Transition from Student to Practitioner: The Role of Expectations, Values and Personality

Abstract

Research into occupational therapy job satisfaction has been driven largely by concerns regarding recruitment and retention. There is a need to develop more robust theoretically sound methodologies for the investigation of job satisfaction within the profession. This article presents the initial findings of a national longitudinal study of Australian occupational therapists. The respondents (n=295) were investigated immediately prior to graduation with respect to their expectations about working as an occupational therapist, their work values and their work preferences. A personality profile was also administered. The findings indicate that students hold inflated expectations about their first job and retain traditional occupational therapy work values. Demographic and personality profiles reflect those of the international student body and can assist in the prediction of student expectations.