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Background: The vocational guidance process in educational institutions faces important challenges in managing trials and errors in diagnoses. Technological tools are identified as an effective solution to address these problems. This research seeks to improve career guidance in educational institutions through the implementation of an expert system. The main objective is to reduce test processing time and achieve greater efficiency in students' self-knowledge regarding their interests, based on the personalities of the Holland Test., Methods: The development of the expert system followed a six-model approach. First, an organisational model was created to assess the scope and feasibility of the project. Next, a task and agent model was developed to investigate the impact and look for improvements. A knowledge model was then developed to analyse the relevant knowledge bases. A communication model was also developed to evaluate the communication interface of the system. Next, a design model was created to provide guidelines for the implementation of the system. Finally, the implementation of the knowledge system was carried out to ensure its correct functioning., Results: The implementation of the expert system has shown significant improvements in the vocational guidance process. It was possible to reduce the time needed to apply the test, thus optimising the psychologist's time and allowing a greater capacity for analysis. In addition, an improvement in the effectiveness of the students' self-knowledge in relation to their vocational interests based on the personalities of the Holland Test was observed., Conclusions: This study contributes to career guidance in educational institutions by introducing an innovative expert system. This technological solution optimizes the career guidance process, benefiting psychologists administering tests and students seeking self-knowledge about their career interests., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Huayta-Gómez J and Pacheco A.)

Objectives: There has long existed significant underrepresentation of minority students in STEM training and careers. Ongoing efforts to improve opportunities and participation for underrepresented minority students have focused on multiple areas, from increased funding to early exposure to research in STEM. We developed the novel Future Life Map career planning exercise with the goal of contributing to this multi-faceted approach. The exercise emphasizes on the consideration of multiple potential career destinations and routes to those destination. The exercise was designed with the goal of improving participant awareness of options and career planning self-efficacy to improve success and retention of underrepresented minority student participation and retention in STEM., Methods: We implemented the Future Life Map exercise with 2 separate groups of under-represented minority undergraduate students pursuing careers in STEM. Participants then completed an anonymous survey to evaluate the exercise and describe the value they derived from completing the Future Life Map., Results: The exercise presentation and its supporting documents were highly rated by participants with >81% of respondents rating it as "very informative" (4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert Scale). Participants reported that they were very likely to recommend the exercise to others (25 of 27 participants) and were likely to repeat the activity for their own future decision making (22 participants). Themes that emerged from participant reporting of the value of the exercise were: increased awareness of career and training options, improved understanding of the research required to make informed career/life decisions, and new awareness of specific information about career options under consideration., Conclusion: The Future Life Map exercise was successful in improving participant awareness of career options, career planning ability, and helped participants to feel more empowered. This is likely of particular benefit for improving participation and retention of under-represented minority students pursuing careers in STEM., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

