German version of the My System of Career Influences

Abstract

Career counselling in German-speaking countries lacks assessment instruments that are based on a systemic approach. As nobody lives in a vacuum, all individuals are affected by their surrounding systems, such as parents, friends and politics. The My System of Career Influences, (MSCI) is an assessment instrument that is based on the systems theory framework and focuses on both intraindividual and contextual influences. We adapted and tested a German version of the MSCI with Baccalaureate school students at upper secondary level II in Switzerland. The results show that the MSCI can be considered a useful instrument in career counselling in general. Still, some improvements are needed regarding clarity of the aim of the MSCI and the embedding of the instrument within other career counselling activities. Further, for students it would be helpful if they had the possibility to discuss their MSCI results with another person.