7 Step Career Decision Making Model example essay topic

Decision-Making Model Analysis Paper Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! How do you make decisions? Have you ever asked yourself, "How did I make that decision?" Whether big or small, important or not so important, decision making is a process. Some people way the pros and cons while others may just flip a coin.

Are decisions based on feelings, outcomes or information? Often times if we just go with our gut feeling will be miss out on important information that should be included in our decision. Decision-making can be a cognitive process of selecting a course of action form various options. Some of us are logical.

Some of us are risk taking. Either way such characteristics play a role in our decisions. In my experience decision-making can also be based on biases, past experiences, peer pressure, needs and even wants. Recently, I had to make a decision about a new job opportunity. My employer offered me the opportunity to moving into a new job with new tasks and responsibilities. I had to consider the position, the responsibilities, the salary and all the alternatives.

The opportunity offered a pay increase. It was a tough decision. Now, while I didn't realize it I actually used a decision-making model to decide upon my best option. Rick Roberts, Director of Career Services at University of North Florida designed a 7-Step Career Decision-Making Model. Roberts believes information is power in decision-making. He states, the more information you have the easier the decision.

This Decision-Making Model gives structure while allowing one to process and identify necessary information. Step One is to identify the decision to be made. In my case, the decision was whether to take a new job opportunity or remain in my existing position. Step Two is to do a self assessment.

At this point, I began to consider my needs and wants. Would the new opportunity really be something I would enjoy? Would it be challenging? This particular new opportunity was an office position. I am accustomed to working in the field.

So I had to ask myself how will I adapt to the everyday office environment. Step Three is to identify the options. I began to gather information about other potential opportunities that may soon be an option. Should I settle for this opportunity or what for one more suitable for me, is a question I proposed to myself. Step Four is to gather information and data. I reviewed the salary potential of the job opportunity.

I considered the current salary and potential future salary increase. Step Five is to evaluate options that will solve the problem. In trying to make my decision, I listed the pros and cons. I thought about the potential disadvantages of leaving my current position. Step Six is to select on of the options. At this point, Roberts believes you should have enough information to choose an option.

In my decision, I had all the information I needed to make my decision. While, the new opportunity offered a higher salary, the responsibilities where not tasks of interest. Step Seven is to design a course of action to implement the decision. My decision was to not take the new job opportunity. I had to figure out how do I decline the offer and then continue to excel in my current position. The ACORN Journal published an article stating that sew research suggests that human decision-making is influenced by the interactions of two distinct systems in the brain.

One system is the limbic system which brings about an emotional decision. Conversely, deliberative and analytic regions of the brain, such as the prefrontal and parietal cortex brings about a more analyzed decision. In conclusion, there are many factors that come into play when making a decision. The decision-making process that is based on good information often leads to a better decision.

In my interest search on decision-making, I found a summary on decision-making. The summary sums up decision-making in a linear fashion. Whether decisions are very important and affect a lot of people or very small and affect only one person, decisions should be a process. In this linear fashion, the process including framing, deciding, communicating, implementing and evaluating. Each of those words can be identified or referenced to one of the steps mentioned above. Needless to say decisions require thinking.

Do we ever really know if we are making the right the decision? I would say not exactly. However, having a process and the information must leads to a wiser decision.

Bibliography

Career Decision-Making Model, Rick Roberts, Director of Career Services at University of Florida. Scientists Detect Two Decision-Making Pathways in Human Brain (news release, Bethesda, Md: National Institutes of Health, Oct 15, 2004) web / news / pr / oct 2004/ni a-15.
htm (accessed 29 Oct 2004).