Work Values are Important in Career Selection

When individuals make a list of some of the important aspects of career selection they often take into account interests and job skills or abilities but overlook work values. Besides knowing the “3 R’s,” there are several important character traits or work values that lead to career success and satisfaction. According to a study published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, communication skills and honesty/integrity were the two most important traits that employers valued. Developing these character skills are not only helpful in finding a career but also lead to more satisfaction in a career.

Robert Orndoff (2004) writes in the National Career Development Association newsletter (NACE, 2005) that the “Big Two” career development topics found in most K-12 career development plans are Career Exploration and Job Searching. While both topics are important, he emphasizes that there is a third career topic that often gets overlooked —

Developing career skills and character traits that will make students marketable for top colleges and jobs, and ultimately successful in career and life.

Not only aptitudes are important but how well a student’s personality and natural character fits a job is significant and may be more influential than interests and aptitudes in some cases. Character education needs to be part of the career education process. The COPSystem assessments not only measure an individual’s interests and abilities as they relate to occupations, but also measure work values and may be a good starting point in a character education component of a career guidance unit. The COPES helps students define how values relate to occupations by measuring the importance of such work environment preferences as Leadership, Independence, or being Social.

One of the unique features of the COPES is that work values are related to the COPSystem Career Clusters, shown below.

Figure 2. Relationship of COPES Values to Career Clusters

Educating students within the framework of Career Clusters can also help students academically by demonstrating the relevance of their education to occupations. According to Kim Green, executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, “Career clusters offer great potential in providing a new framework for career education by promoting academic achievement, fostering successful students’ skills, and meeting new accountability requirements in a more systemic manner” (Career Tech Update, April 2004).

As students begin the career exploration process, it is important for them to have sufficient information so that they will be able to identify the most advantageous career possibilities. With the COPSystem assessments, they can learn more about what interests them, identify and build on their strengths, and explore which types of jobs are most compatible with their personality. Using the results from the COPSystem, students are much more likely to have a more complete picture to prepare them for a career.

References

ACTE (2004, April 28) Career clusters can provide essential link between CTE and academics. Career Tech Update 4, 15. Retrieved April 28, 2004 from http://www.acteonline.org.

Orndoff, R. (2004). Developing students’ career skills and academic proficiencies while centering on character. NCDA Newsletter. Retrieved August 1, 2004 from http://www.ncda.org.

NACE (2005, January 20). Communication skills, honesty/integrity top employers “wish list” for job candidates.