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Stimulating resources to cope with challenging times and new realities: effectiveness of a career intervention

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Abstract

A career intervention based on life design approach was devised for a group of young adults at risk for the process of career construction. It was aimed at fostering a series of resources useful to cope with career transitions, to encourage reflection on the future, to identify one’s own strengths, and to plan future projects. Results of the study provided evidence for effectiveness of the career intervention across at several methods of change assessment (statistical significance, clinical significance, and social validity) and highlighted the potential of the career intervention.

Résumé

Stimuler les ressources pour affronter les temps difficiles et les nouvelles réalités : Efficacité d’une intervention de carrière. Une intervention de carrière basée sur l’approche du Life Design a été conçue pour un groupe de jeunes adultes à risque pour le processus de construction de carrière. Elle visait à stimuler une série de ressources utiles pour affronter les transitions professionnelles, encourager la réflexion sur le futur, identifier ses propres forces et planifier des projets d’avenir. Les résultats de l’étude soutiennent l’efficacité de l’intervention sur plusieurs méthodes d’évaluation du changement (significativité statistique, significativité clinique et validité sociale) et soulignent le potentiel de l’intervention de carrière.

Zusammenfassung

Förderung von Ressourcen zur Bewältigung von herausfordernden Zeiten und neuen Realitäten: Effektivität einer Karriereintervention. Eine auf dem Life Design-Ansatz basierende Karriereintervention wurde für eine Risikogruppe junger Erwachsener entwickelt, welche Probleme mit der Karrierekonstruktion hatten. Die Intervention zielte auf die Stärkung einer Reihe von Ressourcen ab: Bewältigung von beruflichen Übergängen, Anregung von Zukunftsreflektion, Identifizierung eigener Stärken und Planung zukünftiger Projekte. Die Ergebnisse der Studie belegten die Effektivität der Karriereintervention über verschiedene Methoden der Veränderungsmessung (statistische Signifikanz, klinische Signifikanz und soziale Validität) und zeigen das Potential der untersuchten Karriereinterventionen auf.

Resumen

Estimulando recursos para afrontar tiempos desafiantes y nuevas realidades: la efectividad de la orientación profesional. Se ha diseñado un modelo de orientación profesional basado en el enfoque de Diseño de Vida y se ha aplicado a un grupo de jóvenes adultos arriesgando en el proceso de su formación profesional. Se ha dirigido a potenciar una serie de recursos capaces de ayudar a afrontar la transición profesional, fomenter la reflexión sobre el futuro, la identificación de las propias fortalezas, y la planificación de proyectos futuros. Los resultados del estudio pusieron de manifiesto la efectividad de la orientación profesional a nivel de varios métodos de evaluación de cambios (significación estadística y clínica, así como validez social) y destacó el potencial de la orientación profesional.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Maria Cristina Ginevra

  2. Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy

    Maria Cristina Ginevra, Ilaria Di Maggio, Laura Nota & Salvatore Soresi

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  1. Maria Cristina Ginevra
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  2. Ilaria Di Maggio
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  3. Laura Nota
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  4. Salvatore Soresi
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Correspondence to Maria Cristina Ginevra.

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Ginevra, M.C., Di Maggio, I., Nota, L. et al. Stimulating resources to cope with challenging times and new realities: effectiveness of a career intervention. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 17, 77–96 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-016-9331-0

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