Career development counselling is not something that comes without any fundamental basis. You will be surprised to know that the field of career development is based on some very strong theoretical framework, which has been propounded and advocated by behavioural experts. A very interesting point in this aspect is that if you look deeper into the career choices that you eventually make, it will fall in line with any of those theories, which certainly is not an accident, but instead, a conscious design.
As a young graduate, you must be aware that a glance at the various career development theories during your decision-making process will certainly help you. It will help you understand your core values, apart from indicating your strengths and weaknesses in your pursuit. Moreover, it will enable you to
develop a fair bit of an idea about your career path and give you a mental purview of the possible career trajectories These are very much critical to have a balanced and positive quotient of job satisfaction, which would empower and enrich you in your professional growth and development.
One such career development theory that I would like to bring to your attention is the ‘Holland Occupational Theme’ or the ‘Holland Code’. It was propounded by American Psychologist John L Holland, through which he highlighted that the occupational preference of an individual was a veiled expression of their underlying character. Based on extensive research in the field of
Applied Psychology, he stated that people seek career opportunities that they fit into and flourish in the career environment in proportion to their personality. According to him, the choice of a vocation is an expression of personality.
In the end, the purpose of this column is to sensitise you as a fresh graduate that you need to look within yourself and approach career development with all seriousness. A positive professional intent will enlighten and spark you to choose the most preferred career choice that you desire, which would certainly be in tune with your personality type.
Holland’s riasec hexagon:
Realistic
These people are ‘doers’ and they solve the problem rather than talk about it
Investigative
These are ‘thinkers’ who like to work with information and thrive without teams
Artistic
They are largely emotionally attached to their creativity and are called ‘creators’
Social, Enterprising and Conventional make up the second half of Holland’s RIASEC hexagon
