In this article, the authors investigate how gender identity affects career choice by studying industry statistics that follow employment trends in the video game industry. Most employees in the video game industry are men, a situation that can be attributed to the fact that most men have a keen interest in playing video games and thus are more likely to end up in an
industry that requires their skills. The employees seem to enjoy their work tremendous because they pursue careers that reflect their personal interests and hobbies. To remedy the high parity, the researchers suggest a new model that factors in gender considerations, the role of hobbies and interests in career development and satisfaction as well as pastimes. The research adds value to the body of literature by providing a gender-based approach to employment statistics and emphasizes the role hobbies and passions play in modeling happy and contented employees.
Gilmartin, Shannon K., Erika Li, and Pamela Aschbacher. "The relationship between interest in physical science/engineering, science class experiences, and family contexts: Variations by gender and race/ethnicity among secondary students." Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 12.2-3 (2006).
The author investigates the existing relationship between career choices in the practical sciences (Engineering) and interest in activities in light of gender and ethnicity variations. The research is thus essential to the topic at hand because it provides fresh perspectives on the influence of personal interest on the career choices of students. It also provides an account of the various variations (gender and race) and their impact on the decision to follow a particular career. The author notes in the study that interest in class-related experiments have a weak impact on the final determination by a student to follow a specific career path. The author draws these conclusions after sampling 1125 students in Southern California. The research helps set the pace for further investigation into the effect of personal hobbies and passions on a person’s career satisfaction. It has long been held a belief that passion and interest in a certain job lead to better performance and reduces career burn-out, and this articles helps sets the ground for keener investigation.
Gushue, George V., et al. "The relationship of career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational identity, and career exploration behavior in African American high school students." Journal of Career Development 33.1 (2006): 19-28.
The authors investigate the impact of career-self-efficacy and career exploration on personal development and achievement in a preferred profession. The author examines this through a sampling of 72 African-American students living in urban settings. The authors conclude in their research that increased involvement in career-exploration activities and interests increase the decision of a student choosing one profession over another. Specifically, they note that the level of participation in particular areas of interest increase the vocational identity of a student and thus lead to better career development. Consequently, this affects the satisfaction of an individual when practicing his/her career. The authors are all employed by Teachers College, Columbia and have vast experience in career training and have conducted extensive surveys to support their conclusions. The article adds value to the body of research on the subject of career development and satisfaction. Important implications include providing career counselors with fresh perspectives while advising students to choose certain careers.
Malach‐Pines, Ayala, and Oreniya Yafe‐Yanai. "Unconscious determinants of career choice and burnout: Theoretical model and counseling strategy." Journal of Employment Counseling 38.4 (2001): 170-184.
The authors analyze the reasons for career burnout in employees who fail to obtain satisfaction from their jobs. To explain the reasons for most of the burn-out cases witnessed in most professions, the authors use the psychoanalytic-existential theory. The psychoanalytic-existential theory is used to explain the incidences of lack of motivation among employees who fail to find value in what they do, a situation that leads to career burn-out. The authors also suggest remediation measures to attenuate career burn-out in employees. They focus on the means in which employees can avoid losing interest in the tasks they perform by suggesting that employees should choose careers that mirror their life interests, hobbies, and passions. The article adds a lot of value to the content of research on the subject by providing a psychoanalytic perspective. The authors are seasoned researchers in the field of psychology. The article, which is published in the Journal of Employment Counseling, is a good read since it uses an easy to understand language and gathers perspectives from employees in various disciplines.
Nauta, Margaret M. "The development, evolution, and status of Holland’s theory of vocational personalities: Reflections and future directions for counseling psychology." Journal of Counseling Psychology 57.1 (2010): 11.
The author is a deeply grounded researcher in the field of psychology. In this article, the author investigates some of the controversies, developments and implications of Holland’s theory of vocational personalities. Holland’s theory seeks to establish, with empirical data, the factors that affect the performance of professionals in their various disciplines. Margaret Nauta traces the linkages between vocations and occupational interest. The impact of vocational interest and environment on career performance has generated a lot of interest since Holland first published his article on vocational personalities in 1959. The publication is essential to this research because it provides us with background information as well as a discussion of prevailing controversies generated by the theory. It helps put the issue of aligning careers with interests, hobbies and talents into perspective. It is well written and succinct. The author compartmentalizes the article into sub-topics that focus on the different aspects of the title (e.g. evolution and the current status of research on the topic).
Piko, Lesley Margaret. "Optimizing professional life: a grounded theory of doctors' careers." (2014).
Piko studies the factors that affect the performance and satisfaction of doctors in the execution of their duties. Laced with suggestions in which doctors and prospective doctors can find happiness in their careers, the article points out that when doctors pursue their careers as a response to their interests and passions, they have a higher chance of obtaining career satisfaction. Writing in short, clear sentences and through the use of supporting data, the author makes the research indispensable to doctors and other professionals who can benefit from the findings. The work supports the findings of other researchers in the field, including Holland, Nauta, and Straus. The work could benefit from additional research to encapsulate a comparative study with other professions. It is still a brilliant piece of research and is worth reading.
Straus, Sharon E., Christine Straus, and Katina Tzanetos. “Career choice in academic medicine: systematic review." Journal of General Internal Medicine 21.12 (2006): 1222-1229.
The authors investigate the different factors that affect the decision of a student to pursue a career in the field of medicine. Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, it is a peer reviewed article that consolidates data from relevant articles published from 1990-2005. The article is critical to the research because it provides a cross-sectional view of all the factors that influence career decisions in the field of medicine. Among the reasons identified in the article is the role of hobbies, talents and personal interests in influencing career decisions and employee satisfaction in their respective lines of work. Additionally, the article provides parallel views on career satisfaction and performance, helping to add more perspective on the topic of career satisfaction. The design of the article studies professionals as varied as fellows, staff physicians, and residents. The authors investigate over 251 resources to come up with a working theory of the capacity of medical professionals to function effectively.
Van Dierendonck, Dirk, Wilmar B. Schaufeli, and Herman J. Sixma. "Burnout among general practitioners: a perspective from equity theory." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 13.1 (1994): 86-100.
The authors investigate burn-out among doctors and how this can be prevented. According to the authors, burnout can be avoided by the fair distribution of resources, which in turn make the practitioner feel wanted at the place of work. The net result is that doctors who are wanted at their place of work will continue to enjoy career satisfaction even in instances where their hobbies or passions are not directly associated with their lines of work. The authors are quick to point out that passions and interests make the job more satisfying even when there is an uneven distribution of resources. The article is important mainly because it introduces new ways of thinking that provide alternative explanations for burnout in careers. The article is well written, with real life examples and surveys used to support their conclusions. The authors are seasoned scholars and researchers in developmental psychology, making their work well rounded and respectable.
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