THE

OCCUPATIONAL INTERESTS

By Tony Crowley

To help people of all ages making career choices.

Includes photocopiable questionnaire.

Contents

1 The purpose of interest measures
2 Description
3 Completing the Explorer
4 Scoring the Explorer
5 Interpreting the Explorer
6 Examples
7 The Explorer in an interview 8 The Explorer in group discussions 19

9 Students' guide to the Explorer 21

Appendix 1:

Relationships between the Explorer and other tests and measures

Appendix 2:

Supplementary questionnaire for use in adult guidance

References

Restricted Waiver of Copyright

Under a restricted waiver of copyright, to which this publication is subject, the purchaser is allowed to photocopy the material for use within a school or college. This is subject to the following conditions:

The school or college shall not derive revenue from the selling, hiring or otherwise of copies of the material, nor distribute copies of the material for any other purpose

All copies made of the material must retain acknowledgement of the publisher's copyright and should be made without alteration of any kind.

The publisher holds the right to withdraw the restricted waiver of copyright should any of these conditions be breached.

Published in 1995 by Westlake Publishing Ltd 17 Sturton Street Cambridge CBl 2SN

E-mail: Lake@westlake.demon.co.uk

Copyright © Westlake Publishing Ltd 1995 ISBN 1 898995 09 5

Front cover illustration by Tim Oliver

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The Explorer was originally published in 1972 and has been revised at regular intervals. The current questionnaire and manual have been redesigned in the light of helpful comments from the Explorer's many users in schools, careers services, colleges, and universities.

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5 Introduction

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The Occupational Interests Explorer is an interests questionnaire which requires no special training or computer assistance in its administration. It enables a careers adviser to obtain a rapid but accurate assessment of an individual's interest in several general fields of work and in a wide range of occupational activities. It provides a valuable basis for discussion in both individual guidance and in group work, and may be used to monitor career development.

The Explorer is designed for students of above-average ability and for adults. It can be used in schools (from around Year 10), and in colleges and universities, and takes about 20 minutes to administer.

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The Explorer is presented in three sections:

Part 1 is devoted to an exploration of occupational interests. Part 2 investigates the subject'S work val ues.

Part 3 is an open-ended questionnaire focusing on future career plans. There is also a section for summarising results and interpretations.

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The purpose of interes

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naires that are referredtoasllnterestn~eL~r~s',but these

are generally of the first kind mentioned above and are incapable of proving any measure of occupational interest

or work values as defined here.

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measures

In a careers guidance interview it is usual for an adviser to focus attention on a person's interests, as it is not unreasonable to assume that people are happier performing tasks that interest them and may be better motivated to acquire the related skills. Specific expressions of vocational interests by young people, however, are limited by their lack of knowledge and experience. A discussion based on spare-time pursuits and hobbies may help to establish rapport during an interview, but such activities often lack depth or stability and cannot always be relied upon to reveal the ways in which a young person's interests, values, and attitudes are unfolding. In these circumstances, careers advisers are encouraged to consider and discuss activities drawn from the real world of work, and occupational interest guides are well suited to this task.

Interest guides, inventories, or tests, have a long history of research and development dating back to the early years of the twentieth century. They are usually presented as printed questionnaires but are not confined to this format and may be presented orally through a recording or visually through a series of pictures. The latter technique is particularly suitable for poor readers and certain pupils with special needs. As questionnaires, they normally contain a series of job titles or job activities representing several different fields of work: practical, social, artistic, etc. The subject responds by selecting and rejecting items, by grading them, or by arranging them in order of preference. Response methods and content vary, but, from the author's research into interests guide design (Crowley, 1981), it would appear that no single method holds any substantial advantage in eliciting reliable responses.

Though not tests in the conventional sense of the term, interest measures 'test' by assessing how much a subject persists in expressing a preference for the items representing different interest scales. For example, in a conventional questionnaire, a subject would respond to an item such as 'Do you like making or mending things?' In a specially designed interests guide, this would be represented by several activities sampling practical tasks, and the subject's interests would be assessed by the consistency he or she demonstrated in responding to these items. Computeraided careers guidance has introduced many question-

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Limitations in the measurement of interest

In conversation, the word 'interest' is used in a variety of ways as the following sentences illustrate:

'There was nothing in the sale to interest me'

'Would being a doctor interest you?'

'What things interest you in your spare time?'

'She has such interest in my subject. A joy to teach!'

In each case, the word has a slightly different meaning, ranging from attention and curiosity, to participation and motivation.

Most interest guides can provide a reasonable picture of the kind of activities a person enjoys, and can often suggest areas of work where he or she may find satisfaction or even the motivation to succeed, but they are not designed to test job knowledge, participation or motivation. Indeed, used with a younger or less-mature subject, they are probably only tapping the person's curiosity about certain fields of work. Furthermore, they point like a compass rather than measure like a thermometer; they help to indicate and clarify the direction of the individual's vocational interests.

A feature of some interest guides is that subjects are required to mark their selection on separate hand- or machine-scored answer sheets. Whilst inspecting the various activities, certain items may have sparked off a particular reaction which might have revealed useful insights into the person's career interests, values, and attitudes. In the efficiently scored analysis, however, the responses to these items are lost in the general summary of the results. Despite these limitations, research suggests that interest guides are far more effective in predicting the types of work or training entered than almost any other method of gauging future intentions, including students' expressed preferences and parents' ambitions (Crowley, 1983). It has also been demonstrated that those who enter a job in

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accordance with their measured interests have more stable work histories and express greater job satisfaction than those who enter work at variance with their measured interests.

Generating ideas or improving self-understanding?

In the early days of interest measurement, a person's responses to the various items were compared to those of groups of workers in different jobs. Where a similarity emerged between an individual and a particular occupational group, the latter was singled out for consideration in the guidance interview, eg 'Your responses are highly similar to those made by our sample of prison guards. What do you think about that?' There were several problems associated with this kind of matching procedure. In the example above, if the sample of prison guards had been overwhelmingly represented by poorly educated, conservative, and aggressive white males, the questionnaire could serve to ensure that the occupation continued to attract similar recruits despite attempts by society to redefine the nature of that occupation.

