McPhail Running head: JIST: Job Information Seeking and Training JIST: Job Information Seeking and Training A Research Paper Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Addiction & Rehabilitation Studies East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree in Clinical Counseling by Darcy McPhail March 2019 1 McPhail 2 The Job Information Seeking and Training instrument was one of the more intricate approach within career counseling assessments that we have done thus far, in my opinion. For this assignment I selected the O*NET Career Interest Inventory assessment. According to the U.S. Department of Labor and the O*NET Career Interest Inventory and O*NET Career Values Inventory Administrator’s Guide (2012), these inventories, “help people identify their work interests or values and then use this information to explore career, learning, and lifestyle alternatives. This tool can allow clients to detect the most applicable occupation or job tasks that accurately complement their preferred interests (O*NET Resource Center, 2019). I see a lot of value in the O*NET Career Interest Inventory because I believe that your personal preferences and interests play a huge role in career satisfaction and success. The Career Interest Inventory assessment is composed of 5 sections, made up of 180 items and each of the items are an example of a work activity. For every work activity there are three options to choose from to answer: Like, Unsure, Dislike. The capacity of this assessment entices its test takers to think more in depth about their occupational interests and what they would enjoy doing. The minimal answer choices allow the test taker to not feel like they are making the wrong choice or overwhelmed. “Results are totaled in six dimensions corresponding to the six interest areas of the Holland scale: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional” (U.S. DOL, 2012). Counselors should be mindful when administering the test. It is also important they keep in mind that results can likely be skewed, considering reliability, validity and clients personality factors. The assessment has shown satisfactory levels of reliability substantial validity, but there is always a chance of inaccuracy. “From a multicultural standpoint, Holland’s theory of vocational choice misses the link to the cultural context of clients’ lives” (Busacca & Rehfuss, 2016). Being culturally competent allows counselors to meet the needs of McPhail 3 their diverse clients because they are mindful of adjustments that are needed when using career assessments and practicing traditional theories (Busacca & Rehfuss, 2016). Counselors administering the O*NET Career Interest Inventory test must be committed to knowing their client, their personality and their sensitivities, as well as being knowledgeable of the test and how to administer it. This specific assessment is computer based, as these types of tests are known for flexibility in administration, they also can be difficult and challenging to clients, thus affecting performance. Computer anxiety is a main concern, this is common in clients who are from a lower socioeconomic upbringing, elderly clients, as well as those who are female (Hays, 2017). This assessment is lengthy, taking about 30 minutes on average but as an administer there should be no pressure on the client to finish within that time frame. Within the administering process, it is imperative to be aware of clients’ willingness to complete the assessment. To ensure accurate test results counselors must show positivity and encouragement, assuring the test taker that the assessment results will be beneficial. Likewise, a comfortable and relaxing testing environment should be provided (Hays, 2012). Being a computer-based test, scores are produced immediately. Counselors should use these results as they see fit since assessment tools and inventories can produce erroneous and/or universal results. So before giving any career guidance they take their clinical opinion, experience and knowledge of client’s individualism into consideration. In addition, counselors need to understand and maintain their knowledge regarding employment and market trends (Marini & Stebnicki, 2016). The combination of these methods ensures the most accurate results, making for productive interventions and success. The Career Interest Inventory is the type of assessment for clients who are completely unsure of their career path or who know what they want to do and are just curious to see what other McPhail 4 occupations their interests could fit in. “These assessments are useful to anyone involved in career exploration, including students deciding on a career or educational direction, unemployed adults identifying alternative job objectives, and individuals in the middle of a career transition” (U.S. DOL, 2012). I would not recommend someone to take this who is already comfortable or happy with their current career/career goals. From start to finish, I found the whole process extensive and in-depth. Personally, it was too time consuming for me. That does not reflect negatively of the test, it just raises awareness to specific administration. My results were very accurate and spot on. I scored highest in the Social interest area with a score of 13, I also scored a 12 in the Investigative area. The jobs corresponding to the social interest area are exactly what I hope to do, some include: Mental Health Counselors, Counseling Psychologist and Rehabilitation Counselor. In the future I predict career and vocational counselors will only grow in number, become a common profession, and with further research, become more effective as well as accurate in treatment. This particular assessment can be very useful when applied in the right setting. Use of it in my future practice it highly like, as I already am partial to it and in time it will improve in usefulness and accuracy. McPhail 5 References U.S. Department of Labor. (2012). O*NET Career Interest Inventory and O*NET Career Values Inventory Administrator’s Guide. Retrieved from https://jist.com/wpcontent/uploads/2016/05/onet-admin-guide.pdf Busacca, L. A., & Rehfuss, M. C. (Eds.). (2016). Postmodern career counseling: A handbook of culture, context, and cases. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com Hays, D. G. (2017). Assessment in counseling: Procedures and practices (6th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Marini, I., & Stebnicki, M. A. (2016). The professional counselors desk reference (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, LLC. (Marini & Stebnicki, 2016) refereed source O*NET Resource Center. (2019, March 5). O*NET® Interest Profiler™. Retrieved March 25, 2019, from https://www.onetcenter.org/IP.html#overview McPhail Appendix Figure 1. JIST Test Results. 6
