The Theories of Content and Process in Career Guidance and Counseling encompass various approaches. The Learning Theory emphasizes acquiring skills and knowledge. The Occupational Choice Theory focuses on matching individuals' interests and abilities with suitable occupations. The Personality Theory examines how personality traits influence career choices. The Composite Theory integrates multiple factors to guide individuals in making informed career decisions.

1. Cherry Ann DL. de Vera
Vocational Guidance and Career Counseling

2. THEORIES OF
CONTENT AND
PROCESS
Career Guidance and
Counseling
©Cherry Ann

3. THEORIES
OF CONTENT
AND
PROCESS
Theory of
Work
Adjustment
Contextual
Career
Development
Learning
Theory of
Career
Counseling
Personality
Theory of
Career
Choice
Self-
Directed
Search
Composite
Theory
Occupational
Choice
Theory
©Cherry Ann

4. Learning Theory of Career Counseling
• Individuals make career decisions based on
their experiences and encounters with
people, institutions, and events in their
environment.
FOUR MAIN
FACTORS
INFLUENCED
CAREER
DECISIONS
[GELT]
L
©Cherry Ann

5. • Consequences of learning experiences
greatly influence career planning and
behavior [Self-Observation Generalizations]
• Factors that are helpful in career
management:
o commitment to ongoing learning and skill
development,
o ongoing self-assessment,
o assessment and feedback from others,
o effective networking,
o achieving work-life balance, and
o financial planning to incorporate periods
of unemployment.
Learning Theory of Career Counseling
©Cherry Ann

6. Occupational Choice Theory
• Accepted Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
[basic needs motivate us and applied it to
the concept of occupational choice
• Occupation is a powerful source of
individual satisfaction at all levels of needs.
childhood experiences parental behavior
Occupation
• Childhood experiences affect our interests
and parental behavior influences our
occupation and personality.
• Social and economic status depends more
on the occupation of an individual than
upon anything else.
©Cherry Ann

7. Occupational Choice Theory
Six
classifications
©Cherry Ann
Three Types
of Parental
Behavior
Two Basic
Operations
Occupations
Classified
[ T wo C a t egories]
OCCUPATIONAL
CHOICE THEORY

8. Personality Theory of Career Choice
• Person's choice of career is influenced by
their ego-defense mechanism, specifically
sublimation.
• Desires are channeled into work to express
in socially acceptable ways.
• Ego-defense mechanisms play a vital role in
vocational choice; Work serves as a way to
express typically unsociable desires.
• Sublimation-process of expressing an
unacceptable need in a socially acceptable
way.
Acceptable Expressions of Desire
[Work]
Unconscious Desires
[Sublimation]
©Cherry Ann

9. Composite Theory
• Function of the Job is to satisfy personal
needs.
• Degree of job satisfaction can be measured
by comparing emotional wants to actual
achievements.
• Individuals change their occupational choice
as they become aware of jobs that can meet
their needs.
Personal Needs
©Cherry Ann

10. Theory of Work Adjustment
• Relationship between individuals and their
work environment, emphasizing the
importance of correspondence between
the two.
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• Work Adjustment-process of achieving
and maintaining this correspondence, which
leads to job tenure and job satisfaction.
• To find the best job placement, it is
important to match the worker's traits
with the requirements of the work
environment.
©Cherry Ann

11. Contextual Career Development Theory
• Action Contextualism understanding the
meaning behind actions (Existential).
• People choose their careers based on what
is meaningful to them.
• Individuals have their own unique paths to
career success.
©Cherry Ann

12. Constructivist Theory
• How people manage their careers
throughout their lives while staying true
to their sense of self and identity.
• Past experiences influenced present
choices and helped shape future
aspirations and establish Life themes.
• Three perspectives:
• Differential
• Developmental
• Dynamic
• Vocational Personality-collective abilities,
interests, needs, and values at a particular
time.
• Life themes-response templates that can
be either helpful or harmful.
©Cherry Ann

13. Constructivist Theory
• Career-Adaptive (healthy) Individual:
1. Concerned about their Vocational Future;
2. Increasing Personal control over his
vocational future;
3. Displaying curiosity in exploring the self
through life transitions and;
4. Strengthened by confidence to pursue
one’s aspiration.
• Career Adaptation-ultimate expression of
Career Construction;
Five Behaviors
[Career Adaptation]
• Career Style Interview -main assessment
tool; set of standardized interview questions
that reveal the person’s themes,
vocational personality, and career
adaptability.
©Cherry Ann

14. Constructivist Theory
Orientation:
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Exploration:
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Establishment:
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Management:
Disengagement:
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Career Adaptability Behaviors,
Approach Career Decision-Making[how], and
Transitions
Reference:
Savickas, M. L., & Porfeli, E. J. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale: Construction, reliability, and
measurement equivalence across 13 countries. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(3), 661-673.
©Cherry Ann

15. Theory of
Work
Adjustment
Contextual
Career
Development
Learning
Theory of
Career
Counseling
Personality
Theory of
Career
Choice
Self-
Directed
Search
Composite
Theory
Occupational
Choice
Theory
THEORIES
OF CONTENT
AND
PROCESS
Career Guidance and
Counseling
©Cherry Ann

16. Words to
Ponder
©Cherry Ann

17. Thank you!
Questions
Cherry Ann DL. de Vera