As a Career Professional, you may be familiar with the concept of Motivational Interviewing (MI). This is a method for helping people improve their change readiness and behaviors, including those related to employment. Check out the Motivational Interviewing section of this blog for more information.
MI leverages many different techniques throughout the Stages of Change. While the list is extensive, this article will focus on those that are most relevant to your work with individuals who are trying to change their career-related behaviors.
- PROS AND CONS EXERCISE
- List the pros and cons of chronic unemployment.
- List the pros and cons of being steadily employed.
- LOOKING BACK
- Can you remember a time when things were going well?
- What was that like, and how is it different now? Were things better then?
- What changed? Why?
- LOOKING FORWARD
- If you do this (start job search, become employed), what do you hope will be different?
- If you don’t do this (start job search, become employed), where will you be a year from now?
- If things continue as they are right now (unemployed), what do you think will eventually happen?
- USING CHANGE RULERS (Importance, Confidence, Commitment)
- On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest rating and 10 is the highest, how important is it to you to become employed? Explain the reason you are not at “X” (higher number). What would it take to get to “X” (higher number)? Explain the reason you are you not at “Y” (lower number)?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you that you could become employed? Explain the reason you are not at “X” (higher number). What would it take to get to “X” (higher number)? Explain the reason are you not at “Y” (lower number)?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how committed are you to making these changes in your lifestyle? Explain the reason you are not at “X” (higher number). What would it take to get to “X” (higher number)? Explain the reason you are not at “Y” (lower number)?
- EXPLORING GOALS
- What does the job seeker value? What goals does the job seeker have for his or her life?
- Compare the job seeker's current behavior to that which is required to live out his or her values and achieve his or her goals.
- Develop discrepancy between his or her current behavior and his or her values and goals.
Some of these tools are more effective at certain stages than others. For example, helping a person weigh the pros and cons of changing his behavior is most often used with those who are in the Contemplation stage. Familiarizing yourself with the characteristics of job seekers at each stage will help you make effective choices and personalize your approach for each client.