Article

Parla
Llegeix
Veure la font
Visualitza l'historial

Tools
Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about a person's occupational history. For other uses, see Career
(disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this
article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be
challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Career" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2012)
(Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Careers blackboard.jpg
The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and
other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is
used in a variety of ways.

Definitions
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word "career" as a person's "course or
progress through life (or a distinct portion of life)". This definition relates
"career" to a range of aspects of an individual's life, learning, and work.
"Career" is also frequently understood[by whom?] to relate to the working aspects
of an individual's life - as in "career woman", for example. A third way in which
the term "career" is used describes an occupation or a profession that usually
involves special training or formal education,[1] considered[by whom?] to be a
person's lifework.[2][failed verification] In this case "a career" is seen[by
whom?] as a sequence of related jobs, usually pursued within a single industry or
sector: one can speak for example of "a career in education", of "a criminal
career" or of "a career in the building trade". A career has been defined by
organizational behavior researchers as "an individual's work-related and other
relevant experiences, both inside and outside of organizations, that form a unique
pattern over the individual's life span."[3]

Etymology
The word "career" ultimately derives from Latin carrus, referring to a chariot.[4]

The Online Etymology Dictionary claims the semantic extension whereby "career" came
to mean "course of one's public or professional life" appears from 1803.[5] It is
used in dozens of books published in the year 1800, in reference to Goethe's
"literary career,"[6] other biographical figures' "business career" and
"professional career," so the phrase likely was in regular use by the year 1800.[7]

Historic changes in careers

For a pre-modernist notion of "career", compare cursus honorum.

By the late 20th century, a wide range of variations (especially in the range of
potential professions) and more widespread education had allowed it to become
possible to plan (or design) a career: In this respect the careers of the career
counselor and of the career advisor have grown up. It is also not uncommon for
adults in the late 20th/early 21st centuries to have dual or multiple careers,
either sequentially or concurrently. Thus, professional identities have become
hyphenated or hybridized to reflect this shift in work ethic. Economist Richard
Florida notes this trend generally and more specifically among the "creative
class".

Career management
Career management or career development describes the active and purposeful
management of a career by an individual. Ideas of what comprise "career management
skills" are described by the Blueprint model (in the United States, Canada,
Australia, Scotland, and England[8])[9] and the Seven C's of Digital Career
Literacy (specifically relating to the Internet skills).[10]

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.[citation needed]

Career choice
Further information: List of largest employers and List of professions
According 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.[11]

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.
These theories assume that candidates have a free choice of employers and careers.
In reality, the scarcity of jobs and strong competition for desirable jobs severely
skews the decision-making process. In many markets, employees work particular
careers simply because they were forced to accept whatever work was available to
them. Additionally, Ott-Holland and colleagues found that culture can have a major
influence on career choice, depending on the type of culture.[12]

When choosing a career that's best for you, according to US News, there are
multiple things to consider. Some of those include: natural talents, work style,
social interaction, work–life balance, whether or not you are looking to give back,
whether you are comfortable in the public eye, dealing with stress or not, and
finally, how much money you want to make. If choosing a career feels like too much
pressure, here's another option: pick a path that feels right today by making the
best decision you can, and know that you can change your mind in the future. In
today's workplace, choosing a career doesn't necessarily mean you have to stick
with that line of work for your entire life. Make a smart decision, and plan to re-
evaluate down the line based on your long-term objectives.[13]

Career (occupation) 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.[14]

There are various reasons why people might want to change their careers. Sometimes
career change can come as the result of a long-anticipated layoff, while other
times it can occur unexpectedly and without warning.[15]

A survey conducted by Right Management[16] 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%).
According to an article on Time.com, one out of three people currently employed (as
of 2008) spends about an hour per day searching for another position.[16]

Career success
Career success is a term used frequently in academic and popular writing about
career. It refers to the extent and ways in which an individual can be described as
successful in his or her working life so far.[17]

During the 1950s and 1960s, individuals typically worked for one or two firms
during their career and success was defined by the organization and measured by
promotions, increases in salary, and/or status.[18] Such traditional careers were
exemplified by Donald Super's career stage model.[19] Super's linear career stage
model suggested that careers take place within the context of stable,
organizational structures. Individuals moved up the organization's hierarchy
seeking greater extrinsic rewards.[20]

Early career success may breed disappointment later, especially when a person's
self-worth is tied up in their career or achievements.[21] Professional success
tends to come early in some fields, such as scientific research, and later in other
fields, such as teaching.[21]

Earnings can be expressed either in absolute terms (e.g. the amount a person earns)
or in relative terms (e.g. the amount a person earns compared with their starting
salary). Earnings and status are examples of objective criteria of success, where
"objective" means that they can be factually verified, and are not purely a matter
of opinion.

