The following is an example of someone using the OSCAR method to move from feelings of uncertainty to feelings of confidence about making a career choice. Many of the ideas presented in the program on Career Advancement will be repeated here; however, they will focus on the process of entering a career rather than solidifying, advancing or changing a career that one has already chosen.
- What am I saying to myself about making a career choice?
- What am I thinking, feeling and doing about making a career choice?
- What are the most important things to me that need to be satisfied to have an ideal career?
- What tendencies am I experiencing most when I think about making a career choice?
Circle One: What am I saying to myself as I think about making a career choice?
“Here I am in my second year of college, and I haven’t chosen a major. There are a lot of things that I like to do, and I know the things that I’m not good at. Math and science are out. I’m good enough at them, if I need to do them for something else, like a business major…but not accounting. I like people … my friends tell me I’m good at working with others and getting along with everybody. They tell me I should be a politician or something like that. Maybe I should major in psychology or political science… I don’t know. But, I like business … I like the action. God … I’m confused. I need to get some clarity and soon. I’m getting to feel uptight about this.
Circle Two: What am I thinking, feeling and doing about making a career choice?
Emotions
____ I feel frustrated about ______________________________________
____ I feel depressed about ______________________________________
____ I feel hopeful about ________________________________________
____ I feel confident about ______________________________________
____ I feel lost about ___________________________________________
____ I feel strongly, have a passion or love for _______________________
____ other ___________________________________________________
Behaviors
____ I talk to my friends about careers, but the talk does not lead to action.
____ other _________________________________________________
Thinking
____ I keep bouncing back and forth between one idea and another about what career I want.
____ I think that I size myself up pretty well about what I’m good at.
____ I worry about making a mistake with this decision.
____ I’m thinking optimistically. Eventually, I’ll get this right.
____ I’m thinking realistically. I want financial success.
____ Other ________________________________________________________
Circle Three: What are the ideals or values that are most important to me in a career?
– I want to feel that I am doing something worthwhile.
– I want to feel a sense of achievement.
– I want to feel that I am getting excellent at what I am doing.
– I want to be rewarded well financially.
Circle Four: Which tendencies am I experiencing as I’m thinking about making a career choice?
Irrational
____ confusion (I’m not clear about the process of making a career decision.)
____ dependence (I’m relying too much on other people’s advice.)
____ rebellion (I blow up at myself and others whenever the topic of career choice comes up.)
____ skepticism (I doubt that I’ll be able to do what I really want to do.)
Rational
____ order (I’m getting my feelings and thoughts sorted out about a career choice.)
____ control (I feel that I’m responsible and in charge of making a career decision.)
____ system (I see all the pieces coming together – interests, values, abilities, the connection between selecting a major and a career, and the connection between career and marriage and family.)
____ certainty (I feel confident that I’m engaged in the process that will lead to a wise decision.)
Supra-rational
____ vision ( I have a clear understanding of what’s important to me in a career, and I have a realistic understanding of myself. I clearly see the career road ahead of me.)
____ freedom ( I’m open to explore the career possibilities that will help me realize my vision.)
____ change (I’m ready to make the necessary adjustments to realize my vision.)
____ creativity ( I’m searching for new, practical ways to make a prudent and wise career choice.)
- What are the positive and negative emotions, behaviors and thinking in each circle?
- What do I need to change?
Circle One:
I need to focus on what’s important to me when I’m talking to myself about a career choice.
I need to be methodical in talking to myself about a career. I need to stop rambling.
Circle Two: Identify negative behaviors, emotions and ways of thinking that I need to change.
(The emotions will change as one’s thinking becomes more focused and logical and one’s behavior becomes more effective.)
Circle Three: Identify and reflect on the career ideals (values) that are important to me.
– I need to focus on and clarify to myself the ideal of meaningful work.
– I need to keep in mind the ideal of achievement and excellence when thinking about possible careers.
– I need to think realistically about the ideal of financial rewards.
Circle Four: Identify the irrational tendencies that I need to minimize and the rational and supra-rational tendencies that I need to strengthen.
– I need to minimize my confusion and maximize my vision by reflecting on my career ideals.
– I need to minimize my dependence on the opinions of others.
– I need to open my mind and freely explore career possibilities that fit my interests, abilities and ideals.
– I need to order my thinking according to my career ideals.
– I need to control my negative emotions and procrastination.
I need to discover practical and effective ideas that will help me make a wise career choice that will fit me.
