🇵🇦 Guide to Choosing Your Career in Panama: A Vocational Psychology Approach

Choosing a high school track and university degree program is not an easy task for young people and adults. For this reason, in this article I will share some considerations about vocational psychology and how it can support families and patients in better preparing for this important decision.

🧠 What is Vocational Psychology?

Firstly, vocational psychology is understood as the set of psychological processes that mobilize a person towards the professional world .

From this emerged the vocational and professional counseling service, which consists of a set of techniques and tools implemented by a specialist. The objective is to support clients in gaining in-depth knowledge of:

  • Their own interests.

  • Skills and abilities.

  • Personality traits.

We analyze how this conglomeration of factors can adapt to current labor demands (Martínez-Vicente and Santamaría, 2019; Lobato, 2002).

⚖️ Factors that Influence Your Decision

From the perspective of vocational psychology, we analyze multiple elements related to vocational decision-making:

  1. Psychogenic Factors: Related to your own interests, motivations, attitudes, aptitudes, self-efficacy, self-concept, values, and personality.

  2. Sociogenic Factors: Related to the family, the social environment, the production system, norms and values (Martínez, 2013).

🤓 Did you know...? From a young age, we're asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This shows that career choices significantly shape our lives. It's not a random decision, but rather one influenced by our identity, life goals, and skills.

📚 The Challenge in the Panamanian Education System

In Panama, teenagers are increasingly being asked to make decisions about their professional future at a young age. In my experience, this can lead to family conflicts if the decision isn't made beforehand.

Not only is the type of high school diploma or degree at stake, but choosing one option or another may involve moving to different cities or relocating , altering the family dynamics and economy.

⚡️ Important: Vocational decision is not an isolated event; it is influenced by the demands of the academic, family, professional and social environment.

✅ Benefits of Vocational Psychological Assessment

  • Deep Self-Knowledge: You will get to know your personality, interests, preferences, aptitudes, values and goals.

  • Market Vision: We help you understand the academic world, career paths and the socio-economic reality of each profession.

  • Reorientation: It is useful not only for indecisive teenagers, but also for adults who wish to rethink their professional future.

🛠️ Assessment Tools: What Tests Do We Use?

Which tests are useful for discovering your interests and talents? Below are the key tools we use at NeuroPsyEdu :

1. ☑️ Vocational Interests (Explora Test)

It helps young people and adults identify the professional fields that best suit their interests.

  • Ideal for: Those who are unsure what to study or people looking for new job opportunities for the future.

2. ☑️ Aptitude Test (BAT-7)

Aptitudes answer the question: How suited am I to do a certain activity? It's not enough to just like something; you must have the cognitive capacity for it.

  • What does it assess?: 8 key areas: Verbal, spatial, attentional, concentration, reasoning, numerical, mechanical and spelling aptitude.

3. ☑️ Personality (16PF-APQ)

Vocational behavior is influenced by personality. Certain traits are associated with specific occupations.

  • Example: An extroverted person will have greater ease in customer service compared to an introverted person.

4. ☑️ Intelligence (WISC-V / WAIS-IV and TONI-4)

Crucial for individuals with diagnoses (ADHD, autism, learning disabilities) to assess the suitability of certain career paths. It is also vital for gifted individuals , helping to adjust learning expectations.

🎓 Educational Options in Panama 🇵🇦

The Panamanian context offers diverse university and technical options. Here are the most relevant ones:

🛠️ Technical Courses (Short Duration)

Studies lasting 1 to 2 years, with rapid entry into the labor market and lower cost.

  • ✅ Specialized Higher Technical Institute (ITSE): Located in East Panama. Offers programs in business, tourism, industrial technology, culinary arts, and automotive technology. Now with evening options!

  • ✅ INADEH: Offers courses and technical training in languages, business management, industrial safety, airport sector, beauty, heavy equipment mechanics and more.

🏛️ University Degrees (Long Term)

They open doors to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

  • ✅ Technological University of Panama (UTP): Leader in engineering and technology. Faculties of Civil, Electrical, Industrial, Mechanical, Systems and Sciences.

  • ✅ University of Panama (UP): The first state university. It has 19 faculties , ranging from Medicine, Law and Administration, to Fine Arts and Agriculture.

  • ✅ UDELAS: Specialized in Special Education and Health . Faculties of Pedagogy, Human Development, Medical Sciences and Biosciences.

  • ✅ International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP): Specialized in the maritime sector. Faculties of Nautical Sciences, Maritime Transport and Maritime Engineering.

  • ✅ Autonomous University of Chiriquí (UNACHI): Autonomous university in the province of Chiriquí. It has 11 faculties including Medicine, Nursing, Economics and Humanities.

📩 Do you need guidance?

If you're in this decision-making process, please feel free to contact us. We'd be delighted to assist you and guide you toward your professional future.

📲 WhatsApp: +507 6535 6362

🌐 Web: www.neuropsyedu.com