The Career Decision State and Rehabilitation Counselor Education Programs

• Published in: Rehabilitation counseling bulletin Vol. 59; no. 3; pp. 133 - 142
• Main Authors: Leierer, Stephen J., Wilde, Caroline K., Peterson, Gary W., Reardon, Robert C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-04-2016; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Commitments; Counselor education; Decision making; Graduate students; Rehabilitation; career decision state; rehabilitation counselor education; career thoughts; career certainty; career satisfaction
• ISSN: 0034-3552; 1538-4853
• DOI: 10.1177/0034355215579278

Undergraduate and graduate students enroll in rehabilitation counselor education programs with varying degrees of commitment to a career goal in the field. The career decision state (CDS) comprising certainty, satisfaction, and clarity is a snapshot of one’s career goals. It is bidimensional, differentiates between undergraduate and graduate rehabilitation counseling students, and is associated with negative career thinking. Implications for using CDS in the form of a brief questionnaire, in student orientation and ongoing advising, and in future research are discussed.