In this step I want to view the concern about my career choice that I described in Circle One:
– from the viewpoint of my supra-rational tendencies of vision and freedom
– from the viewpoint of my rational tendencies of order and control
– from the viewpoint of my career ideals.
To discover the best practical ideas that will help me make a wise decision I need to:
– question (What do I need to know about myself? What do I need to know about the requirements of different careers? Where do I find this information?)
– use my memory to help me perceive myself accurately
-use my imagination to engage in thought experiments and analogies
Questioning
1. What interests me most?
____ Working with ideas ____ Working with people ____ Working with things
What combination of the above appeals to me most? Eg. Ideas/people, etc.
2. What are my abilities?
____verbal ____ mathematical ____ scientific ____ mechanical ____ social
____ artistic ____ managerial ____ inventive ____ entrepreneurial ____ sports
____ other ____________________________________________
3. What resource can I use to get an objective assessment of my abilities and interests?
____ college career center
____ faculty advisor
____ internet
Using your memory and imagination to get in touch with your tendencies of vision and freedom.
1. I will recall a time when I felt most like myself.
Example: (I felt most like myself when I was teaching ten year old kids at the community center how to play tennis.)
2. At that time I was feeling (eg. Useful ) ______________________________
I was engaged in the following behaviors (eg. Organizing, demonstrating, encouraging, etc. )
_____________________________________________________________________
I was thinking (eg. I’m good at this; I’m doing something good for these kids, etc.) _______________________________________________________________________
3. What did I discover about myself in this exercise?
(Eg. I like to show people how to do things. I like to take charge and organize.)
_______________________________________________________________________
Using your imagination for a thought experiment
Some careers that interest me at this point are:
a. _____________________________________
b. _____________________________________
c. _____________________________________
If I choose a. _____________________________ I can realistically expect:
____ doing something very meaningful ____somewhat meaningful _____not meaningful
____ high level ____ mediocre level ____ low level of achievement
____ high level ____ mediocre level ____ low level of excellence
____ high level ____ mediocre level ____ low level of financial reward
(Do the same exercise for b and c. Which choice will yield the best probable results?)
Using analogies
Making a career choice is like deciding on:
a. painting a picture (What am I trying to paint? What shapes and colors will harmonize? How can I capture the truth of this person in this portrait?)
b. drawing up plans for a house (What is main purpose of the house? Who will live in this house? What raw materials are required to make the vision of this house a reality?)
Similarities between making a career choice and making a painting and drawing up plans for the construction of a house:
What am I trying to make in my career?
What are the raw materials (interests, abilities, etc.) that I need to harmonize?
What is my plan of action to achieve my career vision?
Some practical ideas that can be deduced from the above exercises:
- Gather specific information about my interests, abilities and values from objective career, personality and aptitude tests, just as the architect needs specific information about building materials and the painter needs to know paints and canvass.
- Draw up a step by step procedure for making a decision, just as painters and architects plan
the execution of their visions. - Reflect frequently on my career ideals so that I have clear vision of the career world that I want to make, just as the painter and architect are guided by their visions of beauty and harmony.
In this step I want to use the above practical ideas to design a plan of action for making a wise career choice.
- Within the next two weeks I will search out a source where I can take objective career, personality and aptitude tests.
- Within the next two weeks I will meet with my faculty advisor and/or college career counselor to work on selecting a major.
- I will list the possible careers that match my interests, abilities and ideals after receiving feedback from the above.
- I will research information via the internet regarding the qualifications and prospects of the careers that interest me.
- I will make contact with people working in the careers that interest me. I will prepare a list of significant questions for our discussion.
- I will get first hand information about the career that most interests me by applying for an internship at an appropriate time.
1. Assess the results of my plan
After executing my plan:
I feel ____ more confident ____less confident ____about the same regarding my future work.
I feel ____ less anxious ____ about the same level of anxiety regarding my career choice.
I feel ____ less frustrated ____ about the same level of frustration in not making any headway on a career choice.
I feel ____ clear ____ still confused about what career fits me.
2. Making adjustments if I did not experience positive results
If I have not experienced any significant changes in strengthening my rational and supra-rational tendencies regarding a career decision, then I will review my responses in Steps One and Two to find out if I have assessed my behaviors, emotions, thinking, and ideals accurately. Then, I will review Step Three to search for more effective practical ideas that will help me move toward making a wise career choice.