A further criticism of the matching approach is that it neither encourages self-understanding nor challenges the views people might hold of themselves. Paradoxically, this approach has been adopted by many computer-aided guidance systems which compare an individual's interest profile to a large number of job profiles in the computer data bank. The job profi les, however, are not based on empirical studies, but are drawn up by a panel of experts (ie friends of the author): 'Your responses are highly similar to the responses which, in our opinion, should be made by prison guards.' The focus of matching has moved from unacceptable reality to unsubstantiated fantasy.

The failure of the matching procedure to encourage selfunderstanding was graphically illustrated in a University of Hertfordshire research project to evaluate the impact of different computer-aided guidance systems. In the study, which involved two genuine programs and one artificial program, the system which ignored the students' responses and which generated random job ideas was judged by the students to be the most valuable in helping them with their career plans.

The Occupational Interests Explorer has not been designed to match people to occupational profiles or to provide users with instant solutions to their career decisions. It has been designed to overcome some of the weaknesses described earlier and to help people gain some insight into the reasons behind their preferences and rejections. The emphasis, therefore, is not just on 'what are my interests?' but 'why do I respond in this way and what does this mean for my career plans?'

NB Throughout this manual, the term 'student'is used to describe the pupil, student, or client completing the Explorer. The text, however, indicates when the instructions or interpretations refer to adults rather than young people at school.

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Description

The Explorer consists of a single sheet of A3 folded to form
four pages. Instructions and personal data appear on the agriculture 37 73
front page. Part 1 (interest areas and themes) is featured animals 2 38 74
across the inside spread. Part 2 (work satisfactions) and surveying 3 39 75
Part 3 (career intentions) appear on the back page. transport 4 40 76
construction 5 41 77
Interest areas manufacturing 6 42 78
In Part 1, there are 108 occupational activities presented in Enterprising/Persuasive:
three columns. In each column, there are six panels and negotiating 7 43 79
these panels link up across the questionnaire to represent
the following areas of occupational activity. selling objects 8 44 80
selling services 9 45 81
Panel 1 : Practical/active activities which involve practical management 10 46 82
skills and/or physical strength. law and order 11 47 83
Panel 2: Enterprising/persuasive activities which provide communicating 12 48 84
an opportunity to dominate, sell to, lead, or Scientific/Investigative:
manage others. medical science 13 49 85
Panel 3: Scientifidinvestigative activities which require an veterinary science 14 50 86
interest in how or why things occur and work. plant research 15 51 87
Panel 4: Clerical/administrative activities which involve the environment 16 52 88
dealing with words, data, facts, and figures. technology 17 53 89
Panel 5: Artistidcreative activities which involve self- human behaviour 18 54 90
expression through art and design, writing, music Clerical/Administrative:
or entertainment.
Panel 6: Social/supportive activities involving concern and costing 19 55 91
support for the health, welfare, or education of finance 20 56 92
others. statistics 21 57 93
These six areas reflect an earl ier analysis of occupational documentation 22 58 94
fi les and records 23 59 95
interests: practical, business, scientific, clerical, artistic, plans 24 60 96
and social (Guildford, 1954). Over the years they have
been gradually adjusted to reflect the considerable Artistic/Creative:
research into occupational choice by Holland (1985). music 25 61 97
Their definitions have been compared to several other entertainment 26 62 98
methods of describing interests and have been found to be graphics 27 63 99
more acceptable and more readily understood by students
(Athanasou, 1982). The items representing the six scales design 28 64 100
have been subjected to rigorous statistical procedures to crafts 29 65 101
ensure that they suit the scales to which they have been writing 30 66 102
allocated. Social/Supporti ve:
Interest themes the disabled 31 67 103
medical care 32 68 104
In addition to the linking of general interest areas across therapy 33 69 105
the Explorer, the 36 items in each column are also loosely children 34 70 106
related across the questionnaire according to the following education 35 71 107
key: guidance 36 72 108
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Westlake Publishing Ltd For example, each of the following items appears within the clerical/administrative panel, and links across the Explorer to provide a theme based on costing:

iil 19 Value life and property for insurance policies iil 55 Calculate the costs of an unusual project

II[ 91 Prepare bills of quantities from architects' plans

Similarly, the following items appear within the social/ supportive panel and link across to provide the theme of medical care:

II[ 32 Nurse and care for elderly people

II[ 68 Give assistance to mothers in childbirth

roo 104 Advise and treat patients at a health centre

Work satisfaction

Part 2 consists of 20 statements which have been selected from the results of an extensive statistical analysis. Ten of the statements relate to an interest in the content and demands of a job and ten relate to the context and rewards of the job.

The intrinsic rewards items are as follows: iil To find new ways of doing the job

roo To be able to work alone

iil To produce something useful
roo To give advice to others
iil To be of help to people
roo To plan my own work
II[ To be able to solve problems
roo To work at my own pace
II[ To make use of my abilities
iil To make my own decisions The extrinsic rewards items are as follows:

I To earn a high wage iil To have job security

II[ To have the chance of promotion iil To have status in the community II[ To have good working conditions iil To have friendly workmates

roo To earn bonuses or extras

II[ To have good supervisors

roo To have good training facilities ill! To work regular hours

Career plans

The third and final section of the Explorer consists of three questions regarding the subject'S vocational choice.

What type of job do you think you will do when you start work?

If you could get the right training, what sort of work would you choose?

If you could be anything you want, what would you choose?

Although th is section can be offered to adu Its, advisers may find the open-ended questionnaire in Appendix 2 to be more effective.

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Completing the Exp

These instructions follow the personal section on page 1 of the Explorer.

