Ch. 10 Work and Recreation Flashcards

Approaching Postsecondary Education and Careers

• The way students approach their education often reflects how they will approach their future careers.
• Consider reaching college as a primary focus; leaving college may complicate future returns.

Occupational Decision-Making Factors

• Key factors influencing occupational decisions include:
  • Motivation and achievement: Understanding what drives you to succeed.
  • Attitudes about occupations: Personal feelings and beliefs regarding various jobs.
  • Abilities and aptitudes: Recognizing skills and natural talents.
  • Interests: Determining what you enjoy or are passionate about.
  • Values: Identifying what is important to you in a job (e.g., salary, job satisfaction).
  • Self-concept: Understanding your personal identity and how it relates to career choices.

Occupational Categories

• Various occupational categories to consider include:
  • Realistic: Preference for hands-on work and practical tasks.
  • Investigative: Interest in analytical or scientific work.
  • Artistic: Inclination towards creative tasks and the arts.
  • Social: Desire to work with others in supportive roles.
  • Enterprising: Interest in leadership, persuasion, and business roles.
  • Conventional: Preference for structured, detail-oriented tasks.

Effective Decision-Making Strategies

• Demonstrate effective decision-making by:
  • Comprehensive information gathering: Research thoroughly before making decisions.
  • Internal locus of control: Believing you have control over your success.
  • Analytic information processing: Evaluating information critically.
  • Reduced procrastination: Taking prompt action towards decisions.
  • Greater effort: Committing substantial energy towards decisions.
  • Independence in decision-making: Relying less on others' opinions.

Steps in Decision-Making

• The decision-making process can be broken down into the following steps:
  1. Self-assessment: Focus on personal qualities and aspirations.
  2. Alternative generation: Create a list of potential career options.
  3. Information gathering: Research each alternative thoroughly.
  4. Assessment of alternatives: Weigh pros and cons of each option.
  5. Decision-making: Choose one option and plan accordingly.
  6. Implementation: Execute your plan.
  7. Feedback collection: Evaluate outcomes and make adjustments as needed.

Managing Work Discontent

• To address dissatisfaction at work:
  • Focus on modifiable aspects of your job.
  • Seek ways to derive meaning from your work.
  • If necessary, find external sources of fulfillment outside of work.

Attitudes Towards Work and Success

• Self-assess how your attitudes influence career success:
  • Recognize how your job affects your self-identity and mental state, especially during job loss.
  • Maintain connections with family and friends for support during unemployment troubles.

Workplace Bullying and Job Stress

• Bullying within the workplace can lead to:
  • Increased anxiety and depression.
  • Reduced effectiveness and productivity.
  • Potentially more damaging than peer-to-peer bullying when it involves supervisors.

Impact of Technology on Work

• Acknowledge how technology transforms work experience:
  • Use of email and mobile devices facilitates communication.
  • Blurred boundaries between personal and professional life.
  • Rise in remote work and telecommuting opportunities.

Career Changes in Midlife

• Being mindful of career options during midlife is crucial:
  • Unexamined fears can block potential career transitions.
  • Many individuals consider changing careers in midlife despite prior career commitments.
  • Assess personal dissatisfaction in relation to financial security before making changes.

Retiree Experiences

• Different paths retirees may follow:
  • Some may feel a sense of emptiness.
  • Others engage in community activities or volunteer work, seeking new purpose.
  • Some retirees may delay retirement due to unexpected financial issues.

Maintaining Vitality in Retirement

• Strategies for a fulfilling retirement include:
  • Viewing retirement as an opportunity for new beginnings.
  • Engaging physically, psychologically, spiritually, and socially.
• Five retirement paths include:
  1. Continuers: Maintain involvement in their past careers.
  2. Adventurers: Explore new activities or hobbies.
  3. Searchers: Seek meaning and fulfillment post-retirement.
  4. Easy gliders: Enjoy a relaxed retirement without major commitments.
  5. Retreaters: Withdraw from society and engage less.

Work-Life Balance and Recreation

• Recreation plays an essential role in maintaining life quality:
  • Finding interests that bolster vitality is critical.
  • Balance between work and recreation is personal and varies by individual needs.
  • Engaging in leisure activities can enhance cognitive function, happiness, and longevity.