Career Development

The career planning process provides an opportunity to engage a wide range of people in a
planning process directed to employment. It pulls in information from all aspects of an
individual's life to help the individual and the team develop a meaningful understanding of the
individual's aspirations and goals

Six Stages of Career Development and Changing

Careers
According to career experts, people are bound to change careers 5 to 7 times in their entire
lifetime. If you have changed careers a couple of times already, or if you are planning to switch
careers now, there’s no reason you should hesitate because it is a normal process that people go
through. What’s important is that you do proper career management to make sure you eventually
find a career that satisfies you.

Knowing these stages of career development will give you the confidence to navigate the entire
process successfully.

Stage 1 – Assessment Stage

In this stage, you are just getting ready to find what’s out there for you. You are still unaware of
what opportunities are out there, and you don’t know what your strengths, weaknesses and
values are. You are also curious to know about yourself particularly what you can do.

Stage 2 – Investigation Stage

In this stage, you will be researching about what careers are out there in the world. You will also
be confused as to what you want to do, and you will feel overwhelmed by all the many options
you’ve got. You must have a positive mindset for you to choose the career path to pursue.

Stage 3 – Preparation Stage

In this stage, you are making all the necessary preparations to finally join the workforce. You are
excited about the possibilities, and you are thrilled to finally do something meaningful. However,
you know there is still much to be done, so you’re getting yourself ready.

Stage 4 – Commitment Stage

You now have the confidence that you know what you want to do. Unlike in the past, you don’t
only know what you want, you are also committed to it. There will be a lot of distractions around
you, so you have to focus on the task at hand and the target itself.
Stage 5 – Retention Stage
In this stage, you feel more confident about your chosen career. You know how things work in
such field, and you believe that you can overcome whatever career challenges you may face.
You will also be making an effort to update your skills so that you may remain current with the
industry standards.

Stage 6 – Transition Stage

It is in this stage that you will be feeling some sort of discomfort because you aren’t sure what
direction your career is taking. You may even find yourself unhappy with your career, and the
thought of switching careers is just appealing to you. This is when you should decide what career
direction to take.

If you’re unhappy with your current career, or you are just about to conquer the employment
world, it’s important that you be conscious of your choices and the opportunities around you.
This way, you have a better chance at becoming successful in changing careers or finding a
career for the first time.