This interest survey has been prepared to help you in choosing a career or course of study. It contains brief descriptions of activities performed in many different types of work. When you have completed it, your careers adviser will show you how it is scored.

Instructions

There are three stages in completing Part 1.

1. Read through the lists overleaf. Think carefully about each activity.

If you feel you would like it, circle the number under

If you are not too sure, ? circle the number(J) under •

If it does not interest ou, ~ circle the number under U

Do this for each of the 108 activities.

2. Now, if you had to pick 20 items, which ones would you choose?

The scores you gave earlier may help you in your choice. Underline your 20 choices like this:

109 Organise a concert in aid of charity

3. Having underlined 20 items, go through them carefully and choose the word in each item that encouraged

you to select it. Circle it like this:

109 Organise a concert in aid In this example, the word 'charity' was selected, but someone else might choose 'organise' or 'concert'.

The first, or free-choice, stage encourages students to express their feelings towards each item and provides an opportunity for a general review of the 108 activities.

Using the scores from this stage, a careers adviser will discover more about a person's enthusiasm for certain areas and types of work.

In the second, or forced-choice, stage the student has to select and underline 20 activities. For some, this will be a difficult task and the selections may include activities which hold little or no appeal to the subject. The underlined selections, however, will generally complement and clarify the pattern of likes and dislikes from the first stage and provide a rapid assessment of the student's interests. They are also important for identifying the 36 interest themes described in Chapter 2.

In the third stage of Part 1, students review their 20 selections and circle the words which encouraged them to select those items. Later, students will attempt to sort the words into meaningful groups or clusters. A number of underlying interests and values may be revealed in this manner, and students will often admit to being unaware that certain themes were influencing their responses.

Part 2 of the Explorer is completed by reading the 20 work statements and rating their importance by circling the number under the appropriate description:

(i) 'Very important',

(ii) 'Quite important', and (iii) 'Not important'.

In Part 3, students are asked to answer three questions concerning their vocational expectations, preferences, and aspirations.

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Part 2:

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Scoring the Explorer

Part 1: Activities

Take each of the six interest areas in turn. Using the circled numbers as scores, total up the 18 scores for each area and place this total in the appropriate panel to the right of Part 1. Scores in each of the six areas range from o to 36.

When time for scoring is limited, users may wish to dispense with the six area scores and concentrate on inspecting the clusters of underlined items. These can usually provide a rapid assessment of an individual's preferred and rejected interest areas. On the other hand, scores from the six areas are useful for a variety of reasons. For example, they can help to clarify the student's enthusiasm for one or other of the interest areas. They may also be used for researching the nature of, and changes to, the occupational interests of particular groups. Students often like to score their own questionnaires and compare their results to those of their colleagues.

There are two scores to be obtained in Part 2 of the Explorer.

Intrinsic:

Total up scores in the left-hand columns under 'very' and 'quite important'.

Extrinsic:

Total up scores in the right-hand columns under 'very important' and 'quite important'.

Enter the two totals in the appropriate IN and EX panels at the bottom of the page. Scores in these two scales can range from 0 to 20.

The right-hand section on the back page of the Explorer may be used to summarise the results and interpretations.

NB The scoring of Parts 7 and 2 may be undertaken by students once the basic layout of the Explorer's scales has been explained to them. The scales should not be discussed in detail, however, until the questionnaire has been completed.

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Interpreting the Exp~·;;>·····-·

This chapter shows how an adviser uses the Explorer to build up an occupational image of the student and to compare that image to his or her career plans. There is much evidence to suggest that if expressed job interests or plans do not match the results of the Explorer, there is little likelihood of students obtaining or pursuing their claimed goals.

When describing the occupations they are considering, some subjects will only mention those jobs which they feel are feasible and to which they expect to have some access. Some will express preferences regardless of their immediate availability, and others may record aspirations which contain a large element of fantasy. The closer individuals are to taking up jobs or training opportunities, the more they are expected to take a realistic view of themselves and their opportunities. Indeed, older and mature subjects are more likely to differentiate between occupational expectations and fantasies, but younger subjects do not always appreciate the distinction between these different kinds of choices.

Accordingly, the three questions in Part 3 of the Explorer have been designed to draw the distinction more clearly and help clarify the basis on which current career intentions are based.

Interpretation: a summary of the main stages

(i) Which are the preferred and rejected interest areas?

(ii) How much enthusiasm is shown for the preferred

areas?

(iii) Do the underlined items reveal specific interests? (iv) Do the circled words reveal underlying needs? (v) What types of job satisfactions are valued?

Part 1 (i) Which are the preferred and rejected

interest areas?

In most cases, these are apparent from the clusters of underlined items. It is usually found that the majority of selections fall within one or two interest areas, and that certain areas will be entirely ignored. These rejected areas can often be just as revealing as the preferred areas. Sometimes, however, selections are scattered throughout the questionnaire with no one area predominating. Although this might indicate students with a wide range of interests, it is more likely to be associated with those who lack career goals, are indecisive, have confused selfimages, and are in most need of counselling. Well-defined and consistent patterns invariably emerge when students clarify their goals.

(ii) How much enthusiasm is shown for the preferred

areas?

Here we check the pattern of underlined items against the six area scores. Where a number of selections are concentrated in one interest area and these are accompanied by a score of 20 or more points, it is likely that the student has genuine enthusiasm for work of that nature. On the other hand, areas with less than 10 points suggest little enthusiasm for that kind of work. There is a stage in the development of interest where it tends to focus on a specific activity to the exclusion of others. It is possible, therefore, that low scores may indicate someone with a narrowly defined range of interests and who may be reluctant to consider alternatives at that point in their career development.

(iii) Do the underlined items reveal specific interests?

