Career Indecision

Lack of Information and Need for Information

Lack of information has long been considered to be the primary source of indecision. Information deficit accounts for the largest amount of variance in career indecision measures. Individuals can lack information about personal (“What are my strongest interests?”) and career characteristics (“What do software engineers do?”) or about how to engage in the decision-making process. The modal career counseling intervention is designed to increase self- and career-related knowledge and decision-making skills. Recent findings indicate that students may acknowledge a lack of information without feeling a need to gather more information. Clients who do not express a need for information are unlikely to value interest-personality assessment or career exploration activities.

Identity Diffusion

Identity is a core concept in vocational psychology theory and research. Identity diffusion is reflected in the inability to crystallize one's career-relevant characteristics or to see a way to implement personal preferences in a career; career indecision may reflect delays or problems in identity development. Researchers have found moderate to strong linear relationships between identity diffusion and career indecision. Undecided students may benefit from interventions that enable them to explore and crystallize their identities prior to extensive involvement in information-gathering activities. Although identity diffusion is highly correlated with perceived lack of information, information gathering may exacerbate confusion for clients with identity diffusion. Both lack of information and identity diffusion can be see as predecision problems occurring prior to formal decision making.

Trait Indecision

Trait indecision reflects chronic and pervasive difficulty in making decisions. Trait indecision interferes with decision making in several domains: relationships, politics, leisure and recreation, spirituality, and career. Trait indecision can interfere with the ability to process and act on information attained through career assessment and counseling. Counselors often recognize trait indecision when they have completed a full course of career assessment and counseling and find that their client (a) has not identified an academic or career goal even when the objective data support one or more viable choices, (b) does not feel ready to terminate counseling, and (c) expresses doubt about her or his decision-making abilities and/or the counselor's abilities. Trait indecision does not yield to rational analysis or counselor encouragement or support.

Choice Anxiety

Choice anxiety is the affective dimension of career indecision. Specifically, it is negative affect experienced in relation to the career choice process and outcome. Choice anxiety can interfere with the client's ability to gather relevant information, identify salient choice aspects, compare aspects of various choices [Page 1481]under consideration, and determine appropriate choices. Both trait indecision and choice anxiety inhibit the career decision process.

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