Career Development: Definition and Stages

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Career development has been defined by many people in diverse ways depending on individuals’ subject and understanding.according to the contest in my understanding, it can generally be defined as the lifelong process of managing progression in learning and work. This career development, therefore, involves both learning and working at the same time, or it may be in an alternation manner. The learning is therefore different from the regular ways of schooling. The main difference is that it does not have any definite systems for individuals to follow like the other kind of formal primary and secondary or even higher education level systems.

Governments of different countries do draw policies concerning career development for both employees and employers which are aimed at advancing the employee’s knowledge and skills in accordance with one’s field of work. The policies are not mandatory in many cases as they are several factors that determine the implementation of such policies. The implementations of such policies are depended on the employee’s and employers’ willingness and desire to improve on certain services and goods’ productivity. It is, however, mandatory for some of these policies to be implemented. This occurs when the services being delivered to the public by an organization are so sensitive that they may lead to loss of life and wealth of the country (Bluestein, 2003).

For many years which have passed over, career development has been seen as a course of successive situations for which they make up a person’s work life. This notion has changed with time and with the twentieth century being used to refer to the series of positions by which remunerations are gained or earned. It has further transformed in the 21^st century which has picked up the idea of personal choice and self-direction. Due to the advancements in education and technological know-how, sticking to one particular job which was a common phenomenon has ceased. The stretch and stress for people live which is becoming complex and sophisticated with the new technologies has necessitated long working hours. People are now working in flexible ways so that they may increase their monthly salaries and wages to cater to their daily needs which has been increasing their budgets on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.

It is thus through this methodology many elites are increasingly looking for multiples kinds of works, shifting the earlier ideas of sticking to one enclosed job achievements, and opening up the purpose of vast job opportunities. In the transition, the old uncouth practices which were undermining and detrimental are being abolished. Career development is giving open equitable opportunities to all the people. The old and young, the female and male have the same equal chances in advancing in their career choice. This is because, in the old static societies, many people were denied the chances of development through invisible barriers. A score of workers of those past decades believed in inheriting a single lifelong position in the labor force. This did not give room for individuals employed to unfold their career and those who were out of the employment field were broke from accessing such opportunities. It was thus meaningless for most people to apply the concept of unfolding a career. Thus the idea of career development and unfolding has taken some time for people to realize its importance and accept its practices. It is through such efforts of enlightenment on such idea of progression and individual self–betterment that career development has become quite possible in most parts of the world. (Egerton, 2001)

Although, it is an entirely accepted idea in the present global world, there are a few individuals mostly in the developing countries, who are lagging behind on putting this career development into practice. But from many research sources in the developed world countries, it is revealed that career development is being highly exercised by employees and organization management. This is because they have realized that the process is significant in determining the nature and quality of individuals’ lives. Career development is very important in various ways. When someone goes through the process of developing his career, he focuses on what kind of person he would like to be in the future life. It is career development that forms the core of the kind of job a person actually desires to have. Through this, it creates some psychological preparation which is geared at entering into this particular post in life. This, therefore, determines the character the person wishes to adopt so as to secure such a position. Furthermore, career development is paramount in establishing the sense of purpose one has in his life opportunities.

Thousands of citizens in the developed states have been told about career development since their childhood age. Through such revelation of the enlightenment, many of them have been able to know there are some important issues which are beforehand. It is revealed by certain research reports that, by the time most students are about to complete their secondary education, they already find it easy to define their goals and the purpose of their goals in life. When individuals undergo the career development process, they are empowered to venturing into higher ranks of their career work. It is vivid with the current world that there is a correlation between remuneration and ranks. In this respect, career development forms a basement for employees in low ranks to climb to higher ranks. This particularly acts as a pivot for salaries and wages increments which are then major factors for income determination at one’s disposal. Income increments are initially benefits to the employees. But these are not limited to employees only. There are extensive contributions for each and every employee from his or her own community. Thus, it is the contributions of the career development which may also make a single individual change society or a community from which he hurls. This is because the end result of career development will either directly or indirectly enable increased community income and productivity from the people in the employment sector. (Bluestein, 2003)

It is noted that career development is not only important to the private individual but it is also important to the public. It is of much value to the country as a whole. For a country to realize the most outcomes of effective learning, it is without question to have career development work. The intimate relationship between learning and careers development is clearly defined. It is with fears that the world today is increasingly having enormous subjects which are being taught in class. With all these enormous numbers of subjects, it is difficult for one to make a choice on what to learn about so that he may realize his goals in life. This has been made more amiable by the process of career development. By having a career development process, individuals make a decision about what they have to learn in a well-informed manner.

