Download CIP with Student Veterans

ACA Conference 2013
Seth Hayden Ph.D., NCC
Kathy Dorsett Ed.S., NCC
Leigh Eskin B.A.
Shengli Dong Ph.D.

Introduction

Challenges of Student Veterans

Cognitive Information Processing
(CIP)

Connecting Career with CIP

Research on the Issue

Application/Implications

Questions/Comments
 Seth Hayden Ph.D., NCC
• Program Director of CACP – FSU Career Center
 Kathy Dorsett Ed.S., NCC
• Assistant Director of CACP – FSU Career Center
 Leigh Eskin B.A.
• 2nd year – graduate counseling student – FSU
 Shengli Dong Ph.D.
• Assistant Professor of Counseling - FSU
 The
Post 9/11 GI Bill, authorized by
Congress in 2008, has contributed to a large
number of veterans seeking post-secondary
degrees(Sander, 2012).
 About
800,000 military veterans now
attending U.S. colleges:
• An estimated 88% drop out of school during their
first year
• 3% graduate (% varies depending on study)
Study by the Colorado Workforce Development
Council (Briggs, 2012).
 Unemployment
rate for veterans of
Operation Enduring Freedom
(Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi
Freedom (Iraq) is roughly 20% (Lang &
Powers, 2011).
 Theoretical
approach to career
counseling focuses largely on knowledge
of self and options, knowledge of
decision making, and thinking associated
with making decisions (Sampson,
Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004).
Thinking About My
Decision Making
Knowing How I
Make Decisions
Knowing
About Myself
Knowing About
My Options
 The
use of CIP can be
helpful to address negative
career thoughts as well as
assist in clarifying self and
options knowledge (Bollock,
Braud, Andrews, & Phillips,
2009; Clemens & Milsom,
2008)
 350-400
student veterans
 FSU Veterans Center
 Collegiate Veterans Association (CVA)
“[The] FSU Veteran Center will lead the
effort to make Florida State University the
most veteran-friendly public university in
the United States.”
• -FSU Veteran Center Mission
 Career
Center Liaisons
 Library Links
 Print Materials
 Tabling Events
 Veterans Networking Night
 Veterans Guide
 SDS 3340
 The
purpose of this study will be to
investigate the application of the
Cognitive Information Processing (CIP;
Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz,
2004) approach to career counseling in
assisting student veterans in their career
decision making
 Expand
veteran student self knowledge and
career options through the CIP approach
 Explore
military
transferable skills gained in the
 Gain
knowledge on resources that can assist
student veterans in the job search
 Decrease
negative metacognitions, as
measured by the Career Thoughts Inventory
and the My Vocational Situation
 Needs
Assessment
 Group
Counseling or Workshop Series
 Focused
on career needs
 Surveyed desired intervention
• Group Counseling, workshop, or other
 Solicited
input from Director of FSU
Veterans Center
 Emailed via Veterans Center
 40
students responded
 53% graduate students
 88% heard of Career Center; 31% had
visited
 59% group career counseling vs. 28%
workshop series
 Top 3 expressed needs:



Transferring skills gained in military to the workplace
Preparing a resume/CV
Negotiating job offers

Psycho-educational group

6 sessions

1 month

Closed group

Voluntary membership

Student veteran members

Group leaders:
• Must be currently working on obtaining a Master’s degree or have a Master’s degree
in a counseling field
• Must be under supervision if currently working on obtaining a Master’s degree

ILP: Individual Learning Plan

SDS: Self-Directed Search and Opportunities Finder

The Guide to Good decision Making

CTI: Career Thoughts Inventory

CTI Workbook Exercises

Resume development

Informational interviewing

Transferring skills from the military to the workplace

Resource discussion
Communication
Execution
Valuing
Analysis
Synthesis

Co-leaders begin with introductions and goals for the group

Career Thoughts Inventory and My Vocational Situation

CIP Pyramid, CASVE Cycle Diagram, and CTI workbook

Member backgrounds /goals; Guide to Good Decisions Making
(GTGDM)

Group rejoins and members share information

Co-Leaders distribute and explain SDS- Self-Directed Search

Self-Directed Search is written on Individual Learning Plan (ILP)

Goal: one new item is added to ILP each week

Self-Directed Search turned in; summary print-outs prepared

Interests, values, and skills-Guide in GTGDM discussed

Group rejoins and transferable skills are given extra concentration


Students receive SDS results; group results are tallied on a white
board
SDS interpretation discussion and how to use the SDS Opportunities
Finder

Co-leaders discuss career thoughts and reframing items in workbook

Students write down any options on the GTGDM

HW: reframe at least 2 thoughts, and to bring in a copy of current
resume

Students share and process cognitive reframes

Resources such as the Military Crosswalk Search discussed

Students computers to start 2nd page of the GTGDM

Co-leaders discuss resume-writing



Students critique each other’s resumes, highlighting transferrable
skills
HW: Conduct an information interview through ProfessioNole
network, Student Veterans Association, or LinkedIn
HW: Set up a LinkedIn account and make revisions to resumes

Student presents on their informational interview

Students work together complete page 4 of the
GTGDM

Discussion of Organizational Culture and “fit”

Job-hunting resources such as VetJobs explored

HW: Sign up on LinkedIn and “connect” with each
other if they haven’t already

HW: Bring in an updated resume and cover letter
geared towards a specific job posting

Evaluate each other’s resumes and cover letter

Co-leaders discuss Elevator Speech and career expos

Practice elevator speeches in pairs

Evaluating and negotiating job offers is discussed


Co-leaders review information on evaluating and
negotiating job offers, interviewing, applying for
graduate school, and networking.
Veteran students receive a new ILP and write down
steps they want to take in completing their career goals
 Co-leaders
lead a discussion on the ILPs,
and students share what they have written
 The
Career Thoughts Inventory is readministered, and students compare results
to their first CTI.
 Co-leaders
answer any lingering concerns
or questions
 Co-leaders
up
conclude the group and wrap
 Linked
to benefit of providing evidenced
based practices to those receiving
services.
• Lots of $ allocated for veterans services
• What works well?
 Examination
of process of career
decision-making and problem solving
• Can be beneficial now and into the future
• Providing fish vs. teaching how to fish
Briggs, B. (2012). Thousands of veterans failing in the latest battlefield: College. Retrieved from
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/02/12509343-thousands-of-veterans-failing-in-latestbattlefield-college?lite
Bullock, E. E., Braud, J., Andrews, L., & Phillips, J. (2009). Career concerns of unemployed U.S.
war veterans: Suggestions from a Cognitive Information Processing approach. Journal of
Employment Counseling, 46, 171-181.
Clemens, E. V., & Milsom, A. S. (2008). Enlisted service members’ transition into the civilian
world of work: A Cognitive Information Processing approach. The Career Development
Quarterly, 56, 246-256.
Lang, W. A., & Powers, J. T. (2011). Completing the mission: A pilot study of veteran students’
progresstoward degree attainment in the post-9/11 era. Operation College Promise and The
Pat Tillman Founda-tion. http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/11/Completing-the-Mission.pdf
Sampson, J. P., Jr., Reardon, R. C., Peterson, G. W., & Lenz, J. G. (2004). Career counseling and
services: A cognitive information processing approach. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Sander, L. (2012). With GI Bill’s billions at stake, colleges compete to lure veterans. Chronicle of
Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/With-GI-Bills-Billions-at/131723/