Abstract
The present chapter provides an overview of the theoretical and empirical research on career preparedness among adolescents and derives implications for practice. We integrate various conceptualisations of career preparedness and suggest that career preparedness can be understood as a multidimensional construct consisting of attitudes, knowledge and competencies, and behaviours. Moreover, we summarise recent research on predictors and outcomes of career preparedness. Research on outcomes highlights that career preparedness is related to beneficial outcomes in various domains of adolescents’ lives (e.g., work, education). Research on predictors demonstrates the relevance of personal factors (e.g., work-related attitudes and motivations) as well as environmental factors (e.g., career interventions) to foster career preparedness in adolescents. Finally, based on the empirical evidence discussed in this chapter, we develop suggestions and guidelines for practitioners on how adolescents can be supported in the process of career preparation.
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Acknowledgement
This chapter was supported by a research grant awarded to Andreas Hirschi by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and a grant awarded to Andreas Hirschi by the Swiss National Science Foundation (100019_166035/1). The funding agencies had no involvement in the writing of the chapter or in the decision to publish the chapter.
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Steiner, R.S., Marciniak, J., Johnston, C.S., Hirschi, A. (2019). Career Preparedness in Adolescents: An Overview of Empirical Research and Suggestions for Practice. In: Athanasou, J.A., Perera, H.N. (eds) International Handbook of Career Guidance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25153-6_14
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