What is Career Development?

[Reyed Mia (Apprentice, DIU)]

What is Career Development?

?Career Development is the lifelong process of managing learning, work, leisure, and transitions in order to move toward a personally determined and evolving preferred future.?

Source: Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (2012)

Career Development services are programs and services that are intended to help individuals to explore and sort out questions related to employability, direction, skills development, personal development, progression, and making a difference. Such services are provided in many different settings. 

There are websites and guides and self-help tools that help individuals to explore and find their own learning and work directions and make their own well considered choices.

There are multiple sources of career development support that are not ?professional? support but that can be highly effective. These include parents, networks, mentors, and employers. Many people manage their own career development independently and/or with the help of their own circles of contacts and supports and never seek external assistance. 

For those who need or want to benefit from professional assistance, there are career courses and centres in schools, community colleges and universities that help direct people to the resources they need and provide group and individual help if needed to make well considered choices and to make successful transitions from school to work.

There are community agencies and employment offices that help direct people to learning and work and that also provide group and individual help if needed to explore learning and work options, make decisions and succeed in finding work. 

There are human resource departments in many workplaces to assist employees to develop and implement their career plans.

Sources: http://www.careerdevelopment.ab.ca/whatiscd