Senior High School

Personal Development
Quarter 2 Module 6
Persons and Careers

Writer: Jill M. Sacopon

Cover Illustrator: Clarissa A. Familara

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 What I Need to Know

This module will help you understand the concepts of career development, life
goals, and personal factors and external factors that influence career choices. You
will also set a personal career goal based on the results of self-assessment of various
personal and external factors. The module is divided into three lessons, namely:

● Lesson 1 – Myths about Career Planning

● Lesson 2 – Career Concepts

● Lesson 3 – Skills Assessment for Career Planning

Part I will cover Lessons 1 and 2 and Part II will include Lesson 3. After
going through this module, you are expected to:

1. explain that understanding different factors, career development concepts and

personal life goals influence career planning and decision-making;

2. identify career options based on different factors, career development concepts

and personal life goals; and

3. take a self-assessment tool to know his/her personality traits and other personal
factors in relation to his/her life goals.

What I Know

Before we start the lesson, let us first answer the following questions.
1. Which of the following does not pertain to “career?”
A. a profession that one studies and trains for
B. a choice of job one makes with the use of skills and aptitude
C. a hobby that is done to promote personal wants
D. a passion one undertakes for the pursuit of interests
2. Which of statements is true about career planning?
A. Many take nursing in college, so I think I will be happy there, too.
B. Salary is not the primary consideration in choosing a career.
C. Getting an arts degree will not help me build a better career.
D. There is no point changing careers because of a change in skillset.

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 3. In the Philippines where there is a strong collectivist mind-set, what group
can influence your career choice?
A. Family B. Church C. Friends D. Teachers
4. According to Super’s Career Development Theory, at what age does someone
build entry-level skill building and stabilization through work experience?
A. 15 to 24 B. 25 to 44 C. 45 to 64 D. 65 and above

5. It is important to choose a career that best fits all of these except __________.
A. Skills B. Personality C. Values D. Trends

What’s In
On the previous module, you learned about family structure and legacy.
Specifically, you discovered the impact your own family to your developmental stage
leading to the legacy that you want to impart to the next generation. On a separate
paper, explain how your own family and its dynamics affect your own choices in
career.

Lesson
Myths about Career Planning
1

What’s New

Planning a career in the near future is typically stuffed and loaded with
bumps, roads are not usually straight. There are some pressure and influences that
will affect your decisions.

What Is It

10 Myths about Career Planning Busted!

Myth 1: Arts/humanities majors usually are unemployable after college.

Fact: Skills matter in every stream
Humanities majors usually provide training in basic areas called transferable skills
such as interpersonal communication, writing, research, and critical thinking.
Transferable skills indicate those skills that are learned in one area can be readily
utilized in a wide range of other areas. These skills that one learns are sought after
by many employers. Arts majors are employed in a wide range of careers. Although
humanities graduates sometimes take more time finding a "niche" in the working
world, it's usually because they don't know what they can or want to do or they are
not aware of the options available to them .So, do not assume that a certain stream
will open up your opportunities for the future.

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Myth 2: Selecting what's 'hot' at the moment is safe.
Fact: What's hot today may not necessarily be 10/20 years later.
Selecting a major or pursuing a career just because it's hot can be dangerous. There
are two things you must understand before opting for this approach. First, what is
'hot' today may cool down, or disappear completely, in the near future. Secondly,
such a choice fails to take into account the interests and abilities of the student, or
the kind of environment in which they are most likely to succeed. But career
satisfaction involves far more than simply being able to do a particular job -- it
requires interest, commitment and passion. These are far better indicators for career
choice than any fad of the moment. New career fields and jobs emerge every year as
a result of changes in public policy, technology, and economic trends. Therefore, you
are on much firmer ground when you select a career goal that genuinely interests
you.

