This paper examines career planning in the contemporary workplace, tracing how the concept of careers has evolved from traditional, organizationally managed paths to self-directed, protean models. It discusses the nature and purpose of career planning, including its role in achieving psychological success, promoting motivation and productivity, and supporting career management. The paper also outlines the three-step structure of the career planning process — self-exploration, examination of career possibilities, and experimentation — and identifies current issues individuals face when preparing career plans, such as globalization, the need for self-assessment, maintaining employability, and developing transferable skills.
There are three major ways in which careers have traditionally been described. First, a career can be defined as a series of positions held within an occupation. Second, careers have been described within the framework of an organization's internal mobility. Third, a career is understood as an employee's characteristic consisting of several experiences, jobs, and positions. However, this description of careers has changed drastically in contemporary working environments, with careers now often referred to as protean careers.
Career planning can also be described as a purposeful process in which goals are transformed into guidelines for implementation. This process of translating goals into implementation guidelines enables people to connect their psychological anticipations with actual behavioral procedures and plans. It involves thinking about the kind of job and work environment that allows individuals to accomplish their goals. Therefore, career goals are closely related to the career planning process, as they have a motivating impact and contribute to the development of a career strategy (De Vos, Clippeleer & Dewilde, 2009, p. 765).
Today's conception of careers is largely based on self-direction, with the aim of achieving psychological success in an individual's work life. This psychological success is grounded in the expectations that employers and workers have of each other. Since the modern psychological contract does not provide workers with job security in most cases, individuals are largely responsible for managing their own careers. As a result of this shift, many organizations now provide workers with opportunities to attend development programs and experiences that enhance their job prospects with both current and future employers.
Unlike traditional careers, today's career has numerous implications for employee development because of its emphasis on psychological success. Psychological success is generally understood as the feeling of pride and achievement that comes from accomplishing life goals that are not restricted to success at work. Based on new career patterns, employee development requires the provision of opportunities that promote the identification of an employee's interests and the strengths and weaknesses of their skills. Additionally, new career patterns call for appropriate development programs and experiences, which include job relationships, on-the-job experiences, and formal courses (Noe et al., 2010, p. 413).
Modern careers have become increasingly protean, or self-managed, unlike traditional careers that were managed by the organization. Organizational career management was rooted in the provision of skill development, pay increases, and promotions. However, in today's protean careers, employees assume greater responsibility for their own personal development while also experiencing job rotation, job sharing, and developmental assignments. This has contributed to the decline of expectations for upward, linear career development throughout the planning process (Lyon & Kirby, 2000, p. 277). As a result, employees are required to be flexible, self-directed, and capable of independent learning. This capacity for self-directed learning is based on the understanding that people learn more effectively when they have greater control over their learning conditions.
Career preparation has largely been regarded as a significant developmental task whose successful performance improves personal growth, social adjustment, and future welfare (Koivisto, Vinokur & Vuori, 2011, p. 345). Career choice preparedness is defined as the willingness to capitalize on opportunities and to deal with obstacles and setbacks in making a career choice. Career preparation is therefore a combination of career choice self-efficacy and inoculation against obstacles. Career choice self-efficacy refers to the degree of confidence in one's ability to successfully carry out responsibilities related to a career choice. Inoculation against obstacles refers to the development of defensive stress management skills that help individuals maintain active, goal-directed behavior in the face of challenges.
There are five key competencies in career preparation: self-knowledge, occupational information, goal selection, planning, and problem-solving. Career choice self-efficacy draws on four main sources of information: observational learning or modeling, performance achievement, management of anxiety, and the provision of encouragement and support. These sources of information are highly effective in strengthening career self-efficacy beliefs.
There are several key aspects of contemporary career planning worth examining in detail.
Today's career planning is about pursuing personal life goals as well as gaining clarity regarding an individual's knowledge, skills, abilities, and values (Blair, 2000, p. 175). Contemporary career planning also encompasses achieving individual needs, aspirations, desires, and personal style. This process involves self-analysis and self-reflection, often with the involvement of career professionals who can provide relevant information about a chosen career path. Such professionals offer a systematic, step-by-step process for individuals who lack clarity about their direction. This approach to career planning has been driven by changes in employment practices and widespread organizational downsizing. It has also been shaped by the serious threat to the concept of a long-term career within a single profession.
Career planning and development have become a personal responsibility because employability demands an acute awareness of the changing work environment. This awareness involves managing work relationships, taking control of long-term learning needs, and the ability to identify work opportunities through market analysis. As an individual responsibility, the process of career planning must be flexible and responsive to the person's evolving needs.
Effective career planning and management begin with a process of self-analysis and needs evaluation. This process should enable both workers and managers to become aware of personal and organizational needs. They must also account for the increasingly changing work environment and any necessary personal adjustments when establishing career goals (Zajas & Zajas, 1994, p. 20). The recognition and prioritization of important needs and goals are significant steps in the process of effective career planning.
From a long-term perspective, the nature of career planning has evolved to encompass education, work, and leisure (Trusty et al., 2005). This is largely because the educational and occupational components of career planning are intrinsically linked. Research indicates that effective career planning requires the inclusion of these components in the process. This is also driven by the need to realistically analyze the academic and occupational alternatives available in the working environment.
The structure of a career planning process involves three major steps, each comprising several distinct activities. These steps are self-exploration, examination of career possibilities, and experimentation — all of which are critical to lifelong career planning. Self-exploration is the first step and involves determining one's working roles, evaluating career interests, and identifying personal desires, dreams, and life purpose. The second step, exploration of career possibilities, involves analyzing career opportunities and alternatives, prioritizing selected possibilities, and determining a career plan. Experimentation is the final step and involves finding employment, obtaining small successes, evaluating and learning from achievements and failures, and updating goals accordingly (Coetzee, 2006, p. 25).
Because of the numerous advantages it provides to both employees and managers, career planning serves several important purposes.
Career planning is an important aspect of employee development because it encourages a higher degree of involvement, commitment, motivation, and productivity for individuals and organizations that successfully establish and pursue effective career plans. Its effectiveness stems from its focus on specific needs, goals, and the alternatives available for achieving them. Career planning promotes motivation and productivity because individuals work toward progressive goals after conducting self-assessments and needs evaluations.
"Key aspects and three-step structural model"
"Motivation, productivity, and career management goals"
"Globalization, employability, and transferable skills challenges"
Yeager, J. C., & Leider, R. J. (n.d.). Career planning: Personnel in the third party role. Human Resource Management, 14(1), 31–35.
Zajas, J. J., & Zajas, J. R. (1994). Planning your total career and life portfolio — Part 1: A model for management development. Executive Development, 7(2), 19–21.
You’re 52% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 3 sections.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.