Anxiety and Career Decision-making : Part 1

What comes to our mind when we hear the terms "anxiety" and "career" within a single context. Scary, isn't it? Well, it is not; only if it is dealt with properly and in due time. Anxiety has been found to have a positive correlation with almost half of the faulty career decisions. In other words, less worried pupils are more likely to make sensible decisions and show greater devotion to their profession.

Wondering how anxiety is related to career decision-making? Let's dive a bit deeper for better understanding.

Many researchers have found out by conducting several studies that the majority of students entering college had difficulties picking a major or vocation, which results from a variety of factors including a lack of information, insufficient learning experiences, and other factors like decision-making procedures that are ineffective. According to the career literature research by Kelly & Shin, 2009; Saunders, Peterson, Sampson, & Reardon; 2000 marked linkages were established between negative career thoughts, emotions, and proponents of career decision status. The presence of negative career thoughts drives an individual towards lower levels of self-esteem or perceived self-efficacy.

Experiencing emotional distress during his/her early education years also provokes anxiety.

Career choice status, also known as career decidedness, is defined as "a continuous variable ranging from a self-perception of entirely decided to absolutely undetermined" (Jones and Chenery). It has been statistically confirmed that as many as 61% of college students enter college undecided about their career aspirations (Gordon, 2007). In addition to this, a lot of anxiety resulting from societal influences gets triggered among such individuals, leading to career indecision. Other precipitating factors like technology, job market fluctuations, and increased importance of job-related identity have further complicated the career decision-making mechanism. Therefore, this career anxiety might stem from both interpersonal (e.g., values, interests, skills) and environmental(e.g., economic situation, educational opportunities) factors. Therefore, the indecisive individual eventually develops a fear of commitment towards a specific career choice.

But this can be avoided if proper measures are taken, which can be listed as follows:

• Allow the individual right from childhood to express his/her liking in whichever path he feels like.

• Avoiding misguidance by malicious societal influences.

• Consult a career Mentor for better knowledge and insights. It can further help the student to refrain from making unrealistic goals.

• Grades should not be the only basis of career decision-making.

• Lastly, the student himself/herself should be the ultimate decision-maker. In that case the decision making can always be under the supervision of parents and career mentors.
  

A lot comes uninvited in our journey towards our dream career; which refrains us from reaching our desired goals. ETIQO help students overcome all those obstacles! Isn't it relieving that now overcoming all those difficulties that can potentially restrict your success will become so easy to deal with?

Join Today & let ETIQO be the one stop solution to all such problems.