ious sections of the pyramid, and this helped illustrate the difficulty
that E was having in the Valuing phase of the CASVE cycle. E’s
career adviser helped her see how the search for the “perfect occu-
pation” could make it hard for her to commit to a choice. E’s career
adviser shared the example of how a well-known lawyer had be-
come one of the country’s best-selling authors. This example helped
E see how it is possible for one’s career path to combine many as-
pects of one’s interests, values, and skills.
Execute ILP. E visited the career center library on several occa-
sions to research three specific options identified through her ear-
lier assessments (Synthesis). As one activity to help her gain more
confidence with public speaking, E signed up for a summer school
class through the College of Communication called Introduction
to Public Speaking. E participated in a “Women and the Law” sym-
posium sponsored by the university’s College of Law. She learned
more about how women cope with the stress of work and having a
family life. One of the panel members included a female faculty
member who had previously been a corporate attorney. E was ex-
cited to see how this might be an option for combining her interest
in law with her interest in teaching. E used the career center’s net-
working database to schedule an information interview over the
semester break with an alumna who was currently working as a pub-
lications specialist with a large publishing firm. E met with an aca-
demic adviser in the English Department who helped her identify
a series of classes consistent with E’s interests that would meet the
minor requirements. E was excited about getting back into this area
and felt good about the fact that many of the courses would help
her develop skills that could be relevant to several of the occupa-
tions she was considering.
Summative Review and Generalization. As a result of the activi-
ties on E’s ILP, she was able to further differentiate her choices and
tentatively commit to a first choice. She had used the Guide to
Good Decision Making Exercise to clarify her options and arrive at
A COGNITIVE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPROACH 359