This document discusses several theories of career choice, including Holland's theory of vocational personalities, Gottfredson's theory of circumscription and compromise, and social-cognitive career theory. It explains key aspects of each theory, such as Holland's six career personality types and Gottfredson's stages of career development from childhood through adolescence. The document also covers Parson's theory of matching talents to careers and Krumboltz's theory emphasizing dealing with changing social factors and career opportunities. Overall, the theories aim to improve understanding of career decision-making and guidance.

1. - Ishara .S. Saranapala

2. Career……..
 The progress and actions taken by a
person throughout a lifetime,
especially those related to
that person’s occupation.
A person's "course or progress
through life (or a distinct portion of
life)- Oxford dictionary.
 A profession / occupation chosen as
one’s life’s work. – Collin’s English
dictionary

3. Career choice:

4. Career choice:
 Career choice: Selecting a suitable career path.
 "A career choice is important because it determines
your success in the next stages of your life.“-
Psychological Dictionary.
 Impotents of career choice:
- Individual development.
- Organizational development.
- Economical development.
- Reduce wastages………………. Etc.,

5. Career choice theories:
 Theory of work adjustment (TWA)
 Holland’s theory for vocational personalities & work
environment)
 Self concept theory of career development.
 Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription & compromise.
 Social –cognitive career theory (SCCT)
 Parson’s theory.
 Krumboltz’s theory.

6.  TWA persist a relationship between person-environmental
fit, job satisfaction and tenure.)
 A person (P) looks for work organization’s environment
(E) that would match his/ her requirements. Then ‘P’ is
satisfying with ‘E’. Organization (employer) is turns for
individual’s who have the capabilities to match the
organization.
 To ‘P’, the most central requirements to meet from ‘E’
are his / her needs. To ‘E’, the most central
requirements are abilities, skills, attitudes.
Knowledge…….etc.,
 Overall, the degree of ‘P’ ’s satisfaction & ‘E’ ‘s
satisfaction would jointly predict ‘P’ ‘s tenure in work
environment.

7.  Vocational interests is an expression of one’s personality.
 This interests can conceptualize in to 06 categories.
- Realistic (R) - Artistic (A)
- Enterprising (E) - Investigative (I)
- Social (S) - Conventional (C)
 Using this interest types can generate 03 letter words (Ex: RIA,
SIA………etc.,). First letter show’s person’s primary / major interest
type & second , third letters shows secondary interest themes.
Therefore they would play lesser but role for career choice.

8.  One of most important theory of career choice.
 Career choice & development is essentially a process of
developing and implementing a person’s self-concept.
 Super (1990) proposed life stage developmental
framework with the following stages, Growth,
Explorations, Establishment, Maintenance (or
Management) & Disengagement.
 Each stage is important and have to manage it properly.
15- 24 age period plays important role for one’s
education and career path. Skills, Values, Interests are
important to make future decisions.

9. Stages of life.

10.  Most recent contribution to ‘Career choice’ knowledge.
 Genetic characteristics plays a crucial role in shaping & basic characteristics of a person,
such as interests, intelligence, skills, values …etc.,
 Environment also plays a important role for shaping person’s characteristics.
 Gottfredson categorized the age of a person as,
03- 05 years :Orientation to size and power : (Child take adult’s career as an
example)
06-08 :Sex orientation role ( Child identify the gender diferensiation)
09-13: Orientation to social valuation ( Getting some idea about social class and
social values)
14 & above : (Start identifying skills, self-concept, values, interests…..etc.,)

11. Gottfredson’s
stages of
Circumscription

12.  Explains internal and external reasons influence on one’s
career choice.
 Also explain about
- Development of academic & vocational interests.
- How individual make educational and career choices.
- Educational and career performance and stability.
 Personal performance accomplishments, various knowledge,
social persuasion & psychological types powerfully influence on
self-efficiency.
 Self efficiency, outcome and personal goals served as core
variables of interest, choice and performance models of SCCT.
 SCCT also offers a comprehensive framework to understand the
development of career interests, career choice and performance.

13. Conceptual framework for SCCT

14.  Parson developed talent- matching approach which are
later developed to ‘Trial & Factor theory’ for career
choice.
 Parson explained the occupational decision making
occurs, when people have achieved,
- Understanding of their individual trails.
- Knowledge about job & the labor market.
- Relationship between individual trails and labor
market.
 Parson suggests that when individuals involve the jobs
suits for their abilities , then they can perform best and
their productivity is also high.

15.  This theory specifically address the need for people to deal
with rapidly changing's of labor market and current globalize
work environment.
 Core of this theory is unpredictable social factors, chance
events & environmental factors are influence on employees
life.
 Krumboltz explained counselor's role is to help & guide
clients employees) and in particularly counselors foster in
their clients,
- Explain & explore learning opportunities
- Persistence to deal with obstacles.
- Flexibility to address a variety of circumstance and events.
- Optimism to maximize from unplanned events.

16. There has many barriers to further
develop this theories such as tangible,
social, cultural, political,
geographical……..etc.
But…..this theories helps to
improve and make advance career
guidance knowledge.