Career experts say that people will change careers (not jobs) 5-7 times in a lifetime. This being true, career management is an important life skill to develop and cultivate. There are six stages of modern career development: Assessment, Investigation, Preparation, Commitment, Retention, and Transition. Learning the characteristics of each stage will empower you to navigate through each stage easily and with more confidence.
In the Assessment Stage, you are getting ready for your life’s work. This stage is characterized by unawareness, in that you are not sure what your values, strengths, and weaknesses are. You start to feel like you want to know more about yourself and make a conscious effort to get in touch with who you really are.
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In the Investigation Stage, you are researching what work exists in the world. This stage is characterized by feelings of confusion, in that you are not sure what career options exist for you. You may feel overwhelmed with all of the different jobs and opportunities that exist as you begin the process of researching the modern world of work. But if you approach this stage with a positive frame of mind, you will find that you will learn about many possibilities you may have never considered.
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In the Preparation Stage, you are still getting ready to do your life’s work. This stage is characterized by feelings of excitement, as you think of how wonderful it will be to perform meaningful work. However, there is still much work to be done, and in order to be successful, you have to be prepared.
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In the Commitment Stage, you will feel confident, in that you have figured out what you are meant to do. Sometimes people have known all along what they were meant to do, but were not able to commit to the process of making it happen, for whatever reason. At this stage, more than ever, you must focus your energy and keep your eye on the target.
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In the Retention Stage, you will feel comfortable in your career field, as you will now have figured out how things work in your industry. You will want to remain committed to your career by continually updating your skill set and staying current with industry standards.
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The Transition Stage is characterized by feelings of discomfort, in that you are unsure of what you will be doing next (and/or if you will be happy). In this stage, you will learn to make conscious changes in your career direction.
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No matter what career stage you find yourself in now, you can be sure that you will enter and re-enter through these six stages many times though out your lifetime.
Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed. is a Whole Life Coach, Speaker, and Author of the Get Smart! LearningBook Series: Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships, Get Smart! About Modern Career Development, and Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management. Visit virtually: http://www.brightlightcoach.com/