Myth 3: Career assessments / counsellors will not be of any use for me

Fact: You must know what your aptitude is before choosing a career.
Psychometric Assessments (Aptitude Test) can provide additional information that
may be helpful as a part of the career planning process. Assessments would provide
a clear idea as to ones aptitude, strengths and weakness and their mental
capabilities, which aids in selecting a career, but with thorough brainstorming with
the career counsellor, who can chalk out various career options based on the match
between the student profile and the career. Of course, it’s up to you whether you
want to pursue what the counsellor advises you to, but do not skip this step.

Myth 4: If X is happy in a particular field, I will be happy too.

Fact: You are not X.
Everyone is different and what works for one person won’t necessarily work for
another, even if that other person is someone with whom you have a lot in common.
If someone you know has a career that interests you try and get more details about
the career in terms of the job description, the skills required and market demand of
the career. Then match the description with your traits and then make a choice. Be
aware that what you like may not necessarily be a good fit for you.

Myth 5: If I wait long enough, luck will eventually bring me to the right career.
Fact: Procrastination is no substitute for laziness.
It is unlikely that you will just “bump into” the occupation that will perfectly match
your skills and interests. The more information you gather about yourself and the
occupations you are considering, the more likely it is you will make a wise career
decision. It is true that some things beyond your control will influence your life, but
you must take an active role to determine your own fate. Look around you – those
people who are unhappy in their careers most likely just “fell into” something without
careful planning. Do you want the same thing to happen to your career graph? So
think wisely and plan the process.

Myth 6: Making a lot of money will make me happy.

Fact: The ingredients of fulfilling career also includes passion and commitment
to growth.
While salary is important, it isn’t the only factor you should look at when choosing a
career. Countless surveys have shown that money doesn’t necessarily lead to job
satisfaction. For many people enjoying what they do at work is much more important.

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Myth 7: Once I choose a career, I’ll be stuck in it forever.
Fact: You are never too old to switch careers.
Not true. If you are unsatisfied in your career for any reason, you can always change.
Discussing your interests with knowledgeable people who could guide you towards
another career could land you in a satisfying job profile. Remember just being in a
job without a lack of interests would hamper your performance. So it would be better
if you make a wise choice later. Many people do change careers several times over
the course of their lifetimes.

Myth 8: If I change careers my skills will be wasted.

Fact: Being multi-skilled allows you to learn and adapt accordingly.
It is true that certain jobs require some specialized skill set. But note that mostly
jobs require a common type of skills which most of the individuals possess. Your
skills are yours to keep. You may not use them in the exactly same way, but they
won’t be wasted.

Myth 9: I will decide after the results are out.

Fact: Impulsive decisions lack planning and direction.
Though one can keep options, but having a sound academic background always
proves beneficial while making a career. The two years of Junior college (class 11 and
12) are vey essential as they form a base for a particular career. One cannot ignore
the knowledge gained whilst studying. Deciding after graduation sometimes leads to
impulsive decisions as, the earlier educational qualification may not be applicable to
the area of work that you plan to pursue in later life. Planning in advance prepares
you better to deal with the If-and-Or situations better.

Myth 10: I love this hobby, but I don’t think I can make money out of it.
Fact: If you love what you do, you will not feel like you are working.
An oft repeated line, it explains why part-time hobbies like cooking, photography and
design that were once pursued during weekends are now being pursued as full-time
careers. And most of these hobby-turned vocations pay really well if pursued
professionally. If your hobby becomes a career, then there’s nothing stopping you
from being satisfied in your job and life. So, go ahead and make a wise choice!

Source: http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-career-10-myths-
about-career-planningbusted/20120430.htm#1

Activity 1: Answer the following questions below. Use a separate sheet of paper.
(Word Count: 50 )
1. Which statement on the article struck you the most?
2. What made you agree/disagree with the statement?
3. What or who influenced you in making a decision as to whether to agree
or disagree on the statements read?

