Unveiling the Vocational Tapestry: Personality Types and Career Interests Among Student Veterans in Rehabilitation Counseling Master's Programs

Abstract

Background

Understanding the interplay between personality types and career interests among student veterans in the rehabilitation counseling profession holds both intrinsic and practical significance.

Objective

To understand the interplay between personality types and career interests among student veterans pursuing a career in the rehabilitation counseling profession.

Methods

An online survey collected demographic information, military background, and employed the 18REST to measure Holland RIASEC vocational interest types and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) to assess the Big Five personality traits. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were used for data analysis.

Results

The mean age for the participants was 41.63 years (SD = 10.73). Dominant Holland type interests were social (M = 4.43) followed by enterprising (M = 3.37) and investigative (M = 3.02). The highest Big Five personality scores were in conscientiousness (M = 5.48), openness (M = 5.27), and agreeableness (M = 4.82). Significant correlations included Extraversion and Openness (r = .35, p < 0.05), and Social and Enterprising (r = .57, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The study provides nuanced insights into the personality types and career interests of student veterans in rehabilitation counseling Master's degree programs, informing practices for academic and career support. These findings contribute to optimizing educational experiences and facilitating successful integration into the rehabilitation counseling field.

Introduction

The contemporary landscape of higher education reflects a diverse and dynamic student body, with unique subsets of individuals seeking specialized career paths for Veterans (Umucu, 2022). One such distinctive group comprises student veterans who, having served in the armed forces, embark on a transformative journey towards a Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling. The intersection of their military experiences, personal attributes, and vocational pursuits renders this demographic particularly intriguing and warrants a nuanced examination (Degeneffe et al., 2025).

Understanding the interplay between personality types and career interests among student veterans in the rehabilitation counseling profession holds both intrinsic and practical significance. The rehabilitation counseling field requires a delicate balance of interpersonal skills, empathy, and adaptability. Given the distinctive challenges faced by veterans transitioning to civilian life, comprehending the inherent traits and vocational preferences of this cohort becomes imperative. Besides, research shows that higher education could provide an excellent pathway to optimal employment, health, and well-being outcomes among veterans (e.g., Umucu, 2022; Umucu, Chan et al., 2022; Umucu, Chan et al., 2024; Umucu, Lee et al., 2023).

In this study, we delve into the realms of personality psychology and vocational interests, employing the well-established frameworks of the Big Five personality traits and Holland's RIASEC (i.e., realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, conventional) model. The Big Five, encompassing extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism, provides a comprehensive lens through which to examine the fundamental dimensions of an individual's personality (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Concurrently, Holland's RIASEC model offers a nuanced understanding of individuals’ preferences in work and activities (Holland, 1959).

The rationale for this study emerges from the imperative to optimize the alignment between the unique characteristics of student veterans and the demands of the rehabilitation counseling profession. By comprehensively assessing their personality traits and career interests, we aim to contribute valuable insights that can inform both academic and counseling practices. This knowledge has the potential not only to enhance the educational experience of student veterans but also to facilitate their successful integration into the rehabilitation counseling field, ultimately fostering improved outcomes for both the individuals and the communities they serve.

In the realm of career development, a multitude of personal and environmental factors intricately shape an individual's motivation and decision-making processes (Feldt & Woelfel, 2009; Lent et al., 1994, 2000). These factors span a broad spectrum, ranging from individual traits such as gender, race, and personality to environmental contexts like support systems and institutional policies. Among the myriad of influences, personality stands out as a well-documented and critical determinant, often categorized into the renowned Big Five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism (Costa & McCrae, 1992).

Extensive research has delved into the relationship between personality and career choices, exploring consequential outcomes (Brown & Hirschi, 2013; Lee & Ohtake, 2012; Seibert & Kraimer, 2001). For instance, Prediger's (1982) longitudinal study uncovered that adolescents with extraversion traits gravitated towards career goals involving social interactions, contrasting with those oriented towards tasks. Another study found that adolescents whose personality traits aligned with their career interests in realistic, investigative, artistic, and social categories exhibited greater career certainty than those who did not experience this alignment (Jemini-Gashi & Bërxulli, 2017). Moreover, conscientiousness emerged as positively correlated with job satisfaction and income, while neuroticism exhibited negative associations with income and occupational status (Judge, 1999).

In addition to personality, another influential construct is Holland's RIASEC theory of vocational types. Each interest type within this model corresponds to a unique set of work and activity preferences. Notably, an individual's alignment with these interests can be pivotal in career decision-making (Nauta, 2010). Extending the exploration beyond the Big Five, Barrick et al. (2003) and Larson et al.'s (2002) meta-analysis demonstrated correlations between extraversion and enterprising/social interests, and openness with artistic interests. Moreover, a higher level of openness was associated with elevated interest across all six interest types (Brown & Hirschi, 2013).

