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CHAPTER 2

BEGINNING WITH THE SELF


Four Development Areas of Self

1. Physical Self
• Appearance and condition of the body make up
the physical self.
• Most employers are impressed with individuals
who are clean and neat and who make an effort to
present their best appearance.
• Wellness is a high degree of physical and mental
well-being. Health is a significant factor in career
success.

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Four Development Areas
of Self (cont.)

2. Mental/Cognitive Self
• Intelligence
– Can be thought of as mental ability and is usually
assessed on tests of language, mathematical, and
reasoning abilities.
– You may have a high IQ, which reflects a score on a
certain test; however, this probably won’t matter as
much as your eagerness to learn and your ability to
solve problems.

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Four Development Areas of Self (cont.)

– Academic achievement is usually the result of a high


degree of motivation. Those who truly want to do well
frequently do. Employers tend to believe that if you
were motivated to achieve educational success, you
will behave similarly on the job.
– Being curious or confused and then asking meaningful
questions set the stage for learning. Asking questions
on the job is expected. If you’re hesitant about asking
questions, begin to look upon them as ways to learn and
then overcome your reluctance.

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Four Development Areas
of Self (cont.)

• Thinking
– The ability to activate and then pursue mental activity,
is necessary in any job.
– Certain occupations demand creative thinking, the
ability to generate new ideas; others require critical
thinking, an aptitude for probing deeper and examining
the logic of differing points.
– Alertness, flexibility, and a keen desire to exercise your
brain are critical elements in career development. They
also affect life satisfaction.
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Four Development Areas
of Self (cont.)

• Attitude
– A state of mind that is reflected of how we approach
life.
– Creating and keeping a positive attitude toward your
work, your employer, and life in general has the most
profound impact on career success.
– You can still have a positive attitude and realize that
life is not absolutely wonderful all the time. Being
positive means that you look on the brighter side of
events, that you are more “up” than “down”, and that
you usually feel responsible and in control of yourself.
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Four Development Areas of Self (cont.)

– Emphasize solutions, and not just problems.


– Positive people are generally energetic, motivated, and
alert, with a marvelous zest for life.
– People tend to avoid miserable and negative people.
– Employers want people with positive attitudes because
they personally contribute a great deal and also serve as
invaluable role models.
– A person with negative attitude can infect other
employees.

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Four Development Areas of Self (cont.)

• Self-fulfilling Prophecies
– Beliefs about the self have a tremendous impact.
– Self-fulfilling prophecies are beliefs that are acted out
and, thus, confirmed.
– Eg. Ali believed he was persuasive. He convinced his
supervisor to try an idea that could save money for the
company.
– Examine your self-fulfilling prophecies. Keep the ones
that are useful and change those that are not.

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Four Development Areas of
Self (cont.)
• Cognitive Restructuring
– Thoughts also influence your emotions.
– Your thoughts can either cause or at least contribute to
the feeling of depression or dejection.
– Cognitive restructuring (or known as thought changing)
is an effective technique to influence your emotion.
– Think of a recent less-than-positive thought, then
change it to a positive one. How could your emotions
have been different?

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Four Development Areas of Self (cont.)

– Eg. Siti interviewed for a job she really wanted and was
told that someone else was selected. She immediately
thought, “Either I didn’t do interview well, or they just
don’t like me. This is probably the way my job search is
going to go.” As a result of her thoughts, she feels
dejected and hopeless. Instead she could tell herself “
Just because I wasn’t selected doesn’t mean I didn’t
interview well or that they didn’t like me. I’ll think of
this as a learning experience and keep looking.”
Obviously, her feelings of dejection and hopelessness
would disappear.
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Four Development Areas of
Self (cont.)
3. Emotional Self
• Human beings are emotional, and our feelings both enrich
and disturb our lives.
• Emotion such as happiness, sadness, concern, pride, anger,
and excitement bring texture and color to human
existence.
• “Complex” is a common way of describing the emotional
self.
• Many people find it difficult to get in touch with their
feelings, and they may not know what can occur in the
presence of emotion.

