18 Oct Career Values: A Card Sort Activity

Career Values: A Card Sort Activity

Beyond the quantitative assessments of career interests you explored last week, counselors also can access many qualitative strategies to learn about other factors that influence the career decision-making process. One of the more popular types of qualitative career assessments, card sorts, is particularly useful in exploring and prioritizing values associated with career. Career satisfaction can be heavily dependent on how closely your career aligns with your personal values. For example, if one of your values is “Spontaneity and Flexibility,” but your workplace is very routine and structured, you probably will not be happy in that job and might not be successful there.

This Discussion involves a mock career counseling session in which you practice exploring and prioritizing career values using a card sort with a volunteer. In this Discussion, you will create a card sort using the suggested list of values provided in the course Learning Resources, or values you identify for yourself. Then, with a volunteer conduct the card sort, and have the volunteer first categorize each value as “Most Important,” “Sometimes Important,” or “Not Important.” Consider selecting a volunteer that most closely matches the setting you hope to work in. For example, school counseling students should select a volunteer in grades K-12. After the cards have been categorized, instruct the volunteer to organize the values within the “Most Important” category in descending order until the top five values are identified. After identifying the top five values, sit with the volunteer while they use the Career Values Worksheet to rate how closely the four different career options match his or her selected values. Conclude the session with client reflection questions to support the volunteer process insights gained from the activity.

To Prepare:

•             Watch the example card sort demonstration located in the Week 9 Learning Resources.

•             Arrange a time to meet with a volunteer to conduct your own card sort. The meeting should not be recorded.

•             With 3 x 5 index cards, use the list of career values provided in the Week 9 Learning Resources to create the cards for your card sort, or come up with your own list of values.

•             Download the Career Values Worksheet from the Week 9 Learning Resources, and meet with your volunteer to conduct the card sort. Conclude the session with client reflection questions to help the volunteer process insights gained from the activity.

Post:

•             A photograph of your volunteer’s completed card sort

•             Description of what happened during the card sort.

•             Reflections on your experience and your observations of your volunteer.

•             Your personal insights on differences between using quantitative career assessments and qualitative assessments, including the benefits and disadvantages of each.