Career Management

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

WHAT IS CAREER?CAREER AND STEPS TO IT.

CAREER A career is an individual's journey through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define a career and the term is used in a variety of ways.

Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life (or a distinct portion of life)". In this definition career is understood to relate to a range of aspects of an individual's life, learning and work.

Career is also frequently understood to relate to the working aspects of an individuals life e.g. as in career woman.

A third way in which the term career is used to describe an occupation or a profession that usually involves special training or formal education and is considered to be a person’s lifework.  

In this case "a career" is seen as a sequence of related jobs usually pursued within a single industry or sector e.g. "a career in law" or "a career in the building trade".

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Career management describes the active and purposeful management of a career by an individual.

Ideas of what comprise "career management skills" are describe by the Blueprint model (in the United States, Canada, Australia, Scotland, and England) and the Seven C's of Digital Career Literacy (specifically relating to the Internet skills).

Key skills include the ability to reflect on one's current career, research the labour market, determine whether education is necessary, find openings, and make career changes.

CAREER CHOICEAccording to Behling and others, an individual's decision to join a firm may depend on any of the three factors viz. objective factor, subjective factor and critical contact.

Objective factor theory assumes that the applicants are rational. The choice, therefore, is exercised after an objective assessment of the tangible benefits of the job. Factors may include the salary, other benefits, location, opportunities for career advancement, etc.

Subjective factor theory suggests that decision making is dominated by social and psychological factors. The status of the job, reputation of the organization and other similar factors plays an important role.

Critical contact theory advances the idea that a candidate's observations while interacting with the organization plays a vital role in decision making. For example, how the recruiter keeps in touch with the candidate, the promptness of response and similar factors are important. This theory is more valid with experienced professionals.

CAREER CHANGING

Changing occupation is an important aspect of career and career

management. Over a lifetime, both the individual and the labour market

will change; it is to be expected that many people will change occupations

during their lives. Data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

through the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in 1979 showed that

individuals between the ages of 18 and 38 will hold more than 10 jobs.

A survey conducted by Right Management suggests the following reasons for career changing.

The downsizing or the restructuring of an organization (54%).New challenges or opportunities that arise (30%).Poor or ineffective leadership (25%).Having a poor relationship with a manager(s) (22%).For the improvement of work/life balance (21%).Contributions are not being recognized (21%).For better compensation and benefits (18%),For better alignment with personal and organizational values

(17%).Personal strengths and capabilities are not a good fit with an

organization (16%).The financial instability of an organization (13%).An organization relocated (12%).

CAREER SUPPORT

 Career support is commonly offered while people are in education, when they are transitioning to the labour market, when they are changing career, during periods of unemployment, and during transition to retirement. Support may be offered by career professionals, other professionals or by non-professionals such as family and friends.Types:

Career InformationCareer CounselingCareer EducationCareer Assessments

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career

HAVE A GREAT CAREER