It is a thorough way through which critical thinking is involved and this makes individuals link their aspirations, interests, and capabilities. In addition to this, candidates are well informed about the real opportunities to which their learning will lead them. It has been reported in Mexico that more than 85 % plus students who go through career development have been successful learners. This safe the huge money invested in the education and training process and systems. They compensate for this by having much higher returns on their incomes and wages. The contribution of career development is not limited to the labor market. There are many advantages for having career development as people who under it process find jobs and career pathways which utilize their potentials and meet their goals. They then feel motivated and hence their productivity results to be more than expected and this enhances the national annual productivity. (Egerton, 2001)

In order to have a well-focused future in one’s career, their a particular role as an individual one has to undertake. This is because no one can perform well in the career developed without the full participation of his entire being. It requires a lot of things while someone has an aspiration for career development as this has considerable impacts on himself and the organization. It is therefore very important before adopting any strategy as an employee to have to re-examine the few main factors so as to make a prudent choice of strategy. These require one to know well the current skills and the areas for further development. Secondly, there is a need to take the appropriate time to seek opportunities for the present or current skills enhancement in the organization of which he is part. He should therefore manage whatever he is going through to take advantage of any relevant training which is being offered within and without his organizational workplace. This highly enables the works to keep their skills and knowledge updated and mostly them in the position of meeting the needs of the rapidly changing situation of the workforce. It has been seen that such responsibilities are quite necessary for the employees in the contributions of the decision-making and planning process for an organization.

When the above factors are put into considerations, employees are usually to employ one of the many career development strategies depending on particular needs. Some are in the need of moving to the next higher positions. They usually have to adopt the most common way which is the advancement strategy in which they need to acquire more knowledge and skills to shift to higher ranks. Other c0ommomn strategies which are highly being employed by the employees as individuals include the lateral one. This is widely important to those who need it to develop higher new skills. Most people living in the developed states like in the United States are highly using this strategy for the reason of avoiding the worse situation of coming to a dead-end.

People are therefore moving across functions to develop higher skills in cases of hitting the dead-end or in the case where there is a predicted halt of job end in the near future. Although some of the individuals feel hard to move from a higher rank to lower, some circumstance is arising in few companies, where advancement in career require one to change to a lower grade. This is very risky for it has some detrimental effects mostly on the employees. In most examined cases of this particular strategy, the employee’s salaries are affected by means of reduction to the particular rank. Due to this its financial stress and tension to the individuals applying for such kind of strategy are not common in use. While there are those individuals who would like to advance in ranks, there are also those who feel they are comfortable with their positions. They are taking advantage of advancement for the reason that they want to enrich their job knowledge and skills. The goals of these individuals are working towards great responsibilities in the various present posts. (Amundson, 2005)

Career development requires a lot of financial support which many people find difficult to possess. The foreseen high expenses which are duly needed to have carrier development processes over thus some time a burden to many individuals. It is reported from search analysis that more than 90% of the companies worldwide do not offer corporate support to individuals who have the need to go for the career development process. This has been a major reason why most of the employees in most firms have remained in their first and initial positions for which they were admitted. The lack of corporate supports is high in many countries especially the poor ones in developing and underdeveloped ones in the African and Asian continents.

This has been augmented by the fact that most of the owners of the companies in such places are from abroad countries, where they come with their own expertise, hence rare case of seminar and workshops, are offered to the manual laborers. It however envisions in the developed countries that most individuals are now much concerned about their career development. This great concern for individual career development in such a state is making people to search for companies that have future employment opportunities in high ranks as well as looking for ones with intentions to support their developments. Besides this, some of the employees are focusing on the practical processes which are being employed in deploying people and delivering development in consistence with the good intentions for career development. It is therefore that corporate support to be extended to individuals in the career development as this is gaining much importance to labor force and organization productivity. (Bradshaw, 2004)

Career development has several advantages which already have been enumerated in some of the above paragraphs. But as usual what has advantages do not lack at least a disadvantage. In this regard, career development affects the resources of a firm supports the individual’s career development process. Other several career developments draw backs are developed while the process is put in place. These include the risks which are involved to the employees. Some of the involvement in career development activities creates no room for leisure. Other kind of career development demands to much commitment to the studies than employees can accommodate. Other career development work requires part from one families, friends and relatives. All these may in one ways be a negative factor for b one to enter in to career development process. When such situation are in the environment of one individual, it may cause certain inconvenience such as lack of one comforts like exercise and social activities in which he was previously involved. Some people values very much their confidence level and if this particular value is going to be lost then such factor may act as a drawback to career development. (Amundson, 2005)

Many career development processes do have plateaus which are much when there are high support by the governments and other organizations. At time the governments of different states enforces laws which are imposing to organizations to have the individuals developed on their career basis. (Bradshaw, 2004)

References

Bluestein, D. (2003): the relation between career development and educational development: Boston college.

Amundson, P. (2005): essential elements of Career Counseling processes and Techniques: Upper Saddle River.

Bradshaw, R. (2004): managing yourself for the career you want: Harvard business school.

Egerton, M (2001): the social benefits of higher education: institute of education.

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Career Development: Definition and Stages

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