A glance around the Explorer will soon indicate if any

rows contain three underlined items. As mentioned earlier, the items are loosely related across the Explorer and the themes can be identified with the help of the lists in Chapter 2. People are not always aware that they have shown this kind of consistency. Indeed, few completing the Explorer are aware of the repeated pattern of the interests or themes across the three columns. Where two out of the three items in a row have been underlined, it is worth asking the student to identify the attraction that these have in common, but which is not shared by the third.

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For example, 'You have picked item 11, Question suspects or witnesses and make arrests, and also item 47, Supervise young offenders on probation, but you have ignored item 83, Help keep law and order in a tough district. They all have a link with law and order, so why do you find the first two attractive, but not the third?'

This technique is not unlike the method used for eliciting personal constructs (Bannister & Mair, 1968) and some very revealing opinions can be obtained.

(iv) Do the circled words reveal underlying needs?

If the Explorer has been completed during a group discussion, students will have attempted to identify underlying themes from groups of associated words and these will have been summarised on the back page of the questionnaire.

The selection of many verbs suggests someone who is concerned about what they will actually be doing and how they will be employed. The selection of many objects suggests someone attracted by the items with which they will work. The selection of many environments indicates someone who is attracted by the context rather than the content of the job. The circling of words like 'and','at','on', etc, is rare and suggests someone who is in need of something other than vocational guidance.

(v) What types of job satisfactions are valued?

In Part 2, the average score for either scale is about 12 points. Where the intrinsic score is noticeably higher, this usually indicates someone for whom the demands of the job are of paramount importance. In planning a career, they are more likely to investigate the duties and skills required for competence. They also tend to have better job knowledge (Kirton et al., 1976), and have a more clearly defined interest pattern on Part 1 than those who favour the extrinsic scale. Where the extrinsic score is noticeably higher, this usually indicates someone who is not too worried about what they do as long as other consolations are available, e.g. high wages, companionship, good working conditions, etc. They neither look for, nor expect, much satisfaction from their work duties.

High scores on both the intrinsic and extrinsic scales usually indicate someone who attaches much importance to the role of work in life. Such scores are often seen in questionnaires completed by self-confessed 'workaholics'. Low scores on both these scales usually indicate someone who attaches more importance to other roles in life, e.g. parent, leisure-seeker, citizen, etc or someone who would prefer to avoid being tied down by a regular job.

A summary of meanings that might be attached to the results

Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted into the relationships between interest patterns on the Explorer and various measures of temperament, values and attitudes. Some of the findings are summarised in Appendix 1. As a result of these surveys, some general observations can be made in relation to certain patterns of responses, but, if these are not handled carefully, they will only serve to reinforce the stereotyped images people have of certain occupations. It must be emphasised, therefore, that those with high scores on the scales described below, or those who perform that type of work, do not necessarily possess the attitudes or qualities listed. They are merely offered as indicators as to why some people may find certain occupations or roles desirable. Indeed, there is much evidence to show that stereotyped television and media images of occupations can play an important part in the formation of work-related self-concepts. Each area, therefore, includes a brief description of the popular media image of that kind of work.

1 Practical/Active

People who enjoy practical activities and prefer to work with tools, equipment, machinery, or animals. They often like repairing things and describe themselves as practical, sensible, and down-to-earth. Although they are often

found working in groups or teams, they are not particularly extroverted. They like to control materials or objects and solve problems by practical action. Their preferred working environments are usually in the fields of engineering, manufacturing, construction and surveying, farming or transport. The stereotyped media image is often a taciturn individual who feels that others should stop talking, pick up the tools, and get on with the job.

2 Enterprising/Persuasive

People who enjoy activities which give the opportunity to persuade or organise other people. They often tackle tasks with energy and enthusiasm, and see themselves as extroverted, talkative, impulsive, and ambitious. They do not relish being tied down by regulations and tend to generalise when dealing with facts. They like to control decisions and often solve problems by taking risks. Their preferred working environments are usually in the field of management, legal services, active sales work, public relations and marketing, or security services. The stereotyped media image is often an aggressive person who feels that most people value his or her advice and need firm leadership.

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3 Scientific/Investigative

People whose interests lie in scientific exploration and discovery. They generally enjoy puzzling out why or how things occur or work and see themselves as inquisitive, serious, independent, and scholarly. They score high on measures of self-esteem, and attach much value to honesty. They like to be in control of knowledge and understanding and often solve problems by careful research into all the available options. Their preferred working environments are usually in the fields of scientific or medical research. The stereotyped media image is usually an eccentric scientist who, having analysed the evidence very carefully, proceeds to baffle everyone with theory.

4 Clerical/Administrative

People who enjoy activities which involve checking or calculating facts and figures. They like to be surrounded by sources of information and describe themselves as methodical, cautious, persistent, and tidy-minded. They value power and status, and usually follow a conventional lifestyle. They like to be in control of information and often solve problems by carefully following agreed procedures. Their preferred working environments are usually in the fields of finance, management support, office work, computers, library and information services. The stereotyped media image is often a conventional and rather obsessive character who often feels more comfortable surrounded by rules and regulations.

5 Artistic/Creative

People whose interests lie in the world of art, literature, music and entertainment. They usually enjoy imaginative or unusual activities and see themselves as creative, unconventional, and self-centred. Sometimes they will admit to being temperamental and rather anti-social. They frequently like to be in control of ideas and often solve problems by being creative. Their preferred working environments are usually in the fields of art and design, showbusiness and entertainment, journalism, photography, fashion, etc. Without talents or contacts they spend a lot of time in the dole queue. The stereotyped media image is usually an ostentatious and rebellious character who feels that we all need more colour and excitement in our drab little lives.

6 Social/Supportive

People who enjoy being of service to others and participating in community activities. They like to help others with their problems and see themselves as caring, sociable, friendly, and emotional. They value people more than possessions. They frequently like to be involved in the lives of others and often solve problems by responding to their feelings or emotions. Their preferred working environments

are usually in the fields of social and community services, nursing and the therapies, teaching, or child care. The stereotyped media image is usually of a kind, if gullible, character who wants to help people on their journey through this cruel world.

