Career development

Career development is a life-long and life-span process representing a dynamic interaction between a changing (developing) individual in a changing context (Vondracek et al., 2019), which implies taking up various learning and work tasks, balancing work-life-leisure interplay, and managing transitions. It can be described as a sequence of occupations and career-related experiences over time (further training, re-orientation, re-training, unemployment, etc.), crossing several social spaces, and contributing to providing meaning to the individual (Chen, 1998; De Vos et al., 2020). As a result, the sustainability of career development is built on individual agency (resources) and shaped by structural boundaries imposed by institutions, the labor market, policies, and public views (Callanan et al., 2017; De Vos et al., 2020). A career can be considered sustainable when the framework conditions allow appropriate transitions and promote productivity, well-being at work, and satisfaction with life.

Authors: Koorosh Massoudi, Jacques-Antoine Gauthier, & Ieva Urbanaviciute

References

Callanan, G. A., Perri, D. F., & Tomkowicz, S. M. (2017). Career management in uncertain times: Challenges and opportunities. The Career Development Quarterly, 65(4), 353-365.
Chen, C. P. (1998). Understanding career development: A convergence of perspectives. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 50(3), 437-461.
De Vos, A., Van der Heijden, B. I., & Akkermans, J. (2020). Sustainable careers: Towards a conceptual model. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 117, advance online publication.
Vondracek, F. W., Lerner, R. M., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2019). Career development: A life-span developmental approach. Routledge.

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