Career Choice of Adolescents: Can occupational VR 360-degree Videos Facilitate Job Interest?

摘要

The recent increase in accessibility of stand-alone Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) has been recognised by companies who use them for recruitment purposes. By filming employees on the job site with 360-degree cameras, jumping into an occupational environment via a HMD has become a possibility for young career seekers. However, career choice depends on various influential factors (e.g. socialisation, self-efficacy, norms, experiences or career choice readiness). Thus, the question arises how and if VR 360-degree videos for occupational orientation can play a supporting role in this process. The presented pilot study examines the effects of exposure to occupational VR 360-degree videos on the development of occupational interest. 41 students experienced a variety of occupational VR 360-degree videos in a classroom setting. A significant increase in job interest before and after exposure was found. Our results indicate a positive experience and favourable ratings towards the application as useful for career orientation and for providing occupational information. We conclude that VR 360-degree videos are a promising tool for gaining occupational information and initiate self-reflection. We suggest future research with larger cohorts using the same VR application to further investigate which features are regarded as helpful in career orientation for young adults.