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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.
Key characteristics:
- Taking assessment instruments
- Working with a career
counselor or career coach
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.
Key characteristics:
- Researching the world
of work
- Conducting informational
interviews with people in your chosen field
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.
Key characteristics:
- Gaining knowledge and
experience
- Setting goals and adopting
a success-oriented mind-set
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.
Key characteristics:
- Conducting a job search
- Negotiating and accepting
a job offer
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.
Key characteristics:
- Providing first-class
customer service skills
- Building a professional
network
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.
Key characteristics:
- Making career changes
- Developing resiliency
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.
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About The Author
Michelle L. Casto
is a whole life coach, speaker, and author
of Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships,
Get Smart! About Modern Career Development,
and Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management.
Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching,
she helps people come up with bright ideas
for their life and empowers them to freely
shine their bright light to the world. Contact
her for a free 30 minute coaching session:
www.getsmartseries.com
and www.brightlightcoach.com
coach@getsmartseries.com
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