Effect of Brief Staff-Assisted Career Service Delivery on Drop-In Clients

Brief­staff­assisted career counseling services based on Cognitive Information Processing theory were evaluated via 138 drop­in clients who completed pre­post ­interventions on self­report measures of knowledge about next steps, confidence in making next steps, and feelings of anxiety about their career concern. Significant changes occurred in each dimension, and were significantly associated with the quality of career advisor interaction. Participants rated the experience as highly positive. Decreases in anxiety were unrelated to the intervention. Implications include that a brief­service delivery model yields positive outcomes for many, but require adjustments in organizational culture, the physical environment, practitioner approaches, and client expectations. Future research should examine relational variables related to decreased anxiety with a brief service delivery model, the degree to which this approach works with specific career needs, and client attributes leading to successful versus non­successful outcomes with this model.