CCS Career Development & Planning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Schlossberg's Transition Theory, which of the four S resources refers to the support a person receives from their social network?
- Situation
- Self
- Support (Correct answer)
- Strategies
Correct answer: Support
The 'Support' resource in the 4 S model encompasses relationships—family, friends, mentors, and colleagues—that help individuals navigate career transitions.
Question 2: A client with a strong Conventional Holland type would likely thrive LEAST in which environment?
- Accounting firm
- Data entry department
- Improvisational theater company (Correct answer)
- Records management office
Correct answer: Improvisational theater company
Conventional types prefer structured, rule-governed tasks and would find the ambiguity and creativity required in improvisational theater highly uncomfortable.
Question 3: Protean career theory differs from traditional career models primarily because it emphasizes:
- Corporate ladder advancement within one organization
- Self-direction and personal values as the primary career compass (Correct answer)
- Credential accumulation at accredited institutions
- Seniority-based compensation structures
Correct answer: Self-direction and personal values as the primary career compass
The protean career is driven by the individual rather than the organization, with psychological success and personal values as the ultimate criteria.
Question 4: When conducting a SWOT analysis for a client's career, external factors are captured in:
- Strengths and Weaknesses
- Threats and Weaknesses
- Opportunities and Threats (Correct answer)
- Strengths and Opportunities
Correct answer: Opportunities and Threats
Opportunities and Threats represent external environmental factors, while Strengths and Weaknesses are internal to the individual.
Question 5: A career strategist notices a client repeatedly avoids applying to roles that require public speaking despite having the skills. This pattern most likely indicates:
- A realistic skills gap that needs training
- A limiting belief or fear undermining career action (Correct answer)
- Poor resume formatting reducing interview callbacks
- Lack of network connections in the target industry
Correct answer: A limiting belief or fear undermining career action
Avoidance behavior despite having the requisite skills typically signals a psychological barrier such as a limiting belief or fear, not a skills gap.
Question 6: Which career development model is based on the idea that career decisions are influenced by genetic endowments, environmental conditions, learning experiences, and task approach skills?
- Gottfredson's Circumscription and Compromise
- Krumboltz's Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making (Correct answer)
- Super's Life-Span Life-Space Theory
- Roe's Needs Theory
Correct answer: Krumboltz's Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making
Krumboltz's Social Learning Theory identifies four factors shaping career development: genetic endowments, environmental conditions and events, learning experiences, and task approach skills.
Question 7: A client wants to enter a new field but lacks direct experience. The MOST effective strategy a CCS would recommend first is:
- Immediately apply to entry-level positions and hope for the best
- Conduct a transferable skills audit to identify relevant competencies (Correct answer)
- Return to school for a full degree before taking any action
- Lower salary expectations to compensate for the experience gap
Correct answer: Conduct a transferable skills audit to identify relevant competencies
Identifying transferable skills helps the client articulate existing value to a new employer and builds a targeted bridge into the new field.
CCS Career Development & Planning 3
In Schlossberg's Transition Theory, which of the four S resources refers to the support a person receives from their social network?