Career assessment and planning services that enable students with disabilities to make successful transitions from higher education to careers are an important component often missing in the postsecondary educational experience. Comprehensive services in this regard involve students in considering how to incorporate their preferences, assets, and…

The Self-Directed Search for Educational and Vocational Planning (SDS) is a self-scoring, self-administering instrument designed by John L. Holland, author of the Vocational Reference Inventory. Preliminary use of the SDS led to the speculation that some people were very dissatisfied with their results and others were quite pleased. Of the 4,631…

In a women's prison, 31 first-time offenders, 30 probationers, and 31 repeat offenders were compared in terms of dysfunctional career thoughts and career interests. Repeat offenders had significantly less commitment anxiety. Probationers had higher coherence in career aspirations; however, only 13% of the whole group had high coherence. (SK)

Scores of 81 adults on the Career Thoughts Inventory and the Self-Directed Search (SDS) showed a canonical correlation between the typology structure measured by the SDS and dysfunctional career thoughts. Depending on their dominant SDS score, some people may be more anxious and confused about career decision making than others. (SK)

This article explores the practical difficulties encountered in using self-administering, self-scoring, and self-interpreting career guidance instruments with students who have white-collar aspirations and blue-collar histories. After dramatizing and summarizing the problems, the author describes a model for successful use of one such…

Several predictors of occupational choice derived from a theory of careers (Holland, 1973) were examined. Hypotheses that a person's competencies, activities, self-estimates, interests, and vocational choices can be organized by a six-category typology to understand and predict subsequent choice were tested. Samples of 894 men and 989 women took…

This study explored the differences on variables of satisfaction, self-concept, self-acceptance, and vocational maturity between freshmen students who made congruent and incongruent occupational choices. Findings suggest that subjects in the congruent male group tend to report better maintenance of personal stability and greater satisfaction than…

In this study, the relationship of expressed occupational daydreams and scores on the Self-Directed Search (SDS) were examined. Results were consistent with Holland's theory of careers. Implications for career counselors are discussed. Students were asked to provide specific biographical data (i. e., age, gender, race) and to write down their…

Compared effectiveness of two career self-assessments: the Vocational Interest, Experience, and Skills Assessment (VIESA) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Fifty-one college student volunteers from career-planning seminars participated. Results indicated both instruments were found useful. No statistically significant preference for either SDS…

Tested the hypothesis that an abbreviated Self-Directed Search (SDS) would increase self-estimated career knowledge and decision making of students (N=173). Completing an abbreviated SDS decreased self-estimated career management competencies, but it did not affect tested career management competencies nor differentially affect men and women nor…

Techniques and experiences that would help students not only in finding their first job, but in all future career decisions, were packed into a three-credit-hour course. (Author)

Modification of instructions to the Activities and Competencies section of Holland's Self-Directed Search to allow users more flexibility in responding to items was compared to the standard set of instructions. Results indicated modified instructions did significantly alter users' summary codes although users were not more satisfied. (Author)

Concern on how interest inventories are being used in career counseling and other preventive interventions has resulted in heightened sensitivity to the impact of interest inventories and the emergence of the concept exploration validity. Various aspects of exploration validity were assessed using three different interest inventories. The…

Trait-factor theory, developmental/self-concept theory, personality theory, and behavioral theory are some of the major theories of career development. The first three (trait-factor, developmental/self-concept, and personality) have ties to the gestalt school because of the emphasis on the individual's relationship to the environment. Anne Roe's…

Increase in predictability of vocational plans of college women (N=152) was sought by using variables from Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS). The most recent daydream and summary of daydream codes were the best single predictors of academic major. The most recent daydream was the best single predictor of vocational plans. (Author)