Many observers argue that careers are less predictable than they once were, due to
the fast pace of economic and technological change.[22] This means that career
management is more obviously the responsibility of the individual rather than his
or her employing organisation, because a "job for life" is a thing of the past.
This has put more emphasis on subjective criteria of career success.[23] These
include job satisfaction, career satisfaction, work-life balance, a sense of
personal achievement, and attaining work that is consistent with one's personal
values. A person's assessment of his or her career success is likely to be
influenced by social comparisons, such as how well family members, friends, or
contemporaries at school or college have done.[24]

The amount and type of career success a person achieves is affected by several
forms of career capital.[25] These include social capital (the extent and depth of
personal contacts a person can draw upon), human capital (demonstrable abilities,
experiences and qualifications), economic capital (money and other material
resources which permit access to career-related resources), and cultural capital
(having skills, attitudes or general know-how to operate effectively in a
particular social context).[26]

Career support
There are a range of different educational, counseling, and human resource
management interventions that can support individuals to develop and manage their
careers. 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. Professional career support is sometimes known as "career
guidance" as in the OECD definition of career guidance:

The activities may take place on an individual or group basis, and may be face-to-
face or at a distance (including helplines and web-based services). They include
career information provision (in print, ICT-based and other forms), assessment and
self-assessment tools, counselling interviews, career education programmes (to help
individuals develop their self-awareness, opportunity awareness, and career
management skills), taster programmes (to sample options before choosing them),
work search programmes, and transition services."[27]

However this use of the term "career guidance" can be confusing as the term is also
commonly used to describe the activities of career counselors.

Provision of career support

Career support is offered by a range of different mechanisms. Much career support
is informal and provided through personal networks or existing relationships such
as management. There is a market for private career support however the bulk of
career support that exists as a professionalised activity is provided by the public
sector.[citation needed]

Types of career support

Key types of career support include:

Career information describes information that supports career and learning choices.
An important sub-set of career information is labour market information (LMI), such
as salaries of various professions, employment rate in various professions,
available training programs, and current job openings.
Les avaluacions de carrera són proves que es presenten en diverses formes i es
basen en metodologies tant quantitatives com qualitatives. Les avaluacions de
carrera poden ajudar les persones a identificar i articular millor els seus
interessos, personalitat, valors i habilitats únics per determinar com poden
coincidir amb una determinada carrera. Algunes habilitats que les avaluacions
professionals poden ajudar a determinar són les habilitats específiques de la
feina, les habilitats transferibles i les habilitats d'autogestió. [28] Les
avaluacions de carrera també poden oferir una finestra d'oportunitats potencials
ajudant les persones a descobrir les tasques, l'experiència, l'educació i la
formació que es necessiten per a una carrera que voldrien seguir. [29] Consellers
de carrera , entrenadors executius, les institucions educatives, els centres de
desenvolupament professional i les empreses de col·locació externa sovint
administren avaluacions de carrera per ajudar les persones a centrar la seva
recerca en carreres que coincideixen molt amb el seu perfil personal únic.
L'assessorament professional avalua els interessos, la personalitat, els valors i
les habilitats de les persones i els ajuda a explorar les opcions de carrera i
investigar escoles professionals i de postgrau. L'assessorament professional
ofereix assistència professional individual o grupal en tasques d'exploració i
presa de decisions relacionades amb l'elecció d'una especialitat/ocupació, la
transició al món laboral o la formació professional posterior.
L'educació professional descriu un procés pel qual les persones arriben a aprendre
sobre elles mateixes, les seves carreres i el món laboral. Hi ha una forta tradició
d'educació professional a les escoles, [30] però l'educació professional també es
pot produir en un ventall més ampli d'altres contextos, com ara l'educació superior
i el lloc de treball. Un marc que s'utilitza habitualment per a l'educació
professional és DOTS, que significa aprenentatge de decisions (D), consciència
d'oportunitats (O), aprenentatge de transició (T) i autoconeixement (S). [31]
Sovint, es considera que l'educació superior és massa estreta o massa investigada i
no té una comprensió més profunda del material per desenvolupar les habilitats
necessàries per a una determinada carrera. [32]
Algunes investigacions mostren que afegir un any d'escolaritat més enllà del
batxillerat crea un augment dels salaris del 17,8% per treballador. Tanmateix, els
anys addicionals d'escolaritat, més enllà dels 9 o 10 anys, tenen poc efecte sobre
els salaris dels treballadors. En resum, millor educat, més grans beneficis. El
2010, el 90% de la força de treball dels EUA tenia un diploma de batxillerat, el
64% tenia alguna universitat i el 34% tenia almenys un títol de batxillerat. [33]

El problema comú amb què es poden trobar les persones quan intenten obtenir una
educació per a una carrera és el cost. La carrera que comporta l'educació ha de
pagar prou bé per poder pagar l'escolaritat. Els beneficis de l'escolarització
poden variar molt segons la titulació (o certificació) obtinguda, els programes que
ofereix l'escola i la classificació de l'escola. De vegades, les universitats
ofereixen als estudiants més educació només per preparar-se per a les carreres. No
és estrany que les universitats proporcionin itineraris i suport directament a la
força de treball que els estudiants puguin desitjar. [34]

Gran part del suport professional s'ofereix presencialment, però una quantitat
creixent de suport professional s'ofereix en línia. [10]