In this context, the present study aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by examining the interplay between personality types and career interests among student veterans pursuing a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling. By focusing on this specific population, we aim to deepen our understanding of the unique dynamics shaping the vocational aspirations and trajectories of this distinct demographic. We believe this study will also help RCE programs to better understand this specific student body.

Methods

Procedure

Participants were recruited from Master's level rehabilitation counseling education (RCE) programs. Two recruitment approaches were used. First, study information and survey link was sent to potential participants from March to May 2021. The National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE) member RCE programs through the NCRE listserv was utilized to collect data. We also emailed information about the study to RCE faculty colleagues and asked them to share information about the study to student veterans in their programs. Participants were required to be currently enrolled in a RCE program.

Instruments

An online Qualtrics survey was used to collect demographic and background questions related to age, gender, race/ethnicity, disability, education, military and employment information. We used the 18REST (Ambiel et al., 2018) to measure RIASEC-interest in student veterans enrolled in RCE programs. The 18REST consists of 18 items rated on a 5-point Likert Scale (1 = I do not like/would not like strongly to 5 = I like/would like very much). The Cronbach's alpha was found to be .76 for the 18REST. We also measured Big-5 personality traits using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling et al., 2003). The TIPI is a 10-item scale rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The reported test–retest reliability was reported to be .77 for extraversion, .71 for agreeableness, .76 for conscientiousness, .70 for emotional stability, and .62 for openness to experience (Gosling et al., 2003).

Statistical Analysis

Upon completing data collection, we started checking the data quality. Each participant was assigned an ID number, and we removed participants who did not complete survey. First, forty-nine participants were removed given they did not fill out most of the survey. Later, we recoded negatively worded items create total scores for each variable. Descriptive statistics were conducted to identify means and standard deviations for participants’ characteristics and 18REST and TIPI score. We conducted a correlation analysis of the 18REST and TIPI scores to determine the relationship between the measures’ factors.

Results

Participant Characteristics

Participants were mostly male (63.6%), and White (54.5%), followed by Black (18.2%), Asian (9.1%), bi-racial (6.1%), Latin/Hispanic (6.1%), and other (6.1%). The mean age of the participants was 41.63 (SD = 10.73). Most of the participants were married (63.6%), followed by divorced (12.1%), never married (12.1%), cohabitating (6.1%), widowed (3.0%), and separated (3.0%). Most participants deployed to combat at least once (78.8%; 33% had one time; 18.2% had two times; 9.1% had three times; and 18.2% had more than three times). Most participants had a service-connected disability (81.8%). The mean SCD rate was 63.33% among participants. The most common SCD was PTSD (54.5%), followed by anxiety (36.4%), depression (27.3%), hearing impairments (27.3%), TBI (18.2%), substance use disorders (12.1%), polytrauma (3%), and others (42.4%; e.g., back injury, bipolar disorder, pain).

Participants Interests

Participants’ highest RIASEC score was in the social personality type (M = 4.43, SD = 0.72), followed by enterprising (M = 3.37, SD = 0.87), investigative (M = 3.02, SD = 0.89), conventional (M = 3.10, SD = 0.94), artistic (M = 2.32, SD = 0.91), and realistic (M = 1.96, SD = 0.79).

Participants Personality

For Big-Five personality types, the highest score was the conscientiousness personality type (M = 5.48, SD = 1.04), followed by openness to experience (M = 5.27, SD = 1.11), agreeableness (M = 4.82, SD = 0.98), extraversion (M = 4.74, SD = 1.33), and emotional stability (M = 4.72, SD = 1.05).

Correlation Analysis

The extraversion personality type was correlated with openness (r = .35, p < 0.05). The agreeableness personality type was correlated with emotional stability (r = .44, p < 0.05). The investigative RIASEC type was correlated with the realistic (r = .43, p < 0.05) and artistic types (r = .40, p < 0.05). The social RIASEC type was correlated with openness personality type (r = .43, p < 0.05) and the enterprising RIASEC type (r = .57, p < 0.05). Finally, the conventional RIASEC type was correlated with the enterprising type (r = .62, p < 0.05).

Discussion

The primary aim of this study was to examine personality types and career interests of student veterans enrolled in RCE programs. Our investigation found compelling insights, revealing the prevalence of social interest as the predominant theme among this cohort, followed by enterprising and investigative vocational interests. The significance of these findings lies in their potential to elucidate the motivational underpinnings of student veterans’ career choices, particularly within the realm of rehabilitation counseling.