Differences in response rates to the Explorer

Some students select a large number of items as being of great interest to them and so their overall area scores are high. Other students reject the majority of items and have low overall area scores. High responders generally describe themselves as adventurous, impulsive, sociable, and enthusiastic. Low responders are more likely to describe themselves as cautious, restrained, and suspicious. Low scores across the six main scales may also indicate students who are indifferent to the task of completing the Explorer or the session in which it is featured.

Use of the central 'not sure' response

The circling of a considerable number of 'not sure' responses is associated with an inability to make decisions, and the lack of a clear self-image.

Indistinct interest profiles

Sometimes, it is very difficult to determine a pattern of preferences from the Explorer. These ill-defined profiles are often related to a lack of occupational knowledge, and a preference for extrinsic rather than intrinsic job interests. Some American research has indicated that these flat interest profiles are related to an inability to make vocational decisions.

Some frequently observed combinations of interests

Here are some frequently observed interest area eombinations and the behaviours with which they are often associated.

Practical and scientific. An interest in research and development and in improving existing designs or equipment.

Practical and artistic. An interest in the environment, in architecture or landscaping.

Scientific and artistic. An interest in intellectual pursuits, an 'ideas' person.

Scientific and social. Often associated with a strong interest in medical matters. These two scales feature

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prominently in the profiles of doctors, dentists, nurses, and hospital therapists.

Scientific and clerical. An interest in mathematics, statistics, and computers.

Artistic and social. An interest in cultural activities. Unlikely to be very aggressive or assertive.

Artistic and enterprising. Invariably associated with extroverted and attention-seeking behaviour.

Social and enterprising. A strong interest in people. Unlikely to be very happy if deprived of social contact.

Social and clerical. These two scales often feature in the profiles of helpful and sensitive administrators.

Enterprising and clerical. An interest in the world of business, sales, and administration. A person who is likely to keep a careful eye on the profits.

Enterprising and practical. Seen in the profiles of those who have a tough-minded approach to life. May sometimes run small businesses offering practical services.

Clerical and practical. Seen in the profiles of those who are task-orientated and who often prefer to remain in the background.

Unusual combinations

From considerable research on interest patterns, we know that the following areas are rarely seen in combination:

practical and social

clerical and artistic

enterprising and scientific

Most people who respond positively to one of the areas, usually find the other undesirable or distasteful. In a sense, these pairs represent opposite poles on dimensions such as:

people v. things, facts v. ideas, or impulse v. restraint.

When a young person responds favourably to both areas, this frequently indicates someone with a confused selfimage and who is experiencing difficulty in formulating a realistic career plan. With adults, however, these cornbinations may occasionally be observed when subjects wish to transfer their existing skills to a different work setting - for example, the engineer who wants to work in a hospital, or the sales person who seeks work with a medical research organisation. Frustrated by a lack of appreciation, status, or identity in their current employment, they hope to gain recognition by exercising their skills in a different working environment.

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Explorer

Occupational Interest

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Name

Age

School/College

Date

This interest survey has been prepared to help you in choosing a career or course of study. It contains brief descriptions of activities performed in many different types of work. When you have completed it, your careers adviser will show you how it is scored.

Instructions

There are three stages in completing Part 1

1. Read through the lists overleaf. Think carefully about each activity.

If you feel you would like it, ~ circle the numbe under l§

If you are not too sure,

circle the number nder?

If it does not interest you, ~ circle the number@under U

Do this for each of the 108 activities

2. Now, if you had to pick 20 items, which ones would you choose?

The scores you gave earlier may help you in your choice. Underline your 20 choices like this:

109 Organise a concert in aid of charity

3. Having underlined 20 items, go through them carefully and choose the word in each item that encouraged you to select it. Circle it like this:

109 Or anise a concert in aid

In this example, the word 'charity' was selected, but someone else might choose 'organise' or 'concert'.

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Part 2

Study the following job satisfactions and rate their importance to you by circling the number under the appropriate description.

very quite not
important important important
To earn a high wage 2 1 0
To find new ways of doing the job 2 1 0
To have job security 2 1 0
To be able to work alone 2 1 0
To have the chance of promotion 2 1 0
To produce something useful 2 1 0
To have status in the community 2 1 0
To give advice to others 2 1 0
To have good working conditions 2 1 0
To be of help to people 2 1 0
To have friendly workmates 2 1 0
To plan my own work 2 1 0
To earn bonuses or extras 2 1 0
To be able to solve problems 2 1 0
To have good supervisors 2 1 0
To work at my own pace 2 1 0
To have good training facilities 2 1 0
To make use of my abilities 2 1 0
To work regular hours 2 1 0
To make my own decisions 2 1 0 liN I EX liN I EX I

01E ..... summary

Part 3

Please answer the following questions:

What type of job do you think you will do when you start work?

If you could get the right training, what sort of work would you choose?

If you could be anything you want, what would you choose?

Main interest

Underlined themes

Job satisfactions

IN

EX

14 The Explorer

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Examples

Example 1.

The Explorer was completed by a student following an A-level course in mathematics and physics.

From the pattern of underlined items, the subject's main interest areas are scientific and practical, and the rejected areas are enterprising and social. Both of the preferred areas are supported by high-scale scores which suggest some enthusiasm for those fields of work.

Specific themes identified from the underlined items: ~ surveying

I construction

I manufacture

I environment

~ technology plans

An analysis of the circled words reveals a high proportion of verbs: build, construct, measure, develop, etc. These suggest that the subject focuses on the demands of a future job rather than the rewards or the environment.

A need for intrinsic job satisfaction is also reflected in the results of Part 2. Highly rated individual items (not shown) include planning one's own work, working alone, and making one's own decisions, which suggests someone of an independent nature. In Part 3, the anticipated and preferred occupation was 'building surveyor'.