What’s More

Activity 2 On a separate sheet of paper, create your own career wheel and
answer the questions that follow. (Word Count: 50)

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 Abilities

and Skills

Family
Culture

Me

Personalit My Career
y and
Interests Gender

Socio-
Economic
Childhood
Condition
Fantasies

Source:http://earlhaig.ca/departments/coop/1Documents/gr%2010%20careers/Career%
20W heel%20Assignment/building_careers.pdf

1. How did you go about naming events, situations, needs and facts about
yourself? Were there challenges in doing this? If so, what are these challenges?
2. Looking at these many facets in your life, which among them do you think
are major considerations when deciding on future career options? Why would you
consider these as a source of great impact?
3. Which are the areas that will really work to your advantage in relation to
the career options that you are considering? How will these impact your choices?
4. What are your realizations after this exercise?

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 What I Have Learned
Activity 3
Success Story: Henry Sy Sr., Philippines’ Richest Man

We all know Henry Sy as one of the richest tycoons in the Philippines. However, not
all people know what happened before all these achievements came into his life. Read
up and see what made him become one of the country’s successful entrepreneurs.

Believe it or not, Henry Sy’s story was a ‘rags to riches’ kind of tale. Born in Xiamen,
China in November 1924, Henry Sy was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Wanting to escape poverty, Henry followed his father to the Philippines only to
experience a miserable youth in a foreign country. Sy struggled hard living in a
foreign country as an immigrant and had to learn the local language. Determined to
become successful, he worked hard day and night to provide for his needs.

Sy started out with a small sari-sari store business that helped them in their day-to-
day life. Sy and his father lived in a small space until the fruits of their labor made
them successful in the following years. However, when the Philippine economy
collapsed in World War II, their store burned down that forced his father to go back
to China. Henry Sy stayed in the Philippines and built his own shoe business in
Marikina.

Sy did not have an overnight success. He enrolled himself to school and was able to
graduate college with a degree in commerce from Far Eastern University. Sy also
changed legal names, sold rejected and overrun shoes, plus many other setbacks
that he had to face early in life. He did not give up and pushed through maybe
because he knew that something big, which is what he has now, is about to come.

With his inspiring story, one can learn about the ideals of success. Henry Sy tells us
not to give up on our dreams, no matter how far-fetched it seems.

Source: https://primer.com.ph/business/2015/12/27/success-story-henry-sy-sr/

After reading article on about Henry Sy, answer the questions below. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper. (Word Count: 50)
1. What do you think made Henry Sy successful? What lesson about career
can you learn from him?
2. If Henry Sy lived in the present day, would he be successful, too, considering
the conditions and circumstances? Why?

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 What I Can Do
Activity 4
WHAT’S IN?

Most young professionals today would choose a career that is currently "hot" in the
job market. Note that it is better to decide on a career that is of genuine interests to
you and you have the right skills and aptitude for it, and not decide on a career based
on the trend.

Instructions: In your own observation, what do you think are the “hot” career
choices today? You may also look at the internet for information or ask young
professionals. Based on your research, list down at least five jobs today that are
considered “hot.”

1. ___________________________
2. ___________________________
3. ___________________________
4. ___________________________
5. ___________________________

Assessment

Read the following practices or notions in career planning. On the space provided,
explain why it is relevant or insignificant in deciding for your own career in the
future.

1. I must choose a career that I will do with the rest of my life.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Earning a lot of money in a job will make me the happiest.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

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 Additional Activities
Activity 5
Career Slogan

According to Wikipedia, a slogan is a “memorable motto or phrase used in a clan,

political, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an
idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined
target group.” In short, it is used to advertise or promote a specific message. The
following are examples of slogans used by some government offices in our country:

Department of Education

Source: https://www.deped.gov.ph/obe-be/

Using your own creativity, create a slogan that promotes choosing the right career
and debunking the career myths discussed above. You may use a piece of paper, take
a photo of the finish work, and post it in your social media accounts. You work will
be grade according to the following:

Criteria Points
Message/Content 25
Language Accuracy 5
Artistry 10
Timeliness of
Submission 10

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 Lesson
Career Concepts
2

What’s New
A career is defined as the combination and sequence of roles played by a
person during the course of a lifetime (Super,1980). Your career basically dictates a
lot of things in your life – it can determine the kind of lifestyle that you will be leading,
the quality of relationships that you have with people around you like your family
and friends, the kind of balance you will be able to keep with your life and your
responsibilities.

