I was wondering if you could help answer something for me. I’m learning that oftentimes, the Theme Codes for the OS scales can be slightly or very different from the codes on O*Net Online. I imagine that this is due to human decision making but how do counselors work with this when working with a client?
For instance, on the report, Computer & IS Manager is coded RIC yet, online it is coded ECI. Which is it? Another example: Emergency Medical Technician is coded RI on the report and SIR online.
Is it just a matter of looking at the pattern of skills, tasks and knowledge? For the EMT, I’d be more likely to go with SIR since the main priority is to help others but I wouldn’t know this if I hadn’t looked it up online.
Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
You may remember from the certification program that work environments are formed by the workers who do the job, not by the tasks that are done. This is the underlying concept of the Strong–matching people and work environments, not matching people and tasks. OS codes are determined empirically — workers are tested, and the OSs are assigned the codes of the workers. O*Net codes are determined rationally — assigned according to the typical tasks of the work. Together, they give you the whole picture, and both are usually addressed in career counseling. You determine the client’s overall OS code first, using the method that we covered in certification and/or that is described in the User’s Guide. Then you consider tasks of specific jobs (if you want to, although not really necessary) either in the DHOC or on O*Net.
