Career Center and Student Support & Equity Programs

Theory of Vocational Development

“the development and implementation of a self-

concept is the central aspect of the process of vocational

development” (Sharf R. S., 2006).

Learning Context

Career Center and Student Support & Equity Programs

Goals for Today:

Interests Workshop

Identify top 3

Interests

Connect “Interests” to Careers

Learning Objectives

Career Center and Student Support & Equity Programs

Goals for Today:Learning Objectives

Career Center and Student Support & Equity Programs

55 Students participated in the workshops

42 Essays were received

and read76% Return

rate

Career Center and Student Support & Equity Programs

Outcomes

60%26%

14%

Students Degree of Ability to Connect to Career/Major Decision

High Moderate Low

95%

3%2%

% of Students Who Identified their GOTs

3 Codes 2 Codes None

Outcomes

60%26%

14%

Students Degree of Ability to Connect to Career/Major Decision

High Moderate Low

95%

3%2%

% of Students Who Identified their GOTs

3 Codes 2 Codes None

“Overall, all my career exploration seminars have been very helpful because

I feel like I am getting closer and closer to

declaring my major.”

“[This workshop] helped narrow the gap of confusion

for me.”

“This seminar opened my eyes. I learned a career

decision will forever effect my life.”

Career Center and Student Support & Equity Programs

• Revise and Improve future workshops• SSEP Advisors will gain more knowledge and understanding of their students’ respective

interests and motivation for choosing majors

• Results in more effective advising towards helping students select a major/career.

uestions?

Interests Me! Career Possibilities �� ��Stories of Learning�TLG Presentation�May 17, 2011Slide Number 2Slide Number 3Slide Number 4Goals for Today:Goals for Today:Slide Number 7Slide Number 8Slide Number 9uestions?