Development of a Navy Job-Specific Vocational Interest Model

The purpose of this project is to develop a Navy Job-specific vocational interest model designed to guide the development of a Navy job-specific interest inventory. We combined a review of the theoretical literature with a qualitative analysis of entry-level enlisted ratings to create a model that is grounded in current research and reflects the critical work activities and environments of Navy ratings. A content model of Navy-specific vocational interests was developed. The model will be used to guide the development of Jobs and Occupational Interests in the Navy (JOIN), a Navy-specific interest inventory and to develop a method and instrument to measure job characteristics that are congruent with the constructs assessed by the interest inventory. The Navy-Specific Vocational Interest Model was developed through an iterative, partially theoretical and partially empirical method that ensured the model was grounded in current interest theory and tailored it to the Navy's work and classification needs. The model will provide the basis for measuring individual differences in Navy applicant interests and interest-related job characteristics, which differentiate ratings or families of ratings. It can be used to add new or revamped ratings to the interest function in RIDE/PRIDE simply by obtaining SME data on the job characteristics variables, instead of conducting a validation study. Prepared in collaboration with Human Resources Research Organization, Alexandria, VA. The original document contains color images.