Narrative Method of Practice Increases Curiosity and Exploration, Psychological Capital, and Personal Growth Leading to Career Clarity: A Retrospective Outcome Study

The paradigm in career counselling is shifting from traditional matching assessments to narrative methods. Storytelling approaches, life design principles, and evidence-based methods of practice are integrating theory into practical tools that career professionals want to use and can easily learn. Evidence of effectiveness of such methods are key to their being implemented, and broad career management variables beyond employment status need to be identified. The retrospective outcome study of one such method reported here explored variables of hope, optimism, resilience, self-efficacy, collectively psychological capital, personal growth, and curiosity and exploration. Participants (N=68) were clients of a busy career management social enterprise. Analyses revealed statistically significant increases in all six career management variables, and identified key correlations with person-job fit, career clarity, and employment status. These results make a case for the continued adoption of narrative methods, and move this particular method into the realm of evidence-based practice.