Adults in involuntary career transition: An analysis of the relationship between the psychological and career domains

This investigation examined the relationship between psychological and career domains in a sample of 371 involuntarily laid off workers in the midwestern United States. The psychological domain was operationalized using the NEO Five Factor Inventory. The Career Transitions Inventory was used to examine internal psychological resources which adults may assess when making a career transition. A latent variable model was developed between the two sets of constructs to explore the possible direct relationships between these sets. The results indicated that neuroticism and openness to experience explained a significant amount of variance in the career transition variables. Self-efficacy was found to be predicted by four of the five personality factors. Implications concerning the importance of assessing underlying personality traits as well as more specific career constructs are discussed. In addition, the implications of these data for the greater integration of the psychological and career domains within our training programs is also highlighted.