This paper introduces you to “vocational psychology across the full spectrum of career development theory, research, and practice”. As a speciality within applied psychology, vocational psychology refers to the application of psychological principles (affective, behavioural and cognitive) to the processes of vocational choice, selection, training, and decision making. Within the three areas of career practice, vocational guidance, career counselling, and career education and coaching, the latter is the primary focus of this paper. Upon successful completion of this paper, you should be capable of entering the field of career development and management, and career counselling.

Specific focus is given to the application of learning in career assessment and the development of your own career portfolio in preparation for you entering, or returning to, your chosen career.

Mini Research Project & Essay

This section of internal assessment requires you to identify a suitable person within your personal or professional circle and explore their career development and link their experiences to relevant career theories in an essay of approximately 2000 words or less. You must also include references. A self-reflection is also to be provided as an appendix to the essay.

You will need to gain the necessary informed consent to do so (to be discussed in class) and then explore with a person how their career has developed and what insights you can glean from their experiences using theory to explain and understand their development.

Your report must be submitted by email to the Teaching Fellow/Lecturer no later than Friday, August 23, 2019 at 5pm.

Group Presentation and Report:

You will be assigned to one of four groups to evaluate work in the future (based on the PWC paper provided on Moodle). You will be required to work with your team to present a 30-minute presentation (allowing time for questions and debate) to discuss your assigned future world of work in the context of how valid/likely the proposed work world is, career development implications for workers and career coaching professionals and how this world will be more likely/relevant/realistic compared to the other three options. This will be explained more fully in class. You will be marked for evidence of working effectively as a team, the quality of the arguments/rationale and research presented to support your position.

Following the seminar, you will each be required to submit a 1500-2000 word essay to summarise your group’s findings and personal insights. This will be due the Monday following the team’s presentation.

Assessment/Marking Criteria: The group presentation and report are worth 15% of your final grade. The group presentation will be assessed on content/relevance, interest, quality of presentation, the discussion generated, and adherence to time as well as evidence of cooperation as a team. Seminar reports will be assessed on the relevance of literature, integration/organisation, APA formatting, your critique/conclusions/arguments, self-reflection, and general presentation. No marks will be allocated for any seminar for which you either (a) do not present on the assigned date, or (b) you do not submit your report by the end of the immediately following the group presentation.

Career Portfolio:

Your career portfolio must include the following components (see more detail below) Please refer to Ref Larkin et al.,

1. A career narrative identity/story. Ref Walsh et al., chapter 2, Brown & Lent, chapter 6.
2. A career statement/plan identifying current career goals/objectives.
3. Compilation of relevant occupational information including reference to O*Net.
4. An evidence-based self-assessment of skills (competencies), values, interests, and personality. Refs- Walsh et al., chapter 9, and HEA Employability Guide – Psychology (pages 23-45). Available on Moodle**. Within this component, you are required to comment on your own employability taking into consideration your gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES).
5. From the above steps, compile a curriculum vitae and a draft cover letter of application for employment.
6. A competency-based statement and self-reflection of your learning experience and learning outcomes.

Your portfolio must be submitted to the hand-in box at FASS reception, ground floor, J Block no later than Monday, October 7, 2019, 5pm.

** The HEA guide is also available at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/subjects/psychology/Employability-guide

Students are encouraged to review:
Cable, D. A. J. (2013). The career experiences of industrial and organizational psychology graduates. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 42, 5-12.
Cable, D. A. J., & O'Driscoll, M. P. (2010). The practice of Industrial/Organizational Psychology in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 39, 12-18.
Kuther, T. L., & Morgan, R. D. (2013). Careers in Psychology (Ch.8). Belmont, CA: Cengage.
Larkin, J. E., Pines, H. A., & Bechtel, K. M. (2002). Facilitating student's career development in psychology courses: A portfolio project. Teaching of Psychology, 29, 207-210.

(All the above articles are available on Moodle)

Plus: The SIOP Guidelines for Education and Training at the Master’s level in I/O psychology, available at: http://www.siop.org/guidelines.aspx

Career portfolios are due in the Faculty Information Centre by 12 pm Friday 28th September 2018. Portfolios, including any appendices, must be computer printed (Times New Roman 12, or Arial 10), printed single-sided, 1.5 line-spaced, and stapled in the upper-left corner (please do not bind). Portfolios must be written in accordance with the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual (6th ed.) and include a list of references used. Word range indication = approximately 3000. (Appendices can be used for supporting materials referenced in portfolios and will not be included in word count.)

Portfolios will be assessed on; (1) structure and clarity of presentation (10%); (2) professionalism in presentation including APA formatting, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and layout (10%) (subtotal 20%), (3) application/coverage and integration of relevant vocational psychology theory and research as applied to career development/management theory and the development of your career portfolio, including the curriculum vitae (60%); and (4) soundness of competency-based statement and self-reflection (20%) (subtotal 80%).

Final Exam:
The purpose of the 2-hour exam is to assess your knowledge of career development and management theories and empirical findings and your ability to apply that knowledge in practice. It will consist of essay-type questions on the application of theory/research to career development and management practices in organisational settings and will be based on lectures, the prescribed text, research presented in student seminars, and your ability to integrate the concepts covered.
Note: The date for the exam will be set and published by the University.

Course Administration: Course administration will be conducted through Moodle with lecture notes, normally in the form of PowerPoint slides being posted to Moodle prior to each lecture. Grades relating to the internal assessment components of this paper will also be posted to Moodle as they are confirmed. Students not familiar with Moodle are encouraged to complete introductory training/familiarisation. This is available online once you log on to Moodle.

Psychology Café: The Moodle space for all students and staff of the School of Psychology. Use it to find out what is happening and what the School may provide for you. Think of it as our virtual notice board: it gives information about events, seminars, resources and study options. But unlike a noticeboard, it is interactive.

Graduate Virtual Common Room: The GVCR is an online resource for graduate students in the School of Psychology. It has been designed to help you locate the resources you are likely to need as a graduate student, to find out what is happening in the school, and to network with other graduate students. The GVCR is located in Psychology Café: http://elearn.waikato.ac.nz/course/view.php?id=22118&section=2