DEVELOPMENT OF A CAREER COUNSELING CENTER MODEL FOR PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE WORLD OF WORK USING ENNEAGRAM PERSONALITY THEORY

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate career counseling provision and its pattern. (2) To develop a model of career counseling center for preparing students into the world of work by using Enneagram personality theory to observe the evaluation process of Thai students’ characteristics. (3) To formulate the model of career counseling for students in Thai higher education institutes by integrating Thai value and Enneagram personality theory in order to establish research personality measures for individual student. Samples are four-year-university students from the universities that provided all nine educational groups categorized by UNESCO entitled International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Comprehensive universities selected for the study were Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, Kasetsart University, Naresuan University, Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, and Prince of Songkla University. 527 respondents participated in the survey. Multivariate tools from SPSS for Windows were used for statistical analysis. The model of career counseling center was developed and confirmed by a committee of experts using the connoisseurship model. Four out of nine personality types -Epicure, Mediator, Trooper, and Giver- from Enneagram personality theory are mostly found among Thai students. The model of career counseling center was thus developed in accordance with the demands of current student personality as well as objectives in accordance to the university service provision policy under the operation of student affairs division. The preparations of location, facility, and structural design of management, service provision process, and student counseling procedure were developed in accordance to help support the student readiness in entering into the world of work. The recommendation for successful career counseling center was restricted its scope of work in programs of study and career counseling. Special emphasis was to be placed upon student personality types in tailored made counseling program oriented to future careers, following six procedures of one-stop counseling service: to investigate student personality type, test of student personality type, check the vacancy job position on database, study on the characteristic of the perspective job, attend the training program, and apply to the job. The counseling service should be based on each student personality type that influences his / her future profession and follow the six procedures of one-stop counseling service.