OVERVIEW of EMPLOYABILITY PROFILES
AGRADES core measures of employability include the Dispositional Measure of Employability (Fugate & Kinicki, 2008), which defines the following facets of employability:
Work and Career Resilience
Individuals with work and career resilience possess some combination of the following attributes: are optimistic about their career opportunities and work, feel that they have control over the destiny of their careers, and/or they feel that they are able to make genuinely valuable contributions at work
Openness to Changes at Work
Individuals that are open to changes at work are receptive and willing to change, and/or feel that changes are generally positive once they occur
Work and Career Proactivity
A proactive career orientation reflects people’s tendencies and actions to gain information potentially affecting their jobs and career opportunities, both within and outside their current employer
Career Motivation
Individuals with career motivation tend to make specific career plans and strategies. People in this category are inclined to take control of their own career management and set work/career-related goals
Work Identity
Work identity reflects the degree to which individuals define themselves in terms of a particular organization, job, profession, or industry. Work identity is characterized by a genuine interest in what one does, how well it is done, and the impressions of others
Source: Fugate & Kinicki (p. 527)
- High openness to career options
- Undecided about future
- Low optimism about future
RECOMMENDATIONS
Focus on career exploration and decidedness to enable this student to focus and develop a strategy for elaborating future options.
FULL PROFILE DESCRIPTION
A student with this profile is high on openness and searching for any future career option - "Anything will do!"
This student is not quite decided about what the future may be and consequently expresses relatively lower optimism about the future and their career identity.
- Low openness & optimism to career processes
- Most likely to disengage
- At risk of dropping studies
RECOMMENDATIONS
Focus on career decidedness and self-efficacy for career exploration and job search.
FULL PROFILE DESCRIPTION
A student with this profile is low on openness and optimism and is therefore most likely to be disengaged from the career exploration, job exploration, job search, and job application processes.
Also, being undecided about career and with low levels of optimism for the future, this student may be at risk of dropping out of studies.
- Average in all employability dimensions
- "Going with the flow"
RECOMMENDATIONS
Focus on continual development of skills and gaining new experiences. Internships, paid employment, and volunteering, are examples of activities that will develop networks and increase the likelihood of reaching career goals.
FULL PROFILE DESCRIPTION
A student with this profile is average on all dimensions of employability.
These students have decided a career pathway and are just going with the flow.
- Reasonably sure about career pathway and identity
- Keen to achieve career goals
- Cautious about their future
RECOMMENDATIONS
Focus on information that the student believes will ensure the chosen career path is a safe option.
FULL PROFILE DESCRIPTION
A student with this profile is reasonably sure about a career pathway and has an occupational identity and is keen to achieve it.
This student is keen to achieve their career goals as indicated by proactivity and motivation, but this student is a little cautious about what the future holds.
- Total decidedness about career and occupational identity.
- Not completely sure about future.
- Low optimism about future and career identity.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The risk for this student is that the idealised and definite career identity may not turn out as expected - there should be a contingency plan.
FULL PROFILE DESCRIPTION
This student is totally decided on a career and an occupational identity.
This student is motivated to achieve that occupational identity and is not going to deviate from the chosen path (as indicated by low openness and proactivity).
Despite the high levels of decidedness and motivation, interventions are required for this student to ensure that the high levels of decidedness and motivation do not lock the student into a single pathway.
- High openness to career options
- High occupational identity
- Flexible and adaptable
RECOMMENDATIONS
Regularly review and reflect on your career goals and how you are progressing. Mentoring can be an effective strategy to keep on track and grow your network.
FULL PROFILE DESCRIPTION
This student has an occupational identity and is on the path to achieving it.
Unlike the Decided-Determined profile, this student is flexible and open to new options. They are willing to create alternative pathways to ensure career success.