What Is It

Activity 6
Career Concepts

There are two other concepts that we often associate with the concept of
career. One is a job. A job is a position an individual holds doing specific duties. For
example, if you would look closely at the job of a lawyer, you can say that a lawyer’s
job is working as an associate in X Law Firm.

Another term is occupation. An occupation is defined as the similar work for

which people have similar responsibilities and for which they develop a common set
of skills and knowledge. For example, people who are in the mental health occupation
would include psychologists, clinical psychologists, counselors, and psychiatrists.

A lot of things can influence one’s career choice. A popular career development
model, the Trait and Factor model, believes that skills and abilities need to fit the
demands of a particular career field. This being said, it is then important that you
take stock of the skills, knowledge and abilities that you currently possess and those
that you still need to develop as these greatly impacts that kind of career that could
be a good match for you.

Another factor that could influence your success in a particular career field
would be your personality and interests. John Holland, a popular career counselor
proposed a theory that strongly believe that certain careers require certain
personality traits and must also fit our interests.

Our life roles are yet strong factors that influences our career choices. Your
role as a child, a sister, a student, and eventually if you choose it, that of a parent
would have an impact in the decisions that you would have to make as an adult.
Donald Super, another career development theorist believes that since we play an
array of roles in our lives, these roles are likely to change over time thus

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requirements, needs and other external forces would come into play when we are
trying to figure out or maintain a career.

One’s race and ethnicity could also impact our choices. The culture in which
we belong to shape our values and expectations. In the Philippines, our collectivist
orientation makes our family a strong influence in our career decisions. More often
than not, the choice of course to take in college, the location of our job, how strong-
willed we will be in achieving great heights in our career, would most likely be
influenced by our family roles, duties and obligations.

Our social identity, specifically our gender, also possess challenges and
opportunities for us when choosing a career. Although nowadays, the gender divide
in terms of careers have slowly narrowed, it is a known fact that men and women
experiences career-related stereotypes.

One of the strongest considerations in career decision making has a lot to do

with social and economic conditions. Our choice of career is contingent to our
capabilities to sustain the monetary demands of pursuing formal education to train
for it. Also, our financial obligations and roles likewise would determine the kind of
occupation we would be pursuing in order to fulfill these duties. Furthermore, certain
life events can also influence our career choices. The unpredictability of these events
may cause us to make certain concessions in order to meet the demands brought
about by these changes. Likewise, the volatile economic landscape and how it
impacts that supply and demand for people and jobs may also impact how our
careers would progress.

Lastly, we are so familiar with the question “What do you want to be when you
grow up?. It is highly probable that these childhood fantasies may have influenced
how you view yourself and your career.

Instructions. Answer the following questions below. Use a separate paper. (Word
Count: 50)

1. In your own words, explain the difference between a job and an occupation.

2. Which of the factors that impact career choice is the most difficult to overcome?
Why?

What’s More

Activity 7
WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR CAREER CHOICE?
Melissa Venable

When we think about career choice, several things immediately come to mind
- job description, training and education required, career outlook, and salary - but
there are a number of other factors that may influence your decisions. Let's explore
some of these factors as addressed by multiple career development theories. Theories
can help us frame why and how things happen. In this case, career development
theories help us explain why and how we choose to pursue specific career fields.

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There are a lot of theories to consider in the relatively new field of career development.
As you read through the factors below, you'll see that many of the related theories
address some of the same issues. No one theory explains everything, so it's good to
consider these factors from multiple perspectives.

Influence Factors Skills and Abilities - Considering your skills and abilities
and how they may fit a particular occupation comes out of one of the earliest career
development fields, Trait-Factor theories, and is still used today. These theories
recommend creating occupational profiles for specific jobs as well as identifying
individual differences, matching individuals to occupations based on these
differences. You can identify activities you enjoy and those in which you have a level
of competency though a formal assessment.