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Four Development Areas of Self (cont.)
• Three components are possible when emotion is
experienced:
• 1st: Physiological arousal or response.
– Nervous system, various glands, and organs within the
body are active during an emotional state.
– Eg. Blushed in an embarrassing situation.
• 2nd: Subjective cognitive state – awareness and
appraisal of the feeling.
- When you’re happy, you may not be aware of physiological
arousal; yet, you just know you’re experiencing happiness.

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Four Development Areas of Self (cont.)

• 3rd: Expression – Observable verbal or


nonverbal behaviors.
– Expression of emotion can help or hinder people in
their careers.
– Eg. Facial expressions can reveal what you’re feeling.
If you look friendly, interested, and enthusiastic, you
are much more likely to get and keep a job.
– Expressing your feelings can lead to emotional well-
being and enhanced relationships.

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Four Development Areas
of Self (cont.)
4. Social Self
• Who you are in relation to others and how you
interact are vital to your well-being and will
significantly affect career development.
• Teamwork is required in today’s work world, so
the ability to get along with others is essential.
• You and other individuals create what can be
called a social climate. Its influence is either
positive or negative.

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Four Development Areas of Self (cont.)

• Conflicts occur; yet, congenial people who


genuinely like others can manage disagreements
effectively.
• A social self with an appropriate sense of humor, a
cooperative attitude, sensitivity, and fairness is a
plus.
• Common interview question: How well do you get
along with people?

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Four Development Areas of Self – The
Whole Self
• The 4 developmental areas comprise a whole.
• Having problems in one area of self usually diminishes one or
more of the other 3. The good news is that a positive spillover
effect also occurs.
• Striving for a whole integrated self is a worthy goal.
Additionally seeking balance deserves attention.
• Some people devote a great deal of time and energy to their
mental self yet exclude their social development and are
strangers to their feelings. Others have vigorous social lives to
the detriment of their physical and mental well-being.
• Can you remember a time you didn’t feel well physically?
What were you like mentally, emotionally, and socially?

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Personality Types

• Personality - The “unique you”, a distinctive


pattern of behaving, thinking and feeling.
• Dr. Carl Jung, a pioneer in psychological types,
believed that behavioral differences are based on
the ways people approach life.
• Based on Carl Jung’s typology with some of their
own refinements, Isabel Myers and her mother,
Katharine C. Briggs, developed the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI).
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• It has been extensively applied in education,


business, the artistic world, and decision making.
• The indicator focuses on positive aspects and
preferences for thinking, feeling, and acting.
• Can be used to make wise decisions about all
aspects of life including career choices.
• Increases understanding of different behaviors
which can help us cope with people and their
differences constructively.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)

• In her studies of people and extensive reading of


Jung’s theories, Myers concluded there were four
primary ways people differed from one another.
• She labeled these differences “preferences”
• The MBTI is a personality questionnaire designed
to measure and describe 4 preferences: what
energizes you, how you like to get information,
make decisions and organize your lives.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)

• Extraversion – Introversion (E or I)
– External or internal orientation to the world and source
of life energy.
• Sensing – Intuition (S or N)
– Ways of taking in and processing information.
• Thinking – Feeling (T or F)
– Use of thought or feelings in decision making.
• Judgment – Perception (J or P)
– Modes of dealing with and living in the outer world.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)
1. Extraversion(E) / Introversion(I)
• Extraversion(or known as extroversion) – your energy
is drawn from external sources including other
people, and you probably project energy outward.
• Extraverted and outgoing people prefer to operate in
the outer world of people and things.
• Introversion – having an interest in the inner world of
concepts and ideas. The source of life energy is
within and comes from solitary experiences.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)
• Those with introverted preference reenergize themselves and
don’t rely on external stimuli. Interaction drains their energy,
and they need to spend time alone recharging themselves.
• People who prefer extraversion will usually behave in a
friendly manner and appear open.
• Those who are more introverted usually do not actively seek
out others and may appear to be in their own world; but this
doesn’t mean they are incapable of friendliness or they are shy
or snobbish. They are often skilled with people; however they
prefer smaller numbers of people, fewer interactions, and
opportunity to get to know people well.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)

