Career Development
Over
A Lifespan
Renée Crumley
EdS Candidate
CEPD 8102, Summer 2010
University of West Georgia
“ The quality of a person’s life
is in
direct proportion
to
their commitment to excellence,
regardless of
their chosen field of endeavor”
~Vince Lombardi
Maxwell, 2002
•Career Foundations in Childhood
Attitudes
Beliefs
Competencies
Dependent on Socioeconomic Situation of
Family
Developed from Peers Interactions
Exposure to Media/Cultural Influences
Empathetic behaviors begin
Sense of Morality develops
Developing problem solving skills
Metacognition skills
Childhood Factors that Influence Career
Adaptability
Concern
Developing a future orientation
Control
Gaining mastery over one’s life
Conviction
Competence
Hartung, 2008
Believing in one’s ability to achieve
Acquiring proficient work habits and
attitudes
Factors that Influence Careers in
Adolescence and Early Adulthood
During this time period of an
individual’s life, the first career
decisions are being made.
Young adults are becoming
responsible for their own
support.
When entering the job
market, the more freedom to
choose a career path, the more
likely an individual will be
satisfied in career choices.
Many theorists believe that
individuals are in a” constant
state of development”. If this is
true, being willing to change
and adapt will influence career
paths.
Family expectations also play
a role in influencing career
decisions. At times these family
expectations are in conflict with
individual preferences.
Adolescent Peer Influences:
Becomes more important than family
Duffy, 2009
Self-Esteem:
Correlation between adolescence and
adjustment to adulthood
Making Choices:
First full –time permanent job
Life Experiences:
Interest, Values, and Skills
Santrock, 2008
Women Opting In and Out of Careers
Women enter and leave the work
force for a variety of reasons. In early
adulthood, women find careers and
jobs much the same as their male
counterparts.
As women have families or their
spouse relocates, women have left
the job market for a time. Other
reasons cited were lack of satisfaction
with job, resistance from male
dominated work cultures, or caring
for elderly parents.
When personal lives begin to
stabilize, many reenter the job
market for a variety of reasons. Some
of those reasons include: older
children, need for intellectual
stimulation, or need for more income.
Older women renter the job
market for many of the same reasons.
Many face the need for retraining and
skills updating
Beginning
career in young
adulthood
Leaving job
market to care
for family or
spousal
relocation
Cabrera, 2007
Middle life
career women
seek a balance
between work
and home
Older women
re-enter after
death of spouse
or need of
additional
income
Older Workers in the Workforce
As the population ages, more
people may choose to extend their
working lives. Many older workers
feel the need for extra income or
intellectual stimulation that a career
provides.
Employers will need to develop
programs that retrain the long term
careers of their employees. They
may need to develop more flexible
leave polices due to health issues
that impact an older work force.
Older workers bring a more
diverse life experience to the wok
place. Being able to tap into that
experience can be of great benefit to
employers in the future.
Early
Retirement
versus Working
Mentality
Flexibility for
employers and
employees
Companies need
to prepare for
aging workforce
Vander Heijden, 2008
Careers
span whole
life
Need for
successful aging
in career
Diversity of
path increases
with age
Life-long 21st Century Skills
What skills are important in today’s market at any age?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leadership and responsibility
Flexibility and adaptability
Initiative and self-direction
Social and cross cultural skills
Productivity and
accountability
Information literacy
Media literacy
Global Awareness
Health Literacy
Civic Literacy
Empowering, 2009
21st Century Career Leadership Skills
Career adaptability and satisfaction through leadership,
what is needed?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Being creative
Being interactive
Being vision headed
Empowering others through
encouragement of
participation
Being passionate about your
work
Get in the habit of learning
Constantly re-evaluate your
role
Empowering, 2009
Maxwell, 2002
Midlife and Older Career Changes
•
•
Reasons for Midlife changes

Some self-motivated

Job loss

Goal re-evaluation

Job stresses
Reasons for Long Term Careers

Ability to work part-time

New career path

Working spouse

No desire to retire
Sanrock, 2008
“I feel sorry for the person who
can’t get genuinely excited about
his work. Not only will ne never be
satisfied, but he will never achieve
anything worthwhile”
~Walter Chrysler
“When you stop giving and
offering something to the rest of
the world. It’s time to turn out the
lights.”
~George Burns
Careers Over Life-Span
Workers of all ages bring inter-related skills to the workforce.
Early Adult Workers
•
•
First permanent fulltime job.
Developing sense of
responsibility
Middle Aged Workers
•
•
Resetting of goals and
career path.
Job satisfaction is
important.
Senior Workers
•
Still able to contribute
•
Need for some
flexibility in work
environment
“ Learn as if you were to live
forever;
Live as if you were to die
tomorrow.”
~ Anonymous
Maxwell, 2002
References
Cabrera, E. (2007). Opting out and opting in: understanding the
complexities of women's career transitions. Career Development
International, 12(3), 218-237. Retrieved July 1, 2010, from
ProQuest Education Journals.
(Document ID: 1342412281).
Duffy, R., & Dik, B.. (2009). Beyond the Self: External Influences in the
Career Development Process. The Career Development
Quarterly, 58(1), 29-43. Retrieved July 1, 2010, from Research
Library. (Document ID: 1855021491).
Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Specialists.
(2009) American Association of School Librarians. Chicago. AASL.
Hartung, P., Porfeli, E., & Vondracek, F.. (2008). Career Adaptability in
Childhood. The Career Development Quarterly, 57(1), 63-74.
Retrieved June 11, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals.
(Document ID: 1551327331).
Maxwell, J. (2002). The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. Nashville,
TN. Nelson Books.
Santrock, J. (2008). Essential of Life-Span Development. New York: McGrawHill Higher Education.
van der Heijden, B., Schalk, R., & van Veldhoven, M. (2008). Ageing and
careers: European research on long-term career development
and early retirement. Career Development
International, 13(2), 85-94. Retrieved June 17, 2010, from
ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1464250001).
Images and Power Point Graphics
Photographs accessed and downloaded from Google Images, July 1-4,
2010.
Power point template: PresenterMedia.com. Accessed and downloaded
from Microsoft.com . July 3, 2010.