Career Clusters Interest Survey Validity Questioned in Recent Study

The Career Clusters Interest Survey (CCIS) is a scientifically invalid measure for measuring your students' or clients' interests for choosing a Career Cluster or Career Pathway, according to Dominic R. Prime and Terence Tracey's article "Psychometric Properties of the Career Clusters Interest Survey" in the May 2010 Journal of Career Assessment (JCA). It's available through your public or local university library.

The first study ever done of the CCIS, offered by the States' Career Clusters Initiative, shows that the CCIS has serious flaws. For example, it does not measure 3 of the 6 Holland personality types, specifically the Conventional, Realistic, and Investigative personality types.

According to the JCA article, "[u]sing the CCIS to guide students could result in a very restricted examination of occupations." 

If you'd like to use an affordable, scientifically valid measure of Holland's 6 personality types to match students' interests with career clusters and career pathways, please visit our "Choosing a Career Cluster, Field or Pathway" article at The Career Key website. You can download a map that shows how the clusters and pathways are related to interests, the Holland personality types, and occupations.

The Journal of Career Assessment article mentions other scientifically valid measures as alternatives to the Career Clusters Interest Survey if you want to explore more.

Which Engineering Career or College Major Matches Your Personality?

If you are considering an engineering career, college major, or training program, Holland's Theory of Career Choice can help you narrow down your choices and specialty. It can help you sort out what kind of engineer or engineering technician you'd like to be.

According to a recent, excellent Wall Street Journal article, "A Career in Engineering",

"Even though you'll have to decide on a specialization while in college, most recruiters say engineers fall into their specific niche by identifying what they're naturally good at, or what they most enjoy."

Holland's Theory gives you a scientific way to do just that - identify your interests. Through 6 personality types, you can measure your interests and see occupations and majors that match.  Research shows a good match between your personality type and your career choice lead to greater job satisfaction and success. If you're choosing a college major or training program, a good interest-major match will likely result in higher grades.

So it's important to choose a engineering career compatible with your Holland personality type.

Not all engineering careers fall under one personality type.  In fact, they fall under two: Realistic and Investigative. More "hands-on", practical and mechanical kinds of engineering careers are associated with the Realistic Personality type. And the more scientific and precise engineering disciplines are associated with the Investigative Personality type.

In engineering, matching occupations can be basically broken down into groups like this:

Realistic Personality Type
"Engineering" Group* (see examples below)

• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Engineer
• Engineering technologies (technicians, technologists...)
• Surveyor

Investigative Personality Type
"Computer Science and Technology" Group

• Computer Software Engineer

"Engineering" Group

• Biomedical Engineer
• Civil Engineer
• Computer Hardware Engineer
• Petroleum Engineer

You can see all the matching careers for the Realistic and Investigative personality types by visiting our article "Match Your Personality with Careers."

See more "Green Jobs", including engineering-related careers, at a similar article, "Match Your Personality with Green Jobs."

*The Career Key method of grouping matching careers by "Work Groups" within each personality type allows you to explore careers associated with similar worker traits, skills, abilities, temperament, and interests.


Being married to an engineer with a love of Dilbert, I can say that puzzle-solving skills, an interest in science and math, and a sense of humor are also ingredients for success.

Using Holland's Theory and Career Interests to Help Your Clients

I just got back into town from giving a presentation on Holland's Theory of Career Choice.  I focused on how vocational rehabilitation counselors can use career interests to help their clients make good career decisions.

After a passport fiasco (of my own making), I finally made it to the beautiful shores of Lake Waskesiu in central/north Saskatchewan where my gracious host, Jac Quinlan (at left) from the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board was nice enough to let me speak a day late.  The reward was a welcoming crowd and beautiful scenery.

The bottom line questions most counselors or career development professionals helping people make career changes and choices ask are:

1. How can you make my job easier?
2. What are the best, most effective, affordable tools for helping my clients?

Without a doubt, Holland's Theory of Career Choice is a necessary tool in the toolbox.  And The Career Key and Career Key Canada websites give professionals the scientifically valid, affordable resources to put it into practice with their clients.