2. Sensing(S) / Intuition(N)
• Sensing – you tend to be realistic, practical,
observant, and good at remembering and working
with a great number of facts.
• Intuition – you value and use your imagination,
have new ideas, and enjoy solving problems.
• Sensors (S) are concrete and attuned to details
while intuitives (N) are visionary and ablaze with
possibilities and ideas.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)

• Sensors (S) prefer a systematic step-by-step


procedure and don’t seem to be bothered by
repetition.
• Intuitives (N) prefer to devise their own methods,
will work on several steps or projects at once, and
prefer variety. They bored with routine.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)
3. Thinking (T) / Feeling (F)
• Thinking – you use logic and decide impersonally.
• Feeling – you consider anything that matters or is
important to you or other people and decide in a
personal way.
• People with both preferences can care a great deal
about people and believe that their decisions are
based on the “right” motives.

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)

4. Judgment(J) / Perception(P)
• Judgment – you prefer living in a planned,
decided, orderly way, wanting to regulate life and
maintain control over events.
• Planning and preparation are typical behavior.
Judgers (J) seek closure and prefer to reach a
decision or judgment quickly.
• Keyword: organization

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (cont.)

• Perception (P) – you like living in a flexible,


spontaneous way, wanting to understand and adapt
to life.
• You often “go with the flow” and like to keep your
options open.
• Keyword: adaptability.
• The judger(J) probably views the perceiver(P) as
disorganized or flighty, while the perceptive one
could become frustrated with what appears to be an
overly organized and inflexible co-worker.
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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
• John Holland’s theory can be summarized in six
statements:
– Most person are one of six personality types: Realistic,
Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and
Conventional
– People of the same personality tend to “flock together”.
For example, Artistic people are attracted to making
friends and working with Artistic people.
– People of the same personality type working together in
a job create a work environment that fits their type. For
example, when Artistic persons are together on a job,
they create a work environment that rewards creative
thinking and behavior – an Artistic environment

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
– There are six basic types of work environments:
Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising,
and Conventional.
– People who choose to work in an environment similar
to their personality type are more likely to be satisfied
and successful.
– How you act and feel at work depends to a large extent
on your work environment. If you are working with
people who have a personality type like yours, you will
be able to do many of the things they can do, and you
will feel most comfortable with them.

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Realistic Type Work Environment
– Persons having a Realistic personality type
"dominate" this environment. There are more of
them than there are people of other personality
types. For example, at a construction site there will
be more persons having a "Realistic" personality.
– "Realistic" people create a "Realistic" environment.
For example, they particularly value people who
are practical and mechanical -- who are good at
working with tools, mechanical or electrical
drawings, machines, or animals.

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Examples of occupations that have a
Realistic environment are:
– Farmer - Forester
– Fire Fighter - Police Officer
– Flight Engineer - Pilot
– Carpenter - Electrician
– Diesel Mechanic - Locomotive Engineer
– Truck Driver - Locksmith

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Investigative Type Work Environment
– Persons having an Investigative personality type
"dominate" this environment. For example, in a
scientific laboratory there will be more persons
having an "Investigative" personality.
– "Investigative" people create a "Investigative"
environment. For example, they particularly value
people who are precise, scientific, and intellectual
-- who are good at understanding and solving
science and math problems.

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Examples of occupations that have an
Investigative environment are:
– Chemist - Mathematician
– Meteorologist - Biologist
– Dentist - Physician
– Veterinarian - Pharmacist
– Medical Technician - Architect
– Surveyor - Electrical Technician

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Artistic Type Work Environment
– Persons having an Artistic personality type
"dominate" this environment. For example, among
a group of professional musicians there will be
more persons of an "Artistic" personality.
– "Artistic" people create an "Artistic" environment.
For example, they particularly value people who
are expressive, original, and independent -- who
have good artistic abilities in creative writing,
drama, crafts, music, or art.