Interest and Personality Type - Holland's Career Typology is a widely used

to connect personality types and career fields. This theory establishes a classification
system that matches personality characteristics and personal preferences to job
characteristics. The Holland Codes are six personality/career types that help
describe a wide range of occupations.

Life Roles - Being a worker is just one of your life roles, in addition to others
such as, student, parent, and child. Super's Lifespan theory directly addresses the
fact that we each play multiple roles in our lives and that these roles change over the
course of our lives. How we think about ourselves in these roles, their requirements
of them, and the external forces that affect them, may influence how we look at
careers in general and how we make choices for ourselves.

Previous Experiences - Krumboltz's Social Learning and Planned

Happenstance theories address factors related to our experiences with others and in
previous work situations. Having positive experiences and role models working in
specific careers may influence the set of careers we consider as options for ourselves.
One aspect of Social Cognitive Career Theory addresses the fact that we are likely to
consider continuing a particular task if we have had a positive experience doing it.
In this way, we focus on areas in which we have had proven success and achieved
positive self-esteem.

Culture- Racial and ethnic background, as well as the culture of an

individual's regional area, local community, and extended family, may impact career
decisions. Our culture often shapes our values and expectations as they relate to
many parts of our lives, including jobs and careers. Multicultural career counseling
has emerged as a specialized field to take these influences into consideration when
counseling clients and students. We can't attribute the predominant characteristics
of a culture to any one of its individuals, but having an awareness of the values and
expectations of our culture may help us understand how we make our career choices.

Gender - Both men and women have experienced career-related stereotypes.

Gender is a factor included in multiple career development theories and approaches
including, Social Learning and multicultural career counseling. How we view
ourselves as individuals may influence both the opportunities and barriers we
perceive as we make career decisions. Studies of gender and career development are
ongoing as roles of men and women in the workforce, and in higher education, evolve.

Social and Economic Conditions - All of our career choices take place within
the context of society and the economy. Several career theories, such as Social
Cognitive Career Theory and Social Learning, address this context in addition to

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other factors. Events that take place in our lives may affect the choices available to
us and even dictate our choices to a certain degree. Changes in the economy and
resulting job market may also affect how our careers develop.

Childhood Fantasies - What do you want to be when you grow-up? You may
remember this question from your childhood, and it may have helped shape how you
thought about careers then, as well as later in life. Career counseling theories are
expanding as programs related to career choice are developed for all ages, including
the very young. Ginzberg proposed a theory that describes three life stages related to
career development. The first stage, fantasy, where early ideas about careers are
formed, takes place up to age 11.
Family Support – how does the nurturing of your family affect your decision
in making career choices? Supportive family impacts ones choices in life. Parents
guidance, siblings’ encouragement, material and monetary support are some factors
that contribute to your career choices and success.

Source: Melissa Venable; http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/05/17/what-influences-yourcareer-

choice/

Instructions. Answer the following questions below. Use a separate paper. (Word
Count: 50)
1. Explain how someone’s social and economic condition can affect his or her
career choice.
2. How can your personality affect your career?

Activity 8
SUPER’S CAREER DEVELOPMENT THEORY

Donald Super influenced the idea that developing a sense of self and realize
that you change over time is important when planning your career. One of Donald
Super's greatest contributions to career development has been his emphasis on the
importance of the development of self-concept. According to Super, self-concept
changes over time, and develops as a result of experience. As such, career
development is lifelong. Super developed the theories and work of colleague Eli
Ginzberg. Ginzberg’s theory enumerated three stages in a person’s career
development: Fantasy (from birth to 11 years old), Tentative (from 11-17 years old),
and Realistic (after age 17). Super thought that Ginzberg’s work had weaknesses,
which he wanted to address. Super extended Ginzberg’s life and career development
stages from three to five, and included different substages. Super argues that
occupational preferences and competencies, along with an individual’s life
situations, all change with time and experience. Super developed the concept of
vocational maturity, which may or may not correspond to chronological age: people
cycle through each of these stages when they go through career transitions.

