Post #3

          I was very interested in our class discussion about Holland’s six personality types. While going over the characteristics of each type, I tried to decide which types best sounded like me and decided on social, conventional, and investigative. To my surprise, after taking the “Knowing Your Holland Code” test my results were artistic, social, and investigative. Although I agree with the social and investigative personality types, I was stumped by the “artistic” type. After reading the different characteristics for an artistic personality type, I decided that this type did not sound like me in the least bit. Now I understand that this activity was not 100% reliable and to not make life altering career choices based on this one test, but I wonder how seriously other people take these types of tests when making career decisions. I believe that these types of tests can be useful in pointing out different interests and abilities a person may have, but should be used with other forms of career counseling when making important decisions about the future. I also believe that our interests and values change over the years and our Holland codes may reflect those changes.

            While reading the textbook, I connected with the social cognitive career theory. According to the text “people become interested in things they believe they can perform well to produce valued outcomes” (Brown, 2012, p. 63).  I very much agree with this theory because if people do not have the self-efficacy to perform a certain job, they will not be successful in their career. People need to have the confidence that they have the skills and the abilities needed in order to thrive in a particular career. When I was a biology major, I struggled with my classes and did not have the self efficacy needed to work in the medical field.  Even if I had gotten my degree in biology, I may not have been successful in my work because I would have lacked the confidence in my skills. When I decided to change my major to psychology, I immediately knew that I had the self efficacy to be successful in the job.  In order to be a therapist, it is important for me to be confident in my skills because clients will easily be able to pick up on uncertainty and anxiety during sessions. I know that my education and training will give me the skills necessary to be able to effectively help others.

References

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.