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Examples of occupations that have an Artistic
environment are:
– Dancer - Book Editor
– Art Teacher - Clothes Designer
– Graphic Designer - Comedian
– Actor - Disk Jockey
– Composer - Musician

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Social Type Work Environment
– Persons having a Social personality type
"dominate" this environment. For example, in a
hospital, school, or counseling service there will be
more persons having a "Social" personality.
– "Social" people create an "Social" environment.
For example, they particularly value people who
are helpful, friendly, and trustworthy -- who are
good at good at teaching, counseling, nursing,
giving information, and solving social problems.

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Examples of occupations that have a Social
environment are:
– Counselor - Parole Officer
– Social Worker - Dental Hygienist
– Nurse - Physical Therapist
– Teacher - Librarian
– Athletic Trainer

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Enterprising Type Work Environment
– Persons having an Enterprising personality type
"dominate" this environment. For example, in a
business or legal setting there will be more
persons having an "Enterprising" personality.
– "Enterprising" people create an "Enterprising"
environment. For example, they particularly value
people who are energetic, ambitious, and sociable
-- who are good at politics, leading people and
selling things or ideas

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Examples of occupations that have a
Enterprising environment are:
– Auctioneer - Sales Person
– Travel Agent - Recreation Leader
– Judge - Lawyer
– City Manager - Sales Manager
– Bank President - TV Newscaster
– Customs Inspector - Camp Director
– Hotel Manager- Real Estate Agent
– School Principal
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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Conventional Type Work Environment
– Persons having a Conventional personality type
"dominate" this environment. For example, in an
office of a bank or real estate company there will
be more persons having a "Conventional"
personality.
– "Conventional" people create an "Conventional"
environment. For example, they particularly value
people who are orderly, and good at following a
set plan -- good at working with written records
and numbers in a systematic, orderly way.

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Examples of occupations that have a
Conventional environment are:
– Court Clerk - Secretary
– Bookkeeper - Bank Teller
– Post Office Clerk - Mail Carrier
– Typist - Title Examiner
– Timekeeper

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Holland’s Theory and Career Choice
(cont.)
• Holland classifies people into 6 different groups
that can then be matched to career fields.
• Holland’s Self-Directed Search (SDS), reveals
your type, which could be realistic (R),
investigative (I), artistic (A), social (S),
enterprising (E), or conventional (C).

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Personality Type

Attribute Realistic Investigative Artistic Social Helping Enterprising Conventional

Preferences Manipulation of Exploration, Literary, musical, Teaching, Persuading, Establishing or


for activities machines, tools, understanding, and or artistic treating, manipulating, or maintaining orderly
and and things prediction or control of activities counseling, or directing others routines, application
occupations natural and social serving others of standards
phenomena through personal
interaction
Values Material rewards Development or Creative Fostering the Material Material or
for tangible acquisition of knowledge expression of welfare of others, accomplishment and financial
accomplishments ideas, emotions, social service social status accomplishment
or sentiments and power in
social , business, or
political arenas
Sees self as Practical, Analytical, intelligent, Open to Empathic, Having sales and Having technical
conservative, and skeptical, and having experience, patient, and persuasive ability – skills in business or
having manual academic talent – lacking innovative, having lacking scientific production –
and mechanical interpersonal skills intellectual – interpersonal ability lacking artistic
skills – lacking lacking clerical skills – lacking competencies
social skills or office skills mechanical
ability
Others see as Normal, frank Asocial, intellectual Unconventional, Nurturing, Energetic, Careful,
disorderly agreeable, gregarious conforming
creative extroverted

Avoids Interaction with Persuasion or sales Routines and Mechanical and Scientific, Ambiguous or
people activities conformity to technical activity intellectual, or unstructured
established abstruse topics undertakings

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