The ascendancy of social interest aligns with the characteristic inclination of individuals drawn to occupations centered around helping and serving others, resonating with fields such as teaching and social services (Su & Rounds, 2014). Notably, the military service experience may have played a pivotal role in shaping these preferences, as veterans, having served in a communal and service-oriented setting, likely internalized core values of altruism and community commitment (De Fruyt & Mervielde, 1999; Robertson & Brott, 2013; Wilson & Smith, 2012). This intrinsic motivation may manifest in the pursuit of post-military careers, especially in professions that involve aiding others, such as rehabilitation counseling.

The prevalence of the enterprising vocational interest among student veterans may be attributed to their experiences in leadership and initiative-taking during military service (Haynie, 2016; Vacchi, 2012; Zoli et al., 2015). This aligns seamlessly with the demands of rehabilitation counseling, wherein professionals are often called upon to assume active advocacy and leadership roles in various capacities, such as in-service coordination and job placement services (Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Education, n.d.). The military's emphasis on goal-oriented behavior and self-discipline may contribute to the manifestation of these traits in the pursuit of higher education and subsequent career goals.

The third prominent vocational interest type, investigative, underscores a cohort with an affinity for science and research. This inclination towards knowledge acquisition and creative work is consistent with the broader trend observed among graduate students who typically find motivation in intellectual pursuits and research endeavors (Austin, 2002). Additionally, Zoli et al. (2015) highlighted that student veterans often cite intrinsic motivation and professional advancement as key factors influencing their decision to pursue higher education, further supporting the notion that these individuals are driven by a desire to expand their knowledge base beyond their undergraduate studies.

Turning to the Big Five personality traits, conscientiousness emerged as the foremost trait among student veterans in rehabilitation counseling programs. This finding aligns with the military's emphasis on self-discipline, reliability, and task-oriented behavior (O'Sullivan, 2014). The cultivation of goal-oriented and self-moderating behaviors during military service likely contributes to the prevalence of conscientious traits among student veterans.

Openness to experience and agreeableness were the second and third highest personality traits, respectively. The military's unique cultural expectations, exposing individuals to changing and uncertain environments, may contribute to the development of openness to experience (Pew Research Center, 2011). Furthermore, the higher level of cultural sensitivity observed in veterans, stemming from their cross-cultural experiences, aligns with the agreeableness trait (Haynie, 2016). These personality traits resonate with the multifaceted responsibilities of rehabilitation counselors, encompassing client service, organizational collaboration, and community engagement.

Correlation analyses unveiled intriguing relationships within and across interest and personality domains. Within the RIASEC model, correlations between adjacent interest areas (e.g., social and enterprising) were more pronounced than those between distant areas (e.g., social and realistic), echoing established patterns in vocational psychology (Holland, 1997; Su & Rounds, 2014). Similarly, within the Big Five personality traits, correlations such as openness with extraversion and agreeableness with emotional stability were identified. While limited research has focused explicitly on intercorrelations among Big Five personality factors, our findings align with the intuitive understanding that individuals often embody multiple personality types, shaping their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (O'Sullivan, 2014).

Examining relationships across interest and personality domains, our study affirmed documented associations between aspects such as enterprising-extraversion and -agreeableness, investigative-openness, and social-agreeableness (Larson et al., 2002; Leutner et al., 2014). Notably, a noteworthy association emerged between social interest and openness to experience among student veterans. This correlation suggests that those inclined towards helping and serving people (social interest) are likely receptive to trying new activities and being intellectually curious (openness to experience personality; O'Sullivan, 2014; Su & Rounds, 2015).

Limitations

There are several study limitations that should be considered when interpreting the study's findings. One of the most significant limitations of this study is the small sample size. Due to the small sample size and potential selection bias, the findings from this study may not be applicable to broader populations. The sample might not be representative of the larger population from which it was drawn, limiting the generalizability of the results. This study uses a cross-sectional design, which means data is collected at a single point in time. Therefore, it cannot assess changes or trends over time. Longitudinal studies may provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between the variables. Next, our data collection was completed during the pandemic, which may have impacted some of the findings and results. Finally, our data collection was somehow convenient sampling which may reduce the generalizability of our findings since we were not able to reach all RCE programs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study provides an exploration of the nexus between personality types and career interests among student veterans pursuing rehabilitation counseling master's degrees. The nuanced understanding gained from this analysis not only enhances our comprehension of the motivations driving student veterans’ career choices but also holds practical implications for academic and counseling practices catering to this unique demographic. The implications extend beyond academic curiosity, offering valuable insights to educators, counselors, and policymakers aiming to support the successful integration of student veterans into the challenging yet rewarding field of rehabilitation counseling.