Assessing career adaptability

Abstract

Scholarship on career adaptability is rapidly expanding in order to understand the dynamic ways individuals navigate the occupational landscape of the 21st century. This requires reflection on the historical origins and measurement of this important vocational construct. The present chapter highlights the evolution of conceptualizing and assessing career adaptability. Prevailing quantitative and qualitative measurement approaches are reviewed along with implications for cultural validity. Rottinghaus and Eshelman's (American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, pp. 25-39, 2015) six-step sequential integrative career counselling model serves as a guiding framework for assessing career adaptability. The importance of incorporating quantitative measures, qualitative measures, and cultural reflection in career adaptability assessment is explored through the case study of Shelly. Finally, implications and recommendations for research and practice are discussed.