Holland's Theory is intuitive and easy to explain to people. It's visually attractive too:

• See the Holland Hexagon, and 
• The Career Key's method of organizing matching careers and college majors by each of the 6 personality types and easy to explore "work groups."

I really feel passionate about the usefulness of our work based on Holland Theory. It's not the only proven theory out there but it certainly is one of the most easily understood and put into practice; an excellent starting place for clients.  I guess that means I'm "drinking the [Career Key] Kool-Aid." But you already knew that.

Now that the summer is over and my travel is done, I'm ready to start blogging again.

Career Choices in an Uncertain Economy: Placing Your Bets

Job Outlook for...
High Skilled Careers? Good. 
Low-Skilled Careers? Good.
Middle-Skilled Careers? Not so good.

If you look at job boards and reports from economists and the U.S. Labor Department (read this interesting Wall Street Journal article last week about employers who can't fill jobs), it looks like you find the best job outlook in careers at either end of the skills spectrum: highly specialized, high-skilled jobs or low-skilled jobs.

If you’re concerned about ending up in the “middle-skilled” group now suffering the worst unemployment (a situation likely to continue into the near future), several articles at our website can help you make your next career decision.

Knowing Yourself

• Activities to help you find out what Job Satisfaction means to you;
• Activities to Identify Your Skills, including your motivated skills;
• Foundation Job Skills: Job Skills all Workers Need; and
• The Free Agent Outlook on Work

Include what you learn from these activities, along with your Career Key test results, to help narrow down your options as part of the 4 step ACIP decision making process.

Considering Further Education & Training
If you’re weighing your options for a college major, going back to school or taking on an expensive post-secondary training program, start by planning out what you want to gain from it.

Some may object this approach as dreaded “careerism” or too much focus too soon, but no one says this path can’t be fun and exploratory. Even a narrowly tracked engineering degree will allow for some broader classes like literature and writing, which you should take anyway to learn needed Foundation Skills.

No one says you have to have your one future job title picked out when you enroll, but you need to know why you’re studying what you’re studying.

See our recommendations on how to Choose a College Major or Training Program, including some food for thought on choosing a program in the Liberal Arts, Humanities & General Studies.

While you don’t have to choose between becoming a research microbiologist or a Quickie Mart attendant via your next career move, the jobs data clearly shows that a lack of specialization and focus - regardless of skill level - will lead to a lack of opportunity now and in the foreseeable future.  That's a sure bet. 

Exploring Other Career Development Theories in addition to Holland's Theory of Career Choice

Understanding and using John Holland's Theory of Career Choice is a highly recommended part of one's career planning. It is the most popular and researched career theory used by professional career counselors - and The Career Key test is a scientifically valid measure of Holland's 6 personality types to help you match your personality with occupations and educational programs.

But there is more than one road to your destination.  You should explore other theories and approaches in addition to Holland's Theory. In fact, you would be making a mistake to rely on just one theory or one scientifically valid assessment in your career planning. Theories and resources recommended below involve prominent, well-respected academics in the field of career guidance and counseling.

For professional help in applying Holland's Theory or any of these career approaches, seek out a professional career counselor or Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) established by the National Career Development Association and certified by the Center for Credentialing and Education.

I personally recommend these additional ways of looking at careers and related scientifically valid assessments (if any) or informal self-exploration activities (in alphabetical order):

• Developmental Theory using Dr. Donald Super's Life-Career Rainbow worksheet (PDF, from the University of Oregon Career Information Service)
• Integrated Life Planning by Dr. Sunny Hansen; her holistic approach is described at her website and she also wrote a book called, Integrative Life Planning: Critical Tasks for Career Development and Changing Life Patterns
• Learning Theory and Planned Happenstance by Dr. John Krumboltz, ask a GCDF or professional career counselor for his Career Beliefs Inventory self-assessment, but you can find a detailed description on page 13 of this UK career guidance newsletter PDF.
• Transitions Through Life, by Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg.  Her website and transition tips are relevant to other transitions in addition to career transitions.