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 Super’s Five Life and Career Development Stages

Stage Age Characteristics

birth- Development of self-concept, attitudes, needs and

Growth
14 general world of work
"Trying out" through classes, work hobbies. Tentative
Exploration 15-24
choice and skill development
Entry-level skill building and stabilization through
Establishment 25-44
work experience
Maintenance 45-64 Continual adjustment process to improve position

Decline 65+ Reduced output, prepare for retirement

Developmental Tasks of the Stages

Early Middle
Adolescence
adulthood adulthood Late
14-25
Life stage 25-45 45-65 adulthood 65+
Decline Giving less Reducing Focusing on Reducing
time to sports essentials working hours
hobbies participation
Maintenance Verifying Making Holding one's Keeping what
current occupational own against one enjoys
occupational position competition
choice secure
Establishmen Getting started Settling down Developing Doing things
t in a chosen in a suitable new skills one has
field position wanted to do
Exploration Learning more Finding Identifying Finding a good
about desired new tasks to retirement
opportunities opportunity work on place
Growth Developing a Learning to Accepting Developing
realistic self- relate to one's own and valuing
concept others limitations non-
occupational
roles

Super states that in making a vocational choice individuals are expressing

their self-concept, or understanding of self, which evolves over time. People seek
career satisfaction through work roles in which they can express themselves and
further implement and develop their self-concept.

Source: http://www.careers.govt.nz/practitioners/career-practice/career-theory-models/supers-
theory/

Answer the following questions below. Use a separate paper. (Word Count: 50 )

1. Do you believe in Super’s claim that self-concept changes over time? Why?

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 2. How does your understanding of self-concept affect your career choices?
3. Explain vocational maturity.

What I Have Learned

Activity 9
CHOOSING A CAREER

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will make in life. It is
about so much more than deciding what you will do to make a living. To start with,
think about the amount of time we spend at work. We are on the job approximately
71% of every year. Over our lifetimes, this comes to roughly 31½ years out of the 45
years most of us spend working, from the beginning of our careers until retirement.
The importance of selecting a career with which we are satisfied cannot be
overemphasized.

While some people are lucky enough to just know what they want to do and end up
in satisfying careers without giving it much thought, most of us are not. Many people
do not put enough effort into choosing occupations or pick them for the wrong
reasons. Maybe they choose careers that seem secure or pay well. They then end up
unhappy. The best way to make sure that does not happen to you is to make a well-
thought out decision.

An online article published these four steps in career planning. Match the steps with
their corresponding definitions.

A B
A. This is taking all angles and possibilities and comparing career
Step 1. Knowing Yourself options.
B. This involves understanding your skills, likes and dislikes, and
Step 2. Finding Out interests.
Step 3. Making Decisions C. This means kicking off and working towards your goals.
Step 4. Taking Action D. This includes exploring your alternatives and choices.

Source: https://www.qualifax.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Itemid=39

What I Can Do
Activity 10
AN INTERVIEW WITH A PROFESSIONAL

We are surrounded with people who have made significant names for
themselves as teachers, engineers, nurses, entrepreneurs, and barangay officials.
These could be a family member, a distant relative, an older friend, or anyone in your
community. What are the things they do in their chosen profession? Do you also
aspire to be like them? Let us know more.

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 You will interview at least one professional in your community. Since it is a
challenge to conduct a face to face interview, you may want to reach out to them via
their social media accounts or through their mobile phones. Ask them about what
they do and how did they decide to be in their professions. You may use the sample
interview questions below.

1. How long has it been since you became a _______________ (the profession)?
2. How was it being a _______________ (the profession)? What are the things that you
like and least like about it?
3. What were your considerations in getting into that profession?

Remember that your goal is to understand the reasons for their career choice,
so ask the most relevant questions and take down notes. Be courteous and polite.

Once done with the interview, summarize the discussion points by answering
these questions:
1. In what way do your career choice change over time?
2. How can you be sure of our career choice? (Word Count: 50 )

Assessment
Read and analyze the situations below and answer the questions that follow.

