The adult career concerns inventory: development of a short form.

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a short form of the Adult Career Concerns Inventory (ACCI; D. E. Super, A. S. Thompson, & R. H. Lindeman, 1988), a measure of career stage that is based on D. E. Super's (1990) theory of career development. Participants were 260 college students

who completed surveys. Examination of Cronbach's alpha indicated adequate reliability for the ACCI-Short Form. The multitrait-multimethod matrix was used to compare the short form method with the long form method across the 4 career stages. Results indicated adequate convergent validity.

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Recent economic difficulties and the rapidly changing demographics of the United States have meant that counselors continue to encounter an increasingly diverse group of clients facing numerous career concerns. Larger numbers of women, persons of color, and other diverse groups (e.g., persons with disabilities, older persons) are pursuing higher education and have greater expectations regarding the satisfactoriness of their employment, both emotionally and economically (Lieberman & Lieberman, 1983; Shaft, 1992). As Isaacson and Brown (1997) noted the reasons that people work are extremely complex because work provides feelings of status, affiliation, a sense of mastery, and a sense of self. Because career concerns can arise for a variety of reasons, counselors must be skilled in assisting individuals from a variety of backgrounds to find meaning and purpose in their employment across the life span.

More individuals are changing jobs often and are also changing more frequently the type of work they perform (Isaacson & Brown, 1997). Many older persons are considering "second careers," possibly reflecting their concerns about inflation and the prospect of living longer (Lieberman & Lieberman, 1983). When working with older persons, counselors may need to address issues of financial stability and perceived career success, as well as explore the meaning of work and retirement within personal life transitions (Moen, 1996). In addition, the difficulties experienced by women and members of ethnic minority groups in moving up the career ladder have highlighted the need for counselors who are trained in both career development and diversity issues. Gender and ethnicity can have an impact on patterns of career development (Perrone, Sedlacek, & Alexander, 2001). Fortunately, career options have changed dramatically for women and ethnic minorities over the past three decades with an expansion of both opportunities for career choices and potential for advancement.