Summary

The results suggest a subject who is practical, active, and task orientated. A self-contained individual who is not very keen on teamwork or supervisory duties, but who will give careful consideration to the content or demands of any opportunity which arises. The subject'S stated preference 'building surveyor' is quite well matched to the general interest pattern, but how will he or she cope in negotiations with clients?

Example 2.

The subject was an adult on a 'New Opportunities' course.

From the pattern of the underlined items, the subject'S main interest areas are social and artistic, whereas enterprising is completely rejected. Only the artistic area is supported by a high-scale score which suggests some enthusiasm for that field of work. Social work would appear to be more of a forced-choice preference than a genuine interest. The overall pattern, however, is quite similar to one that is often produced by those who are rather 'tender minded' in their approach to life.

Special themes identified from an inspection of underlined items:

m! animals I graphics I design

I writing I therapy I education

These interests are reflected in an analysis of the circled words which include:

animals, wildlife, dogs, layout, illustrations, artwork, drawings, write, report, create, design, help, teach, therapy

From the scores of Part 2, neither intrinsic nor extrinsic satisfactions were favoured. Highly rated items (not shown) were 'status in the community' and 'making use of my abilities'. In Part 3, the expected job was left blank and preferred occupation was 'to run an antiquarian bookshop'. The subject'S aspiration was 'to be a famous writer'.

Summary

The results suggest a creative and caring individual, who is not particularly assertive, or concerned with scientific or administrative matters. For a job preference which involves business contact and clerical administration, a stronger interest in those areas might be anticipated. This is someone who probably enjoys books but may not have considered the full implications of setting up a small business in that field.

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The Explorer in an interview

It is fairly obvious that the Explorer does not serve up a neat and tidy solution to the assessment of occupational interests. To make full use of the techniques, careers advisers must be aware of the general layout and nature of the scales and their items, and should be prepared to spend some time studying the student's responses.

Prior to the interview

(i) Check the date of completion and check any scores entered on the scoring panel.

(ii) Study the pattern of responses and individual items as outlined in the section on interpretation.

During the interview

(i) What was the student's general impression of the questionnaire? Did he or she enjoy completing it?

(ii) Is the student aware of the pattern of preferences or rejections, or of any themes arising from underlining items or circling words? A brief summary of how the adviser has interpreted the questionnaire would be helpful here. Are there any discrepancies in the selections, and, if so, can the student shed

any light on them?

(iii) Does the general pattern reflect the student's present interests, hobbies, or attainments? Does it perhaps reveal something about the kind of environment in which the student would like to work, or the sort of people he or she would like to work alongside? Has completion of the Explorer increased the student's selfunderstanding in any way?

(iv) Does the pattern match his or her career

plans? Mismatches should always be investigated fully and discussed.

(v) Other considerations:

Health: Are there any aspects of health or physique which interfere (permanently or temporarily) with the student's plans?

Abilities: Are there discrepancies between the pattern of interests and the student's abilities? What are the student's current attainments and is there any evidence to suggest

that he or she is capable of that level, or

of developing new skills? The use of reasoning and aptitude tests can be valuable when there is little information available from school or college reports.

Knowledge: Does the student have up-to-date and accurate information on his or her career choice?

Temperament: How motivated is the student to achieve

this goal? Could a change of environment or teaching methods help? Are there certain tasks or work environ- "'-.. ments which the student might avoid?

Circumstances: What opportunities are available to the student? Would a move to another area or district be necessary or feasible? Will parents, guardians, or family give moral or financial support to his or her career intentions?

Interests: Are there other job suggestions which might be better suited to the student's interest profile? Does the profile suggest hobbies or spare-time interests which might be worth developing?

Advisers working with school and college leavers are more likely to have access to information on students' achievements and work experiences through reports and action plans. Those working with adults, however, will need to spend more time reviewing their clients' past achievements and work records. The open-ended questionnaire items presented in Appendix 2 have proved to be quite useful when used in association with the Explorer and various psychometric tests.

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The Explorer in gro~ discussions

As the Explorer's marking procedure is not particularly Scientific Artistic
time-consuming, its completion by a group of students may
be followed by a related discussion. The following ideas; Activities Activities
which have been tested and developed with the help of meteorology art
various groups, are suggested.
biology creative writing
1. To help students relate their interests to the zoology drama
skills, are personal qualities required by certain astronomy music
kinds of work? physics graphic design
(i) Upon completion of the questionnaire, students study botany dancing
chemistry crafts
the basic layout and are encouraged to work out the mathematics
six basic areas. They can also attempt to identify the geology
36 themes running across the questionnaire.
(ii) What special skills or personal qualities might each Qualities Qualities
area demand? A large group could be subdivided into curious creative
six smaller groups, each to discuss a particular area perceptive original
and report back its observations in a full session. persevering sensitive
(iii) How do those students whose responses cluster within analytically minded rhythmical
certain areas feel about the group's assessment of the original imaginative
necessary attributes? Do they feel they possess such i nvesti gative colour-sense
qualities? In which school subjects or other activities
might these be developed and practised? Some
examples of helpful qualities and activities are listed Clerical Social
below:
Activities Activities
English social studies
Practical Enterprising commerce rei igious studies
accounts first aid
Activities Activities economics history
craft design and technology club leadership business studies child-minding
physical education languages computer studies social work
home improvements young enterprise Qualities Qualities
domestic science public speaking
car repairs mini-companies orderly cheerful
rural studies monitor duties logical co-operative
precise sociable
Qualities Qualities accurate responsible
practical inspiring disciplined dependable
persistent verbally able observant patient
methodical sociable
visually discriminating confident
co-ordinated enthusiastic
mechanically minded decisive T ~=h~e~E=x~p=lo=r~er~ 19

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2. To help form special interest groups for discussions and other activities.

