Career Decision-Making The Decision-Making Process & Decision-Making Styles

The Decision-Making Process

Decision-making involves choosing between 2 or more alternatives or options

Sometimes its easy; sometimes its difficult

Choosing not to decide is also a choice

It’s a 5-step process

Use the same steps whether you are making a decision about A career

Choosing a college

Buying a used or new car

Step 1 – Define the Problem

The term problem refers to a question in need of a solution

Become aware of the ‘problem’ and see the need to make a decision

Examples: “What are my goals in life?”

“For what occupation do I want to prepare?”

“How can I earn money for Saturday night?”

Step 2 – Gather Information

You cannot make a good decision without getting all the information

How much information is enough?? You don’t know

The amount of information and the amount of time you spend fining it is directly related to the importance of the decision you need to make

This is the gather stage – get as much information as you can

Step 3 – Evaluate the Information

Organize all of your information into categories

Identify the PROS and CONS of each possible choice

Eliminate any unacceptable choices

This is where you would narrow your choices down

What would be the pros and cons of not doing your homework for the next days class? PROS –

CONS -

Step 4 – Make a Choice

Choose 1 of your alternatives

Making this choice can be difficult

Look for the alternative that leads to the most desirable result and has the highest possibility of success

The option with maybe more “PROS” than “CONS”

There are always ‘trade-offs’ with any choice

Step 5 – Take Action

At this point, you begin to carry out the alternative you chose in Step 4

Taking action also involves committing yourself to make a successful decision

Sometimes your choice does not always work out

Back to Step 1!! And begin the process again

Occupational Decision-Making

Step 1: “Which occupation should I chose?”

Step 2: Identify interests, aptitudes, self-information, collect occupational information

Step 3: Organize information, compare and evaluate, evaluate own feelings and attitudes, eliminate the unacceptable occupational alternatives

Step 4: Based on your work values and career goals, choose the occupation that seems best to you now

Step 5: Enroll in an appropriate education program that will prepare you for the occupation

Decision-Making Styles

People tend to have different decision-making styles or typical ways of making decisions

These styles are gained over a long period of time

There are 7 styles that are most common

1. The agonizer

2. The mystic

3. The fatalist

4. The evader

5. The plunger

6. The submissive

7. The planner

Decision-Making Styles 1 & 2

The Agonizer

collect information and spend a lot of time evaluating it

Spend so much time doing this that they end up not knowing what to do!

Get overwhelmed with data

The Mystic

Makes decisions because it “felt right”

Decision based on intuition (feeling or a hunch)

Some people make most of their choices this way

Decision-Making Styles 3 & 4

The Fatalist

Do not believe that they have much control over their choices

Do not spend much time gathering information

The Evader

Hopes that if you delay long enough the problem will go away

Considered the “Ostrich Style”

Sticking your head in the sand

Letting someone else make the decision for you

Decision-Making Styles 5,6,7

The Plunger

Eagerly makes decisions

Frequently chooses the 1st alternative that comes to mind

The Submissive

“What do you want me to do?”

Want to let someone else make the decision for them

Decision is made based on what they think someone else would want them to do

The Planner

Most likely to use a good decision-making strategy

Thorough and weigh all information

Maintain balance between facts and emotions

What is YOUR decision-making style???

Other Influences on Decision-Making

Information, decision-making styles, and willingness to accept responsibility ALL influence decision making

Previous decisions

Environment and Experiences Your surroundings – family, neighborhood, friends, school

Real-World Restrictions Events or situations you have little control over

Economic Conditions Jobs/economy