Predicting Outcomes of a Manualized Individual Career Counseling Intervention Over a One-Year Follow-Up From Trajectories of Change in Career Decision Difficulties

This study tested whether trajectories of career decision difficulties identified in Milot-Lapointe and Le Corff (2023) predict outcomes of a manualized individual career counseling intervention 12 months after the intervention. Participants were 248 individuals who received an average of 7.79 sessions at a career counseling clinic and were reassessed 12 months after the intervention. Results showed that clients who experienced an optimal (Classes 1 and 2; 66% of clients) or a positive change but suboptimal (Class 3; 21% of clients) change during career counseling had negligible career decision difficulties 12 months after the intervention and were satisfied with their career decision, career situation and with counseling. Clients in Class 4, who did not experience any change during counseling (13% of clients), had significantly higher decision difficulties, were less satisfied with their career decision, career situation, counseling, and had lower life satisfaction at the 12-month follow-up compared to clients in the other classes. Results demonstrate the long-term utility of individual career counseling in producing, on average, sustainable positive outcomes for a large proportion of clients (87%). They also offer insights into the longitudinal consequences associated to variability in career counseling as clients who did not experience any change during counseling achieved poorer outcomes on the long run.