The Explorer may be useful in helping to allocate students to various groups for the purpose of talks, work exploration, or literature searches. Students should be encouraged to investigate a wider range of occupations than those featured in the questionnaire. The major categories of the Careers Library Classification Index and their related Explorer interest areas are listed below.

B Armed forces (Pra, Ent, Soc)

C Administration, business, clerical, management

(Cle, Ent)

E Art and design (Art, Pra)

F Teaching and cultural activities (Art, Soc) G Entertainment and leisure (Art, Ent)

Catering and other services (Pra, Art, Ent, Soc) Health and medical services (Soc, Sci)

K Social and related services (Soc, Ent)

L Law and related work (Ent, Cle)

M Security and protective services (Ent, Cle) N Finance and related work (Cle, Ent)

o Buying, selling and related services (Ent, Cle)

Q Science, mathematics, and related work (Sci, Pra) R Engineering (Pra, Sci)

S Manufacturing industries (Pra, Sci)

U Construction and land services (Pra, Sci, Cle) W Animals, plants and nature (Pra, Sci)

Y Transport (Pra, Cle, Ent)

The computer program MICRODOORS can be used to generate specific job ideas using combinations of the six scales featured in the Explorer.

3. To help students clarify the satisfactions and qualities they value.

The list in Part 2 can be a useful starting point for a discussion on the importance of work values. Students are encouraged to justify their selections and describe their interpretation of the satisfactions listed. They may also wish to identify the types of work, or working environment, where they think these satisfactions are likely to be available. Comparisons between the views of those students who favour a particular job satisfaction, and those who reject it, can be useful.

4. To help students understand that values must often be satisfied in roles outside paid employment.

Many jobs are not designed to interest people and some workers can feel exploited or alienated by their daily routines. The six scales are explored by the group in a search for related roles, hobbies, and spare-time activities which may help people compensate for a lack of job satisfaction. Indeed, such roles may become vital for selfesteem during periods of enforced idleness.

5. To help students analyse their preferences in greater detail.

An unusual but fascinating exercise may be tackled by asking students to review the words they circled in Part 1. These, it will be recalled, are the words which encouraged them to select the 20 underlined items. Using a separate sheet of paper, each student attempts to sort the words into clusters or groups which hold some meaning for them. The interpretation of these clusters may even be shared with a partner. A number of underlying interests will be revealed by this method, and students will often admit to being unaware that certain themes were influencing their responses.

The Explorer

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Students' guide to the Explorer

If you look at the block of six items at the top of each column, you will see that the items are generally concerned with doing practical things and being outside and active.

The second block in each column presents enterprising and persuasive activities.

The third block is concerned with scientific activities. The fourth block covers clerical and administrative activities.

The fifth block presents a range of creative and artistic activities,

The sixth block involves social and supportive activities. By scanning your underlined items, you should be able to see the areas in which your preferences lie. You will also detect the areas you wish to avoid, Here are some further details about the six scales:

1 PIA: Practical!Active

This scale is usually preferred by those who enjoy practical activities and like to work with tools, equipment, machinery, or animals. They are usually the kind of people who prefer to get things done rather than just talk about them. Their work may be in fields like engineering, manufacturing, construction and surveying, farming, or transport.

2 E/P: Enterprising/Persuasive

This scale is usually preferred by those who enjoy activities which give them the opportunity to persuade or organise other people. They often tackle problems with energy and enthusiasm. Their work may be in fields such as management, legal services, sales work, public relations and marketing, or security service.

3 S/I: Scientific/Investigative

This scale is usually preferred by those who enjoy scientific activities. They like puzzling out why or how things occur or work. With academic qualifications, their work could be in scientific, technical, or medical research,

4 C/ A: Clerical! Administrative

This scale is usually preferred by those who enjoy activities which involve checking or calculating facts or figures. They are often well organised and tidy minded. Their work could

be in finance, management support, work, library

work, computers, or transport administration.

5 A/C: Artistic/Creative

This scale is usually preferred by those who like art and design, playing music, or writing. They often enjoy imaginative or creative activities. With talents their work could be in art and design, hairdressing, entertainment, journalism, photography, etc. Without talent or contacts they make lots of new friends in the dole queue.

6 SIS: Social/Supportive

This scale is usually preferred by those who are interested in work of a caring nature, They often enjoy participating in community service activities, Their work could be in social and community services, nursing and the therapies, teaching, or child care.

The scores in the boxes to the side of Part 1 may give you some idea of your enthusiasm for the different areas. A score below 10 suggests little enthusiasm, whereas a score in the region of 20 indicates a stronger interest.

Interest combinations

Perhaps two interest areas show up clearly on your completed Explorer. If so, here are some observations in connection with certain interest combinations.

Practical and scientific. An interest in research and development, in improving existing designs or equipment.

Practical and artistic. An interest in the environment, in architecture or landscaping.

Scientific and artistic. An interest in intellectual pursuits, an 'ideas' person.

Scientific and social. Often associated with a strong interest in medical matters. These two scales feature prominently in the profiles of doctors, dentists, nurses, and hospital therapists.

Scientific and clerical. An interest in mathematics, statistics, and computers.

Artistic and social. An interest in cultural

activities, Unlikely to be very aggressive or assertive.

Artistic and enterprising. Usually associated with extroverted and attention-seeking behaviour.

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Social and enterprising. A strong interest in people. Unlikely to be very happy if deprived of social contact.

Social and clerical. These two scales often

feature in the profiles of helpful and sensitive

adm i n istrators.

Enterprising and clerical. An interest in the world of business, sales, and administration. A person who is likely to keep a careful eye on the profits.

Enterprising and practical. Seen in the profiles of those who have a tough-minded approach to life. May sometimes run small businesses offering practical services.

Clerical and practical. Seen in the profiles of those who like to get on with a clearly defined task and who often prefer to remain in the background.

