Career Decision-Making

Difficulty Management

overview

Understanding Career Decision-Making Difficulty

Difficulties in career decision-making are a commonly seen issue for career counselors. Difficulties in career decision-making are a commonly seen issue for career counselors. Career decision-making difficulties encompass the career development process and career development outcomes. Struggles with decision-making tend to manifest as individual’s being undecided in terms of educational, occupational and career-related paths. More specifically, it can be viewed as the inability to make a decision regarding school or work when asked to, or expected to do so. Recently, career decision-making difficulties, also referred to as career indecision, have been regarded with more balance. Career indecision is neither positive nor negative, but a part of the career development process that people commonly experience. Contemporary views of career indecision are: it is a pause in the career development process; openness to alternative career options; an effort to be at ease with or adapt to uncertainty.

difficulty Management

Five Domains of Difficulties

Career indecision is of central importance to students, employees, career counselors and researchers. Having greater clarity of what constitutes career indecision and how to define and conceptualize it would help those seeking career fulfillment. Currently, an abundance of research exists on career indecision but much of it looks at career indecision from differing perspectives. Recently, much of the data and research on career indecision was combined to form The Integrated Five-Factor Model. Five domains of career indecision were identified: neuroticism/negative affectivity, choice/commitment anxiety, need for information, lack of readiness, and interpersonal conflicts.

Five Domains of Difficulties

General Factors

The first domain encompasses general factors, which means they apply to the individual’s overall well-being and functioning, rather than being specific to career decision-making.

Choice Anxiety

The second domain, which encompasses choice/commitment anxiety and anxiety, describes the anxiety arising in the process of committing to a single career choice.

Lack of Information

The third domain, which encompasses lack of information, describes the difficulty in collecting and processing self- and career-related information.

Lack of Readiness

The fourth domain, which encompasses lack of readiness, describes difficulty in initiating career decision-making and a tendency to disengage from the career decision-making process.

Interpersonal Conflicts

The fifth domain encompasses interpersonal conflicts and inconsistent information and describes the inhibitive interpersonal dynamic for career decision-making.

Coping Strategies

Focus on Patterns

General anxiety and low self-esteem can impact the decision-making process for a number of individuals. A coping strategy for this type of difficulty is to focus on the pervasive and persistent pattern of anxiety and low self-esteem, rather than focusing on issues specific to career decision-making. For example, anxiety and low self-esteem can manifest as perfectionism, obsession over the “best” or “right” choices, avoidance of making decisions altogether, or prematurely rejecting or foreclosing options. Focusing on treating the underlying anxieties and distorted view of self, allows for an improved psychological foundation and functioning from which more effective decision-making can arise.

Provide Information

For individuals who need more information prior to making a decision or as part of their decision making process, it is beneficial to clarify the type of information needed. In particular, clarifying if the person is interested in more information on self (such as their values, skills, interests, personality) or work (ideal environments; job options, skills needed, salary, etc.). Information giving and gathering has been shown to help reduce anxiety around decision-making. There are a number of resources that can be used in the process (e.g., O*NET OnLine). In the event that an individual may be gathering information even though they possess adequate information to make a decision, it may be beneficial to explore the psychological need, importance or sense of security/control the person feels in having information.

Learning Through Experience

Individuals experiencing lack of readiness in making a decision may be dealing with issues in self-efficacy. Self-efficacy refers to the belief in one’s ability to behave in a way that leads to a specific goal. It is believed that individuals, who feel a lack of readiness, may benefit from learning through experience. The interventions for this individual would involve deliberately reflecting on personal positive experiences in order to enhance their decision-making self-efficacy. Assistance towards building skills in planning, goal development and working towards goals will also be helpful. Underlying the lack of readiness may be maladaptive perfectionism and an avoidance of personal responsibility, which could be worked through within a counseling or therapy context.

Focus on Values

Lastly, interpersonal conflicts can play a role in difficulty with decision-making. Interpersonal conflicts can result from cultural, family and relational circumstances. It is not uncommon for individuals to have different needs or expectations from family, culture and community, but how they navigate those disagreements can result in conflict, distress and difficulty in decision-making. With regard to culture, it is necessary to consider whether an individual is a member of multiple cultures or resides outside of their culture of origin. For client’s struggling with wanting an outcome that differs from family expectations, assisting the client in clarifying and distinguishing their values from values held by their family could provide decision-making clearness. The underlying strategy in dealing with interpersonal conflicts is improved communication skills and sense of support.

Good Enough Options

Choice/commitment anxiety is another commonly seen decision-making difficulty. With choice/commitment anxiety, individuals tend to seek the best career options and experience more decision-making difficulty and regret. Choice/commitment anxiety may also stem from a desire to avoid uncertainty and uncertainty. Helpful coping strategies in this arena involve encouraging people to find satisfaction in obtaining “good enough” options and information. This aims to alleviate the decision-making paralysis that can result from feeling pressure to make the perfect or best decision at all times.