This paper documents Scottish adolescents' vocational interest types. Our research is based on the responses of 1,306 pupils from 18 secondary schools to an empirically verified online interest inventory test. Our results are threefold. First, the structural validity of the test with the Scottish sample is confirmed by evaluating the underlying circumplex structure of Holland's RIASEC vocational interests. Second, gender distribution along the six primary vocational interest dimensions is consistent with the research literature: young men scoring higher on the Realistic vocational interest and young women scoring higher on the Social dimension. Finally, we observe that across dimensions, vocational interests of young women are less diverse than those of young men. We discuss how these dissimilarities could lead to differences in education choice and career decision-making., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Job security can never be taken for granted, especially in times of rapid, widespread and unexpected social and economic change. These changes can force workers to transition to new jobs. This may be because new technologies emerge or production is moved abroad. Perhaps it is a global crisis, such as COVID-19, which shutters industries and displaces labor en masse. Regardless of the impetus, people are faced with the challenge of moving between jobs to find new work. Successful transitions typically occur when workers leverage their existing skills in the new occupation. Here, we propose a novel method to measure the similarity between occupations using their underlying skills. We then build a recommender system for identifying optimal transition pathways between occupations using job advertisements (ads) data and a longitudinal household survey. Our results show that not only can we accurately predict occupational transitions (Accuracy = 76%), but we account for the asymmetric difficulties of moving between jobs (it is easier to move in one direction than the other). We also build an early warning indicator for new technology adoption (showcasing Artificial Intelligence), a major driver of rising job transitions. By using real-time data, our systems can respond to labor demand shifts as they occur (such as those caused by COVID-19). They can be leveraged by policy-makers, educators, and job seekers who are forced to confront the often distressing challenges of finding new jobs., Competing Interests: For six months during the course of the study ND was a paid employee of the commercial firm Faethm AI. ND is no longer an employee of this company. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Introduction: In pursuing optimal health care, an adequate medical workforce is crucial. However, many countries are struggling with a misalignment of students' specialty preferences and societal needs regarding the future medical workforce. In order to bridge this gap, it is relevant to gain a better understanding of the medical career choice processes. We explored career orientations among medical students in the Netherlands and their implications for future career choices., Methods: We used Q-methodology, a hybrid qualitative-quantitative method, to explore career orientations of medical students. Medical students from two universities in the Netherlands, varying in year of progression of medical school, ranked 62 statements with regard to importance for their future career choice. Participants explained their ranking in an interview and completed a questionnaire regarding demographics. Using by-person factor analysis we identified groups of individuals with similar orientations., Results: Twenty-four students participated in this study, resulting in three distinct orientations towards future careers: a first career orientation that highly values lifelong self-development; a second that values work-life balance, and a third that was more concerned with achievement and recognition of their work., Conclusion: Medical students' career orientations differed in the importance of challenge, work-life balance, and need for recognition. This knowledge can help to design interventions to shift career choices of medical students closer towards future needs in society. Offering career coaching to students that challenges them to explore and prioritise their values, needs and motivations, for example using the materials form this study as a tool, and stimulates them to consider specialties accordingly, could be a promising strategy for guiding students to more long-term satisfying careers., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Importance: Women in academic medicine continue to face systemic obstacles on their paths to leadership. In addition to improving recruitment and advancement opportunities, academic medical centers must facilitate a cultural shift that ensures sustained leadership pathways for women., Objective: To better understand, from the perspective of women leaders, the workplace and cultural changes that need to take place in academic medicine to increase inclusivity and gender equity., Design, Setting, and Participants: This qualitative study of 40 women physicians and administrators with senior leadership roles at Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center and research institution with campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota, examined participants' responses to a question regarding their paths to leadership. Replies were submitted between November and December 2018., Main Outcomes and Measures: Women were asked to describe career advice (positive or negative) they had received that was the hardest to accept but, in retrospect, turned out to be valuable., Results: Of 40 participants, 25 (63%) were physicians and 15 (37%) were administrators at Mayo Clinic; 27 (68%) had achieved the role of chair or the administrative equivalent. Career experience ranged from 6 to 40 years. Of the 40 women leaders queried, 38 (95%) provided written responses, which were separated into the 4 following categories: leadership styles are perceived as having gendered qualities, attaining leadership skills involves a strategic learning process, collisions between personal life and the workplace should not deter individuals from pursuing leadership roles, and leadership pathways for women involved hurdles. These categories represented a roadmap illuminating perceptions about the academic medical workplace., Conclusions and Relevance: These findings link generalizable principles to help to drive new strategies for gender parity. Shifting the culture of academic medicine begins with fully understanding impediments to women's advancement. The advice women leaders recounted offered a roadmap as well as a glimpse of the extra effort required for women to succeed amid some of the system's limitations and obstacles. A more complete understanding of gender biases may help to shape future programs to expand inclusivity and establish sustained leadership paths for women.

The present study aimed to test the effect of sex as well as the experience of parenting at the level of empathy and management skills and the mediating effect of empathy on the relationship between the experience of parenting and management skills. No differences were found between men and women concerning management skills. Women had higher empathy levels than men. Being a father or mother increased management skills and empathy levels. However, the experience of parenting interferes with management skills by increasing levels of empathy only in men. Career counselors need to considerer not only the processes inherent to each management task, but also the variables that intensify these competences, integrating emotional and relational dimensions., (© 2020 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: This research evaluated a formal academic and career advisement program implemented in a doctor of pharmacy program, which included a "Meet Your Advisor" luncheon and required faculty advisement sessions with an assigned faculty member., Methods: The advising experience of students from two cohorts of first-year pharmacy students who received the formal advisement program (referred to as advisement cohort 1 and advisement cohort 2) were compared to the experience of a cohort of second-year students who entered prior to the formal advisement program (referred to as the pre-advisement cohort). All students completed a survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions regarding the advisement program., Results: Our research demonstrates that the formal advisement program was successful at ensuring that nearly all students receive personalized advisement. In the pre-advisement cohort 65% of students reported receiving individual advisement, while 94% of students in advisement cohort 1 reported individual advisement and 95% in advisement cohort 2. Advisement cohort 2 responded similarly to the pre-advisement cohort on many of the advisement scales, especially the developing understanding scales, which provided evidence that two years after making the advisement program mandatory, students were having similar experiences to the smaller group of students who self-selected to receive advisement., Conclusions: A formal advisement program can be developed to include all students. Our research provides evidence that it may take time for the changes to be impactful and suggests the importance of faculty development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Calling involves experiencing a sense of purpose to engage in work that benefits others. We contribute to the literature by studying living a calling, which we conceptualize as a resource, to examine how and why it is related to perceived work ability (i.e., one's perception of their ability to continue working in their current job) among women working in domestic violence services. We propose that by living out one's calling, domestic violence services workers may perceive fewer of the salient interpersonal demands in their jobs (relationship conflict among colleagues, workplace incivility from clients served), which may partially explain a linkage to greater perceived work ability. We tested hypotheses using 2-wave survey data. The results suggest that there are direct and indirect positive relations between living a calling and perceived work ability. Workers living out their calling perceive less relationship conflict among colleagues, which partially explains the positive relation with perceived work ability. However, we did not find support for the similarly proposed mediating role of perceived client incivility. Theoretical implications for studying calling and practical implications for career counselors and organizations are discussed. For example, career counselors may consider the presence of a calling when exploring clients' career development in domestic violence work, whereas social service providers may benefit by selecting employees for whom the work aligns with their calling and creating opportunities for their calling to be lived out to facilitate perceived work ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The purpose of this article is to describe the Illinois Work and Well-being Model (ILW2M), a multi-domain framework for conceptualizing the employment development of people with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The model emphasizes the interaction of contextual and career development domains to improve participation in the areas of work, society, community, and home. A brief discussion of potential implications regarding vocational rehabilitation research and service is offered with the overall goal of reinforcing employment development as the foundation of vocational rehabilitation services for adults with TBIs.

Purpose There are substantial costs associated with sickness absence and struggling at work however existing services in the UK are largely restricted to those absent from work for greater than 6 months. This paper details the development of an early Vocational Advice Intervention (VAI) for adult primary care consulters who were struggling at work or absent due to musculoskeletal pain, and the structure and content of the training and mentoring package developed to equip the Vocational Advisors (VAs) to deliver the VAI, as part of the Study of Work and Pain (SWAP) cluster randomised trial. Methods In order to develop the intervention, we conducted a best-evidence literature review, summarised evidence from developmental studies and consulted with stakeholders. Results A novel early access, brief VAI was developed consisting of case management and stepped care (three steps), using the Psychosocial Flags Framework to identify and overcome obstacles associated with the health-work interface. Four healthcare practitioners were recruited to deliver the VAI; three physiotherapists and one nurse (all vocational advice was actually delivered by the three physiotherapists). They received training in the VA role during a 4-day course, with a refresher day 3 months later, along with monthly group mentoring sessions. Conclusions The process of development was sufficient to develop the VAI and associated training package. The evidence underpinning the VAI was drawn from an international perspective and key components of the VAI have the potential to be applied to other settings or countries, although this has yet to be tested.

This study examined careers services provided to young adults with serious mental health conditions. Based on an internet survey and key informant telephone interview of 31 programs nominated for delivering innovative practices for young adults, the state of the field for career services was described. Most programs offered supported education and supported employment along with mental health services. Detailed and written planning was a key feature. Programs emphasized working closely with families, inter-agency collaboration, and use of normative community resources. Programs provided direct skills training for school and work and other life skills. Largely, existing models are being applied. However, providers described unique adaptations including greater flexibility in service delivery, attending to the turbulence and developmental changes characteristic of this age group, use of social media, and a heightened willingness to meet young people where "they are at" both literally and figuratively.

This study focuses on career development processes and options for older workers in South Korea and explores how career coaching enhances their career development efforts and transition needs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural relationship between older employees' goal-setting, self-efficacy, and job-search behavior mediated by career coaching. A total of 249 participants were recruited in a metropolitan city in South Korea. Based on the literature review, hypotheses were developed and tested on the structural model and the following findings were revealed. First, the findings indicate a positive effect of self-efficacy on older workers' job-search behavior. Second, the value of career coaching was found to affect older workers' job-search behavior in the South Korean context. Third, career-goal commitment alone did not have a positive significant effect on job-search behavior, but it was influential through the mediating process of the perceived quality of the career coaching program provided by an employment center in South Korea.

Background: Young people recovering from drug addiction often face challenges in returning to the job market and in maintaining their jobs. Many of them feel they have no choice but to do entry-level work, and they are often unsure about their work ability and vocational choice., Objective: In collaboration with a youth outreach service, this study aims to provide a package of vocational assessment, guidance, and support for these clients., Methods: Using a strength-based case management framework, we conducted a comprehensive vocational evaluation for each participant (N = 17), which covered self-perception of abilities, work and occupational interests, work readiness, work-related self-efficacy, and work aptitudes. We presented assessment results to each client and provided guidance on their education, training, or vocational choice., Results: The results of aptitude tests indicate that most participants can cope with an entry-level job. Many participants are strong in jobs that require quick decision-making, sorting, assembly, and clerical tasks, but many are weak in fine manual dexterity and eye-hand-foot coordination. Many participants preferred jobs that are creative, indefinite, and autonomous in nature., Conclusion: Longer-term vocational counseling and coaching is needed to help clients make vocational choices and extend their job tenure. Many clients will also need training in job seeking and job maintenance skills.

Our contribution assesses the role of information barriers for patterns of participation in Higher Education (HE) and the related social inequalities. For this purpose, we developed a large-scale clustered randomised experiment involving over 9,000 high school seniors from 62 Italian schools. We designed a counseling intervention to correct student misperceptions of the profitability of HE, that is, the costs, economic returns and chances of success of investments in different tertiary programs. We employed a longitudinal survey to test whether treated students' educational trajectories evolved differently relative to a control group. We find that, overall, treated students enrolled less often in less remunerative fields of study in favour of postsecondary vocational programmes. Most importantly, this effect varied substantially by parental social class and level of education. The shift towards vocational programmes was mainly due to the offspring of low-educated parents; in contrast, children of tertiary graduates increased their participation in more rewarding university fields. Similarly, the redistribution from weak fields to vocational programmes mainly involved the children of the petty bourgeoisie and the working class, while upper class students invested in more rewarding university fields. We argue that the status-maintenance model proposed by Breen and Goldthorpe can explain these socially differentiated treatment effects. Overall, our results challenge the claim that student misperceptions contribute to horizontal inequalities in access to HE., (© London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.)

Aim: To identify factors influencing high school students' choice of nursing and explore strategic interventions to promote nursing as a career in the Arab region., Background: This study forms part of a PhD thesis, conducted in Bahrain, in a healthcare environment with a high dependence on expatriate nurses to maintain nursing services. However, in attracting local candidates to study nursing, the public image of nursing in the Middle East must be improved by implementing strategies that are sensitive to the Arabic culture., Design: A mixed methods approach incorporating quantitative and qualitative dimensions., Methods: Data were collected between 2012 - 2015 using self-administered questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and written narratives. The study sample included high school students, parents, career guidance counsellors, and nursing students. A one-group pre-test posttest design was used to introduce a nursing recruitment intervention to high school students. spss was used to analyse quantitative data. Colaizzi's () and Krueger's () frameworks were applied to analyse the qualitative data., Findings: It is proposed that the public perceptions of Arab people about nursing may be grounded in strong cultural influences and any efforts to improve the enrolment and retention of local nurses should consider enhancing the social values of the nursing profession. The NURSING-Positive Recruitment Arabic Model incorporates essential elements which will guide nursing recruitment in the Arabic cultures., Conclusion: The study findings reflect certain issues similar to the core international literature on nursing recruitment, however there are fundamental issues particular to the Arab region, which must be included in the development of a nursing recruitment strategy for Arabic nursing., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Few tools for career exploration utilize visualizations despite their potential to help students understand the intangible relationships between jobs and majors. Our application-driven design combines the intuitiveness of node-link diagrams and the scalability of aggregation-based techniques to combine an overview of a job database with the option for individualized exploration.

Background: Nursing is a career which, especially for male students, requires one making an informed choice prior to pursuing it. A mixed-method, qualitative study, investigating the professional socialization process of male student nurses in Malawi found that most students did not make an informed choice regarding their selected career. This resulted in some of them facing many challenges which compromised their academic performance, and in some cases, contributed to high attrition rates. An "unmet need" for career guidance was identified by the study participants. Further, the study participants made recommendations on the need to address the unmet need for career guidance. A brochure entitled "A career in nursing and midwifery in Malawi" was designed. This article reports on the validation of the brochure., Objective: The goal of the study was to validate the brochure utilising the Nominal Group Technique., Methods: The validation exercise was part of the mixed method study. Five steps of the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) were utilised, as expounded by Vigra-Atkins, aimed at evaluating the content contained in the brochure. Study participants in four nursing colleges (n = 37) participated by studying the draft brochure and identifying strong and weak areas for improvements. Responses were ranked based on group consensus., Findings: A total of five groups were involved in NGT discussions. Four of the five groups found the brochure relevant and motivating to prospective students. However, two groups suggested that pictures needed to be more gender sensitive., Conclusion: Through the NGT, the brochure was commended by the majority of the participants as being clear and relevant in terms of giving information necessary for a nursing career choice. Finally, the authors recommend the use of the NGT compared to other group-based research techniques, considering the benefits the NGT offers., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (© 2018 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.)

Vocational interests predict a variety of important outcomes and are among the most widely applied individual difference constructs in psychology and education. Despite over 90 years of research, little is known about the longitudinal development of interests. In this meta-analysis, the authors investigate normative changes in interests through adolescence and young adulthood. Effect sizes were aggregated from 49 longitudinal studies reporting mean-level changes in vocational interests, containing 98 total samples and 20,639 participants. Random effects meta-analytic regression models were used to assess age-related changes and gender differences across Holland's (1959, 1997) RIASEC categories and composite dimensions (people, things, data, and ideas). Results showed that mean-level interest scores generally increase with age, but effect sizes varied across interest categories and developmental periods. Adolescence was defined by two broad patterns of change: interest scores generally decreased during early adolescence, but then increased during late adolescence. During young adulthood, the most striking changes were found across the people and things orientations. Interests involving people tended to increase (artistic, social, and enterprising), whereas interests involving things either decreased (conventional) or remained constant (realistic and investigative). Gender differences associated with occupational stereotypes reached a lifetime peak during early adolescence, then tended to decrease in all subsequent age periods. Overall findings suggest there are normative changes in vocational interests from adolescence to adulthood, with important implications for developmental theories and the applied use of interests. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

Background: Labour market policy (LMP) and its implementation have undergone rapid change internationally in the last three decades with a continued trend towards active LMP. In Ireland however, this shift has been more recent with ongoing reforms since 2012 and a concomitant move toward active labour market 'work-first' policy design (i.e. whereby unemployed people are compulsorily required to work in return for their social welfare benefits). Labour market policies vary from those that require this compulsory approach to those which enable the unemployed to move towards sustainable quality work in the labour market through upskilling (human capital approach). Despite this, however, long-term unemployment-a major cause of poverty and social exclusion-remains high, while current employment support approaches aimed at sustainable re-employment are, arguably, unevaluated and under examined. This study examines the effectiveness of a new high support career guidance intervention in terms of its impact on aspects of wellbeing, perceived employability and enhancing career sustainability., Method: The study involves a single-centre randomised, controlled, partially blinded trial. A total of 140 long-term unemployed job-seekers from a disadvantaged urban area will be randomly assigned to two groups: (1) an intervention group; and (2) a 'service as usual' group. Each group will be followed up immediately post intervention and six months later. The primary outcome is wellbeing at post intervention and at six-month follow-up. The secondary outcome is perceived employability, which includes a number of different facets including self-esteem, hopefulness, resilience and career self-efficacy., Discussion: The study aims to assess the changes in, for example, psychological wellbeing, career efficacy and hopefulness, that occur as a result of participation in a high support intervention vs routinely available support. The results will help to inform policy and practice by indicating whether a therapeutic approach to job-seeking support is more effective for long-term unemployed job-seekers than routinely available (and less therapeutic) support. The findings will also be important in understanding what works and for whom with regard to potentially undoing the negative psychological impacts of unemployment, building psychological capital and employability within the individual, and developing career trajectories leading to more sustainable employment., Trial Registration: ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN16801028 . Registered on 9 February 2016.

Relatively little is yet known about employment readiness and elements that promote access to, and the retention of, employment for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This paper posits elements within the ecosystem of employment and ASD. The ecosystem approach locates employment among persons with ASD as inextricably linked with broader community resources, family support, workplace capacity building (e.g., employer, co-workers) and policy. Application of the approach is offered through process evaluation data yielded from an ecosystem-informed job readiness program entitled, 'EmploymentWorks Canada'. Findings illustrate job readiness in the context of the broader ecosystem that envelopes salient components in the aim of community engagement and quality of life. Recommendations are offered for community-based applications and for program and research development.

Objectives: To understand what medical students consider when choosing their specialty, prior to significant clinical exposure to develop strategies to provide adequate career counseling., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by distributing optional questionnaires to 165 first-year medical students at the University of Ottawa in their first month of training with a sample yield of 54.5% (n=90).  Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Spearman's rank correlation, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure, and exploratory factor analyses were used to analyze the anonymized results., Results: "Job satisfaction", "lifestyle following training" and, "impact on the patient" were the three highest rated considerations when choosing a specialty.  Fifty-two and seventeen percent (n=24) and 57.89% (n=22) of males and females ranked non-surgical specialties as their top choice. Student confidence in their specialty preferences was moderate, meaning their preference could likely change (mean=2.40/5.00, SD=1.23). ANOVA showed no significant differences between confidence and population size (F(2,86)=0.290, p=0.75) or marital status (F(2,85)=0.354, p=0.70) in both genders combined. Five underlying factors that explained 44.32% of the total variance were identified. Five themes were identified to enhance career counseling., Conclusions: Medical students in their first month of training have already considered their specialty preferences, despite limited exposure. However, students are not fixed in their specialty preference. Our findings further support previous results but expand what students consider when choosing their specialty early in their training. Medical educators and administrators who recognize and understand the importance of these considerations may further enhance career counseling and medical education curricula.

Supported employment programs are evidence-based practices to help people with severe mental illness to obtain competitive employment. The competencies of employment specialists working in these programs are key elements related to work integration. In France, the Messidor Association, a prevocational organisation, has developed a practice with similarities to supported employment and is beginning to develop supported employment programs in their context. The objective of this quantitative study was to evaluate the Messidor vocational counselors' competencies using the Behaviors, Attitudes and Knowledge in Employment Specialists' scale by comparing their results to those of employment specialists working in IPS programs in Canada. Descriptive analyses and a MANOVA highlighted similarities between French and Canadian counselors such as the same importance given to the working alliance with clients and the development of relationships with different stakeholders (e.g., employers). Skills that should be developed in vocational counselors in France include those related to rapid job search and dealing with stigma. In addition, clinical implications are suggested to ensure the development of vocational counselors' competencies in France.

Why do you want to be a children's nurse? To give back even a tiny bit of the care and attention my son Callum received, particularly from his nurse 'aunties' at Basildon University Hospital.

Background: In resource-poor settings with low doctor-population ratio, there is need for equitable distribution of healthcare workforce. The specialty preferences of medical students determine the future composition of physician workforce hence its relevance in career guidance, healthcare planning and policy formulation. This study was aimed at determining the specialty preferences of final year medical students in medical schools of southeast Nigeria, the gender differences in choice of specialty and the availability of career guidance to the students during the period of training., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among final year medical students in the six accredited medical schools in southeast Nigeria using self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Information on reason for studying Medicine, specialty preference and career guidance were obtained. Chi-square test of statistical significance was used in the analysis., Results: A total of 457 students participated in the study with a response rate of 86.7 %. The mean age was 25.5 ± 2.9 years and 57.1 % were male. Majority (51 %) opted to study Medicine in-order to save lives while 89.5 % intended to pursue postgraduate medical training. A higher proportion (51.8 %) made the decision during the period of clinical rotation. The five most preferred specialties among the students were Surgery (24.0 %); Paediatrics (18.8 %); Obstetrics and Gynaecology (15.6 %); Internal Medicine (11.0 %) and Community Medicine (6.8 %) while Pathology (2.0 %); Anaesthesia (0.7 %) and Ear, Nose and Throat (0.2 %), were the least preferred. Compared to females, a higher proportion of male students intended to specialise in Surgery (32.3 % vs 13.0 %, p < 0.001) in contrast to Paediatrics (11.2 % vs 28.8 %, p < 0.001). Majority of the students, 74.6 % had no form of career guidance during their stay in medical school and 11.2 % were undecided on choice of specialty., Conclusion: In spite of the high proportion of students willing to pursue specialist medical training after graduation, most opted for the four core clinical specialities of Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Internal Medicine. Majority of the students made these decisions during clinical rotations. Also, majority had no form of career guidance throughout their stay in medical school. To ensure an equitable distribution of a limited physician workforce in a resource-poor setting, there is need for proper career guidance for the students and this should be in line with the national health needs.

Background and Objectives: One third of Latino medical students begin their premedical undergraduate education at a community college (CC) or 2-year college, compared to a 4-year university. This study explored the academic and personal experiences Latino premedical students commonly encounter at the CC., Methods: In 2013, five focus groups with Latino premedical and medical students (n=45) were conducted in Los Angeles and San Jose, CA. All students were enrolled or attended a CC. In addition, 20 CC key informants participated in semi-structured interviews to further describe the Latino CC premedical experience. The focus group and key informant transcripts were transcribed and analyzed for common themes using qualitative methods., Results: Content analysis of 2,826 distinct comments identified major themes: (1) Personal health-related experiences in underserved communities, (2) CC relevant premedical guidance, (3) Limited preparation in navigating the pathways to medical school, and (4) Competing demands and college affordability., Conclusions: Early CC enrichment programs with direct ties to health professions advising programs, 4-year universities, medical schools, and physician mentors are needed to support Latino pre-medical students.

Purpose: The Academy for Future Science Faculty (the Academy) is a novel coaching intervention for biomedical PhD students designed to address limitations in previous efforts to promote faculty diversity. Unlike traditional research mentoring, the Academy includes both group and individual coaching, coaches have no research or evaluation roles with the students, and it is based on social science theories. The authors present a qualitative case study of one of the coaching groups and provide statistical analyses indicating whether one year in the Academy effects students' perceptions of the achievability and desirability of an academic career., Method: The authors tested (July 2012-July 2013), with Northwestern University ethical approval, the Academy via a longitudinal randomized controlled trial. Participants were 121 latter-stage biomedical PhD students. The authors collected data via questionnaires, interviews, and meeting recordings., Results: The case study shows how group career coaching can effectively supplement traditional one-to-one research mentoring; provide new role models for underrepresented minority students; and provide theory-based lenses through which to engage in open conversations about race, gender, and science careers. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed that perceived achievability increased in the Academy group from baseline to one-year follow-up (mean, 5.75 versus 6.39) but decreased in the control group (6.58 versus 5.81). Perceived desirability decreased significantly less (P < .05) in the Academy group (7.00 versus 6.36) than in the control group (7.83 versus 5.97)., Conclusions: Early results suggest that an academic career coaching model can effectively supplement traditional research mentoring and promote persistence toward academic careers.

Current vocational services for adults with serious mental illness remain largely atheoretical and disconnected from mainstream vocational psychology research and practice. This study explored the perspectives on work of adults with serious mental illness, compared perspectives of young and older adults, and assessed these perspectives for the applicability of a well-established theory of vocational psychology. A national sample of 76 individuals with mental illness engaged in the workforce completed a semistructured questionnaire. We applied the principles of a participatory approach to consensual qualitative research methodology in the study design and data analysis. Results yielded a large number of categories, which clustered under domains representative of the primary constructs of social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, 2013). These domains included the antecedents of self-efficacy, namely, personal accomplishments, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and physical or emotional states as well as additional constructs of outcome expectations, personal goals, and contextual barriers. The SCCT model will likely provide a useful framework to bridge the gap between career development theory and vocational services for individuals with mental illness., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

This study aimed to assess whether the perception of quality of life (QOL) and subjective well-being (SWB) of young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is affected by participation in a comprehensive program. Participants included 25 young adults with ASD who participated in the "Roim Rachok Program" (RRP), where they were trained to become aerial photography interpreters. Following the training period, they served in a designated army unit where they practiced their newly acquired profession. The participants filled out two questionnaires, (a) Quality of Life (QOL-Q) and (b) Personal Well-being Index (PWI), at three points of the intervention: (a) before the course, (b) at the end of the course, and (c) six months after integrating in the designated army unit. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests were used to assess the differences between the reported QOL and SWB at the three points of time. The results suggest that there were no significant differences at the end of the course, compared to its beginning. However, there were significantly improved perception of QOL and SWB during the period between the end of the course and six months after starting work. The results of this study highlight the importance of tailored vocational programs that are adapted to the unique needs and strengths of individuals with ASD.

Objective: We developed a program to promote medical student interest in pursuing a career in neurology. This program focuses on medical student mentorship. It also offers opportunities in teaching and clinical research in order to provide students with marketable skills for an academic career in neurology., Methods: Through this program, students are provided with guidance in developing a fourth-year clerkship schedule and an application package for residency programs. Students are involved and mentored in clinical research. Opportunities are also provided for students to teach their peers, with sessions focusing on examination preparation., Results: Since the implementation of this program in 2010, the number of students entering into the field of neurology from our institution significantly increased from 14 students between 2006 and 2010, to 30 students between 2011 and 2014 (p < 0.05). Medical student research productivity increased from 7 publications during 2006-2010, to 22 publications, 14 poster presentations, and a book chapter after implementation of this program in 2010 (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: In this mentoring program, students are prepared for residency application and provided with research and teaching opportunities. Students develop a highly desirable academic skill set for residency and have matched at top-ranked institutions. This program has been successful in improving student productivity in clinical research and garnering student interest in neurology., (© 2015 American Academy of Neurology.)

Purpose: This study was performed to develop a counseling strategy, based on the profiles of medical students' Strong Interest Inventory (STRONG) and Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results, focusing on the three following questions: Into what distinct levels are students categorized by STRONG and MBTI? and What is the dispersion of the integrated profiles?, Methods: Freshmen students from Konyang University College of Medicine who matriculated between March 2011 and 2013 were administered the MBTI personality type test and the STRONG interest inventory assessment. The integrated profiles were categorized per Kim et al. (2006), and frequency analysis was performed with the collected data, using SPSS version 21.0., Results: Regarding MBTI types, 16.9% of students were categorized as ESTJ, and 12.9% was ISTJ. Further, 62.4% of students were Investigative (I) according to STRONG. The integrated profiles were divided into four types, according to their unclear/clear preference in the STRONG and MBTI results. Most students had 'clear preference and clear interest' (n=144, 80.9%), six students (3.4%) had 'clear interest but unclear preference,' and 28 students (15.7%) showed 'unclear interest but clear preference.', Conclusion: Using the combined results of the STRONG interest inventory assessment and MBTI tools, we can purvey more tailored information to students.

The attempts to differentiate, separate and draw lines between counseling, educational counseling and psychotherapy are fundamentally flawed. There are no clear distinctions between these areas with a view to the techniques, procedures and methods used. In the context of counseling psychotherapeutic interventions are also necessary to overcome the problems. This will be shown in three case studies on the grounds of the following principles of psychodynamic psychotherapy: unconscious conflicts - defence/resistance - transference/countertransference - clarification/confrontation/interpretation.

Background: Young adults with chronic health conditions can experience barriers to work performance, ability, and their present and future worker roles., Objective: Work readiness resources can expand individuals' work skills, abilities, and interests., Methods: Five work readiness tools are presented (1) building an occupational profile, (2) generating environmental strategies, (3) on-the-job strategy use, and exploration of online tools (4) O*NET® and (5) O*NET® Interest Profiler, along with two theories (Knowles's Andragogy and Lawton's Ecological Model) to guide tool use., Results: Use of these tools can assist young adults to better manage their health and expand their vocational identities for success at work., Conclusions: These approaches and tools support health professionals, community partners, and vocational organizations in their efforts to help young adults with chronic conditions.

Introduction: Effective mentoring helps interns in the early stages of their medical career to reach personal and professional goals. This study investigated the mentoring experience of Korean interns during medical internship and evaluated mentoring effects to facilitate the development of future mentoring programmes., Methods: Participants were interns being trained at Chonnam National University Hospital, South Korea, in 2011. Interns were asked to complete a questionnaire about their mentoring experiences and job satisfaction., Results: A total of 61 medical interns participated in the study, giving a response rate of 70.1%. Among these interns, 26 (42.6%) had mentoring experiences, with an average of 2.3 ± 1.9 mentors per mentee. Mentees usually discussed career planning and concerns regarding their personal and social lives with their mentors. Perceived quality of the mentor was significantly more important for male mentees than for female mentees. Female interns without a mentor made significantly less effort to seek a mentor than their male counterparts. Having and not having a mentor resulted in significant differences in the interns' job satisfaction., Conclusion: Fewer than half of the medical interns had mentoring experiences. Results suggest that the mentoring relationship may be less satisfying and more challenging for female interns. Effective mentoring may not only help interns plan their medical career, but also increase job satisfaction. Mentoring programmes during medical internship should be expanded and supported, as it is the initial step in a medical career.

Relatively little research attention has been devoted to understanding the mechanisms through which the advising relationship functions as a medium for fostering doctoral students' development as researchers. Adapting Lent and Lopez's (2002) model of relational efficacy, we examined three types of efficacy beliefs (self-efficacy, other-efficacy, and relation-inferred self-efficacy) in relation to the advisory working alliance and the prediction of doctoral students' research interest and productivity. Gelso's (1993) concept of the research training environment was also included in model testing to capture a view of the advisory relationship as existing within a larger program training context. Participants were 274 doctoral students in a variety of academic fields. The results suggested that a slightly revised version of the hypothesized model produced good fit to the data. In particular, controlling for year in the graduate program, we found the advisory working alliance was linked to students' research self-efficacy indirectly via relation-inferred self-efficacy (i.e., students' beliefs about how their advisors viewed their research capabilities). Students' self-efficacy was, in turn, predictive of their interest in and productivity at research. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research and the practice of advising and research training., (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.)

Background: Approaches to training biomedical scientists have created a talented research community. However, they have failed to create a professional workforce that includes many racial and ethnic minorities and women in proportion to their representation in the population or in PhD training. This is particularly true at the faculty level. Explanations for the absence of diversity in faculty ranks can be found in social science theories that reveal processes by which individuals develop identities, experiences, and skills required to be seen as legitimate within the profession., Methods/design: Using the social science theories of Communities of Practice, Social Cognitive Career Theory, identity formation, and cultural capital, we have developed and are testing a novel coaching-based model to address some of the limitations of previous diversity approaches. This coaching intervention (The Academy for Future Science Faculty) includes annual in-person meetings of students and trained faculty Career Coaches, along with ongoing virtual coaching, group meetings and communication. The model is being tested as a randomized controlled trial with two cohorts of biomedical PhD students from across the U.S., one recruited at the start of their PhDs and one nearing completion. Stratification into the experimental and control groups, and to coaching groups within the experimental arms, achieved equal numbers of students by race, ethnicity and gender to the extent possible. A fundamental design element of the Academy is to teach and make visible the social science principles which highly influence scientific advancement, as well as acknowledging the extra challenges faced by underrepresented groups working to be seen as legitimate within the scientific communities., Discussion: The strategy being tested is based upon a novel application of the well-established principles of deploying highly skilled coaches, selected and trained for their ability to develop talents of others. This coaching model is intended to be a complement, rather than a substitute, for traditional mentoring in biomedical research training, and is being tested as such.

The Work Preference Inventory (WPI) is a four-factor, 30-item measure that assesses work motivation. Used to help individuals choose appropriate career paths, its length contributes to response burden, especially when combined with other measures. We aimed to develop a shortened, valid, and reliable version of the WPI. Trainees at the University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Clinical Research Education completed the 30-item WPI between 2007 and 2012. We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to reduce the number of items. Of the 402 eligible trainees, 371 (92%) provided data for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and 134 of the eligible 144 trainees (93%) provided data for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). EFA revealed four factors that were roughly equivalent to those of the original. CFA used the three items with the highest loadings on each factor, with two items removed due to low loadings and R-squareds, resulting in a 10-item scale. Cronbach's alpha for each of the four factors ranged from 0.68 to 0.76. Factors in the WPI-10 were strongly and significantly associated with factors in the original WPI, indicating strong validity of the shortened measure. The WPI-10 shows evidence for similar validity and reliability to the original instrument while reducing respondent burden., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The current meta-analytic review examined the effectiveness of job search interventions in facilitating job search success (i.e., obtaining employment). Major theoretical perspectives on job search interventions, including behavioral learning theory, theory of planned behavior, social cognitive theory, and coping theory, were reviewed and integrated to derive a taxonomy of critical job search intervention components. Summarizing the data from 47 experimentally or quasi-experimentally evaluated job search interventions, we found that the odds of obtaining employment were 2.67 times higher for job seekers participating in job search interventions compared to job seekers in the control group, who did not participate in such intervention programs. Our moderator analysis also suggested that job search interventions that contained certain components, including teaching job search skills, improving self-presentation, boosting self-efficacy, encouraging proactivity, promoting goal setting, and enlisting social support, were more effective than interventions that did not include such components. More important, job search interventions effectively promoted employment only when both skill development and motivation enhancement were included. In addition, we found that job search interventions were more effective in helping younger and older (vs. middle-aged) job seekers, short-term (vs. long-term) unemployed job seekers, and job seekers with special needs and conditions (vs. job seekers in general) to find employment. Furthermore, meta-analytic path analysis revealed that increased job search skills, job search self-efficacy, and job search behaviors partially mediated the positive effect of job search interventions on obtaining employment. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed., (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.)