You can then return to The Career Key's "High Quality Decisions" article to put this information together with your Career Key test results in a proven process to making a high-quality career or education decision.

As we pointed out in our article "Learn More About Yourself", you need to know as much as you can about your "unique qualities" to choose a career path that will fit you best. Doing the activities on The Career Key website and looking into the resources above will help do just that - and help you make a career decision you won't regret.

Choose a Career Using Your Motivated Skills

Bernard and Jean Haldane pioneered a powerful new approach to career planning (see the remembrance blog post last week). We will remember their important contribution.

Their basic method was to help people identify the skills that they enjoy using -- a “motivated skills” analysis. Then, with this knowledge, choose a career that uses these skills.

Many of their ideas were popularized in Richard Bolles' What Color is Your Parachute. My experience in using it was very positive.

I first came across it in Bernard’s book How to Make a Habit of Success (1981). A review of this book on Amazon.com describes its promise and limitations,

"This book was a Godsend for me in my search for my new career. It showed me how to identify the things in my past that were the building blocks of a long, successful and enjoyable career. It works best for methodical people who follow its instructions in detail. The results are well worth the effort. I have given copies to all of my children and many of my friends."

You can learn how to do this analysis in our article, Identify Your Skills (see the second page). Being “methodical” is important. Study this article carefully.

Many find it hard to recognize their personal achievements, to analyze and articulate the skills involved, and to relate the results to their careers.

Ideally, you want to work with an analytical person trained in this process or to attend one of the workshops offered by the Center for Dependable Strengths. [Note: “Motivated Skills” now called "Dependable Strengths" -- in deference to cultures that might find the former confusing or objectionable.]

For more resources, Amazon.com has a bibliography of Bernard and Jean Haldane’s work.

Remembering Career Development Pioneer Jean Haldane, 1926 - 2010

We would like to take a moment to remember the career development pioneer Jean Haldane, who passed away on May 15.  Dr. Lawrence K. Jones, The Career Key's author, was acquainted with both Jean and her late husband Dr. Bernard Haldane, having used their work in his undergraduate teaching and continuing to recommend it today.

I took the liberty of copying the Puget Sound Career Development Association announcement below, with their links to her Seattle Times obituary and the Center for Dependable Strengths.

If you are not familiar with the Haldanes' work or Dependable Strengths, I strongly encourage you to visit the Center's website, take part in Dependable Strengths workshops, and read related books. One in particular I can recommend by Dr. Haldane: Career Satisfaction and Success: A Guide to Job and Personal Freedom.  Dr. Jerald R. Forster recently published an excellent book adapting some of the Haldanes' work called Articulating Strengths Together (AST): An Interactive Process to Enhance Positivity.

Jean Haldane
1926 to 2010

Jean Haldane, the beloved wife of Bernard Haldane, died on May 15 — four years after suffering a stroke. Jean had been a partner with Bernard in all his work from the time they married in 1965. Jean was much loved and respected by all who knew her. Below is a link to the Seattle Times obituary where you also have an opportunity to write about your memories of Jean.

A memorial service honoring Jean's life will be held Saturday, June 19, 11 a.m. at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church located at 4805 N.E. 45th St., Seattle, WA 98105. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church or to the Center for Dependable Strengths, c/o Highline Community College, P.O. Box 98000, MS 99-85, Des Moines, WA 98198-9800.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=jean-haldane&pid=143327361
Seattle Times obituary. At the top of Jean’s photo, click on “Visit Guest Book" to share your remembrances.

http://www.dependablestrengths.org/news/sp06/resources/forster.htm
A description by Jerald Forster regarding a major training session that Jean would have had a key role at, but could not attend because she suffered a stroke in 2006.

http://www.dependablestrengths.org/originator.htm
A summary of Bernard and Jean Haldane’s work together.

http://www.lib.washington.edu/speciaLcoll/findaids/docs/papersrecords/HaldaneBernard5428.xml
A listing of the entire collection of the work of Bernard and Jean at the University of Washington.