1. Aggeus is enrolled in the ABM strand because his parents want him to take over
a small family business one day. Though hesitant, he took the ABM strand. He knows
he is passionate in music and arts and he plans to pursue a career in music in the
future.

a. Do you think Aggeus made the wrong decision of taking ABM? Support your
claim.

b. If you were Aggeus, how can you still pursue your passion with your current
circumstance?

2. Raiko belongs to a family of nurses. His elder siblings are also nurses. Raiko might
be an exemption because he wants to pursue a career related to engineering and
architecture. Since he was a child, he could already see himself as a successful
professional in that field.

a. Should Raiko pursue a career in nursing or in engineering? Why?

b. What should Raiko do to make sure he will not commit a mistake in deciding
for his career?

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 Additional Activities
Activity 11
5 Psychology Findings That Affect Career Decisions

1. WE’RE BAD AT DECISION MAKING – KAHNEMAN & TVERSKY (1979), GILBERT (2004)

When weighing up the costs and benefits of a decision, we make two errors. First,
we overestimate the probability of failure in a new direction because of our negative
bias. Second, we underestimate the benefits of change because we fail to imagine or
visualise the results of that change in much detail.

2. OUR BRAINS ARE PRE-WIRED FOR SURVIVAL, NOT FULFILMENT – MASLOW (1943)

We’re survival machines. Our brains thought and evolved to anticipate and predict
the worst and we try to eliminate this risk. That’s why our cognitive functions and
emotions evolved too – and why we’re 3 to 5 times more sensitive to negative stimuli
than positive.

But as Maslow predicted, once we have survival we adapt and want fulfilment. And
fulfilment isn’t created by avoiding risk, or by surviving. Happiness, after all, is not
the absence of sadness. Fulfilment often requires us to imagine something better
and to take risks to achieve it.

3. NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE UNAVOIDABLE – HAYES (1998)

We often treat emotions like fear and anxiety as though they must be avoided, when
in reality they are an inevitable part of growth – and of being human. Equally we
often treat our internal thoughts as representing the ‘truth’, when in reality they are
just thoughts. Many people try to avoid negative emotions or ‘fight’ the pain, but
research shows that being willing to accept these thoughts whilst progressing
towards your valued outcomes is more effective.

4. MEANING IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING – STEGER (2008)

If you want a meaningful life, you need to firstly understand your true self. Who are
you? What do you stand for? Then you have to understand how you fit into the
world. What do you believe in? What do you want to do whilst you’re here?

Without meaning we feel uneasy and anxious because we don’t fully understand
what we’re doing. This definition of meaning can be applied for small things like
understanding the meaning of a word in a sentence, or larger things like
understanding our lives. Meaningful work can therefore be found at the intersection
of where you use your unique strengths in a purpose that you believe in.

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5. CONTROL OVER OUR WORK LIVES IS CRITICAL – LANGER AND RODIN (1976),
WHITEHALL II STUDY (2005)

A famous experiment in 1976 by Langer and Rodin showed that if elderly people were
given a plant to care for they had much higher levels of happiness than if they were
given a plant but the nurse cared for it. This finding has been repeated many times
in many ways. The Whitehall Study is a large-scale experiment which showed that
those with less control over their daily work schedule had poorer health and died
younger than those who had great control. If you are looking to be happier in your
work, look for ways in which you can increase your control over it.

Source: https://www.thecareerpsychologist.com/10-psychology-findings-that-affect-career-
decisions-1-5/

After reading the article above, reflect on the following questions:

1. How do I make sure I will choose a career that I will not regret having?
2. What is the biggest influence on me in terms of career choice?
3. What is a successful career for me?

