Salute Friend

The 6 Stages of Modern Career Development By Michelle L. Casto,
M.Ed. Whole Life Coach, Speaker, and Author

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.

***This article is adapted from the book, Get Smart! About
Modern Career Development: A Personal Guide to Creating Your
Life’s Work by Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed.