DEVELOPMENT OF THE “GETTING READY FOR YOUR NEXT JOB” INVENTORY FOR UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS
and requests for reprints should be addressed to Connie R. Wanberg, University of Minnesota, IRC 3-300, Carlson School of Management, 321 19th Ave S, Minneapolis MN 55455; [email protected].
A grant provided by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (MDEED) funded this project. A special thank you to the Your Next Job Advisory Board and to MDEED management including Carla Halloin, Chuck Hartfiel, Jim Hegman, Jerry Mulhern, Debra Schlekewy, and Julie Toskey for their assistance with this project. Thank you also to Jason Shaw and Paul Sackett for their friendly reviews of this manuscript.
Abstract
This article describes the development of a self-administered inventory to provide unemployed job seekers of varying education levels and backgrounds with insight into their job search. The inventory was refined in 5 phases with multiple samples. Evidence for predictive validity was provided by examining the relationship between the inventory components ( job-search intensity, Internet use, job-search confidence, job-search clarity, support, stress and worry, skills, barriers, job-search experience, difference between last wage and wage desired, time spent in job search, and number of interviews in last 2 weeks) and employment outcomes several months later. The inventory, titled “Getting Ready for Your Next Job” (YNJ), is shown in the Appendix. Interested users may download a PDF or Microsoft Word version of the YNJ from http://www.ynj.csom.umn.edu/.
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