References

Personal Development Reader First Edition 2016 Department of Education,Bureau

of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)
http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-career-10-myths-about-
career-planningbusted/20120430.htm#1
http://earlhaig.ca/departments/coop/1Documents/gr%2010%20careers/Career%
20W heel%20Assignment/building_careers.pdf
https://primer.com.ph/business/2015/12/27/success-story-henry-sy-sr/
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/05/17/what-influences-yourcareer-choice/
http://www.careers.govt.nz/practitioners/career-practice/career-theory-
models/supers-theory/
https://www.qualifax.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Item
id=39
https://www.thecareerpsychologist.com/10-psychology-findings-that-affect-career-
decisions-1-5/

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 RUBRIC FOR INDIVIDUAL WORK (REFLECTION PAPERS and ESSAYS)
Exemplary 4 Sufficient 3 Minimal 2 Beginning 1
points points points point
Student Student Student Student
demonstrates demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrates a
an in-depth reflection general reflection minimal lack of reflection
on, and on, and reflection on, and on, or
personalization personalization of, personalization personalization
of the theories, the of, the theories, of, the theories,
concepts, and/or theories, concepts, concepts, and/or concepts, and/or
strategies presented and/or strategies strategies
Self in strategies presented in the presented in the
disclosure the course materials. presented in course materials. course materials.
/ Viewpoints and the course Viewpoints and Viewpoints and
Depth of interpretations are materials. interpretations interpretations
reflection insightful and well Viewpoints and are unsupported are missing,
supported. Clear, interpretations are or supported with inappropriate,
detailed examples supported. flawed and/or
from Appropriate arguments. unsupported.
personal experiences examples are Examples are not Examples are not
are provided, as provided provided or are provided.
applicable. from personal irrelevant to the Connection to
experiences, as assignment. outside
applicable. experiences
Student makes in- Student goes into Student goes into Student merely
depth synthesis of some detail little detail identifies
thoughtfully selected explaining some explaining some some general
aspects of specific ideas or specific ideas or ideas or issues
experiences related to issues from outside issues from from
the topic and makes experiences related outside outside
Connection
clear connections to the topic and experiences experiences
to outside
between what is makes general related to the related to the
experience
learned from outside connections topic and m very topic
s
experiences and the between what is few connections
topic. learned from between what is
outside experiences learned from
and the topic. outside
experiences and
the topic.

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City of Good Character
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 Student makes in- Student goes into Student goes into Student
depth more details little identifies
synthesis of explaining some detail explaining some general
thoughtfully specific ideas or some ideas
selected aspects of issues specific ideas or or issues from
readings related to from readings issues readings related
the topic and makes related to from readings to
clear connections the topic and related to the topic.
between what is makes the topic and Readings
learned from the general makes are only those
Connection readings and topics, connections general assigned for the
to readings includes reference to between what is connections topic
at least two readings learned between what is
other than those from readings and learned
assigned for the the from readings
class. topic. Includes and the
reference topic.
to at least one
reading
other than those
assigned
for class.
Student synthesizes, Student Student attempts Student has
analyzes and synthesizes to difficulty
evaluates clearly some synthesize some restating some
Connection thoughtfully selected directly directly general ideas or
to class aspects of ideas or appropriate ideas appropriate ideas issues from the
discussions issues from the class or or class
& unit discussion as they issues from the issues from the discussion as
objectives relate class class they
to this topic discussion as they discussion as relate to this
relate they relate topic
to this topic. to this topic
Adapted from: http://www.d.umn.edu/~balbert/humandiversity/grading_rubric.html

Answer Key

D 5.

B 4.

A 3.
C 4. B 2.
A 3.
D 2.
B 1. C 1.

What I Have Learned

What I Know

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 Development Team of the Module

Writer: JILL M. SACOPON

Internal reviewer: Dr. Nida M. Andrada, Ms. Remia L. Ricabar

External Reviewer: Jose Ocampo - PNU

Cover Illustrator: Clarissa A. Familara
Management Team:
Sheryll T. Gayola
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
OIC, Office of the Schools Division Superintendent

Elisa O. Cerveza
Chief, CID
OIC, Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

JOVITA CONSORTIA F. MANI

Education Program Supervisor

Ivy Coney A. Gamatero

Education Program Supervisor– LRMS

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