Unusual combinations

The following combinations are a little unusual:

1. practical and 6. social

2. enterprising and 3. scientific 4. clerical and 5. artistic

Although these pairs of interests are found in certain jobs, they are sometimes selected by people who are rather confused about themselves and their career plans. This confusion also shows up in an over-use of the 'not sure' or '?' on Part 1, or in high scores across all six scales.

Underlined items

If you have a row of underlined items across the Explorer, you will find that they share something in common. Here is a guide to the links across the Explorer:

Practical! Active:

1. agriculture

2. animals

3. surveying

4. transport

5. construction

6. manufacturing

Enterprising/Persuasive:

7. negotiating
8. selling objects
9. selling services
10. management
11. law and order
12. communicating Scientific/Investigative:

13. medical science
14. veterinary science
15. plant research
16. the environment
17. technology
18. human behaviour Clerical! Administrative:

19. costing
20. finance
21. statistics
22. documentation
23. fi les and records
24. plans Artistic/Creative:

25. music

26. entertainment

27. graphics

28. design

29. crafts

30. writing

Social!Supportive:

31. the disabled

32. medical care

33. therapy

34. children

35. education

36. guidance

Circled words

Take a closer look at the words which you circled as they may reveal some interesting things about you. Can you detect any links between your words? Are any of them similar in some way? Try grouping them according to their similarities and see if you can identify or name the groups.

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Part 2

Part 2 of the Explorer investigates work satisfactions and has two main scales:

Scale 1 (IN):

Usually preferred by those who attach much importance to being interested by the content and the demands of their work. In choosing employment, they usually investigate the duties of the job very carefully. In the wrong job, they can become very bored. They also tend to pick out verbs when selecting words on Part 1.

Scale 2 (EX):

Usually preferred by those who attach importance to the work situation and the rewards that go with the job. In

choosing employment, they will pay more attention to the pay, working conditions, fellow workers, and supervision. They also tend to pick out workplaces when selecting words on Part 1.

The average score on either scale is 12 points. People with high scores on both scales usually attach much importance to the role of work in their lives.

People with low scores on both scales usually attach more importance to other roles in their daily lives.

A summary of measures found to have a significant correlation with the scales of the OlE.

Practical/Active

Tests and related scales or items

OlE scale

RM:

WEPS:

ACL:

mechanical, scientific, outdoor, practical practical, isolation

practical, energetic, mechanically minded, hard-working, dependable

Enterprising/Persuasive

MBTI: introversion

RM:

EPQ:

WEPS:

ACL:

persuasive, clerical extroversion

sales, office

friendly, independent, talkative, enthusiastic

Scientific/Investigative

MBTI: extroversion, intuition

RM:

WEPS:

ACL:

CSEI:

EPQ:

MBTI:

AH3:

scientific, medical

practical, innovative, isolation

observant, inventive, imaginative, unpredictable, serious, intelligent self-esteem

lie scale (negative) sensing (objective)

numerical reasoning, perceptual reasoning, general intelligence

Clerical/Administrative

RM:

WEPS:

ACL:

MBTI:

AH3:

clerical, computational office, sales

careful, observant, methodical, co-operative introversion

numerical reasoning

Artistic/Creative

RM:

WEPS:

ACL:

MBTI:

EPQ:

aesthetic, literary, musical innovative, isolation

unpredictable, creative, rebellious, impulsive, imaginative intuition, extroversion

extroversion, lie scale

Social/Supportive

RM:

EPQ:

WEPS:

ACL:

MBTI:

social service extroversion, lie scale social, isolation

helpful, careful, patient, not-methodical feelings (people-centred)

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OlE scale

Tests and related scales or items

Overall interest score

ACL:

EPQ:

enthusiastic, impulsive extroversion

Intrinsic

AH3:

JKI:

EPQ:

MBTI:

general intelligence job information

low anxiety (stability) perceiving (flexible), intuitive

Extrinsic

EPQ:

AH3:

JKI:

MBTI:

lie scale

general intelligence (negative) job information (negative) judging (organised)

RM: Rothwell Miller Interests Blank CSEI: Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory
ACL: Adjective Check List JKI: Job Knowledge Index
WEPS: Work Environment Preference Schedule AH3: AH3 Applied Reasoning Test
EPQ: Eysenck Personality Questionnaire MBTI: Myers Briggs Type Indicator Note 1: The lie scale mentioned under EPQ represents a tendency to give socially desirable responses in a personality test.

Note 2: The term 'negative' refers to a high score on the OlE being related to a low score on the relevant scale.

Supplementary questionnaire for use in adult guidance

IW Which of the following might cause you concern?

boredom working conditions low pay

accidents stress health problems

Name

IW Please write a few words about your educational qualifications and the things you have achieved in your life.

relationships work rules supervision
criticism taking time off time-keeping
punctuality responsibility competition
technology discrimination family demands iill Personal qualities. What would you say are your best qualities and what would you like to improve?

IW Looking back on your work record, which kind of work did you enjoy most and why?

IW If you hope the test results will help you with a particular decision, please describe it.

iill Which work or duties did you enjoy least and why?

IW If you could meet the person you were at 15, what advice would you give yourself?

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References

Athanasou, J.A. (1982) High School students' preferences for; and understanding of, vocational interest categories. Research Report, New South Wales Department of Industrial Relations.

Bannister, D. & Mair, J.M. (1968) The evaluation of Personal Constructs. London: Academic Press.

Crowley, A.D. (1979) Work environment preferences and the self-concept, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, Volume 7, Nol.

Crowley, A.D. (1981) The content of interest inventories: job titles or job activities?, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Volume 54, Number 2.

Crowley, A.D. (1983) Predicting occupational entry: Measured versus expressed interests, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Volume 56, Number 1.

Guildford, J.P. (1954) A factor analysis of human interest, Psychological Monographs, Volume 68.

Holland, J.L. (1985) Making Vocational Choices:

A Theory of Careers, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Kirton, M. et al (1976) Career Knowledge of Sixth Form Boys: London: Employment Services Agency.