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Career Management

Overview

The world of work is constantly changing. There are literally thousands of career options available, new careers are always emerging and occupational requirements are constantly changing. There is no longer a single, best job for anyone that will guarantee career satisfaction and personal fulfillment, lifetime employment or an upward path to “better” or higher paying job opportunities. Furthermore, it is likely that individuals will change careers several times over the course of their working lives.

In this changing environment, career decisions can be very confusing and frustrating. A career management process can help individuals make successful career choices. This process includes exploring and assessing personal values, skills, and interests in relation to available career options and changing labour market demands, deciding upon a career path and developing an action plan to help them achieve their goals.

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What is a career?

  • A career is a lifestyle concept that includes the progression (or path) of work and leisure activities that individuals engage in throughout their lifetimes.

  • Careers are unique to each individual and they are constantly changing and unfolding.

  • Careers allow individuals to use their skills and abilities to pursue professional, work and life goals; obtain employment; earn a living; and contribute to society.

  • A career is not a one-time decision related to a particular occupation or job. Careers are influenced by a wide variety of decisions such as those related to occupations and jobs, education and training, leisure and volunteer activities, home life and retirement throughout an individual’s working life. 

  • Career decisions are some of the most important decisions individuals make during their lives. They help determine an individual’s satisfaction and success related to both personal and professional goals.

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Career management

Successful career development requires sound decision-making and career management skills. These skills can help individuals:

  • assess and adapt to continuous change, within themselves and the work environment;

  • commit to lifelong learning and skills development; and

  • take appropriate action to respond to these changes throughout their lifetime.

It is helpful to think about career-decisions as a series of steps in a career management process. These steps include:

  1. Developing Self-Awareness: Individuals need to understand their personality traits and their personal interests, values, skills and abilities, strengths, needs and goals to make successful career decisions. These factors may also change according to an individual’s age and personal circumstances.

  2. Assessing Career Options: Exploring career options is a critical step in the career decision-making process. This involves gathering information about the world of work, such as information about labour market forecasts and trends, occupational requirements, wages and working conditions.

  3. Making Informed Decisions/Develop an Action Plan: After gathering the information in Steps 1 and 2, individuals need to evaluate or assess their personal strengths and needs in relation to the available career options. This can include making a list of pros and cons and other strategies to help narrow the options in deciding on a career path that is best suited to them.

Once a career decision is made, individuals need to develop an action plan to help them achieve their career goals.

These steps can help people make informed and successful career choices, as well as decisions related to education, training or other personal goals. Depending on personal circumstances, individuals may not need to begin at Step 1. However, it is always essential that they have as much information as possible about themselves and the career options available before making a career decision or taking action.

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Additional Resources