The word career means many things to many people. It also has different meanings among researchers. A career is best described broadly as the pattern of work-related experiences that span the course of a person’s life. This definition is consistent with the notion that careers develop over time, and that all persons have careers, regardless of profession, level of advancement, or stability of work pattern.

While the definition of career that we have chosen focuses on work-related events and the individual’s reactions to those events, some career theorists also emphasize the importance of nonwork events to one’s career. Much attention has been given to addressing the question of how careers and adult lives develop over time. Research supports the notion that careers frequently develop in a predictable, common sequence of stages.

The overall process of career development can be defined as an ongoing process by which individuals progress through a series of stages, each of which is characterized by a relatively unique set of issues, themes, and tasks. Both the individual and the organization have interests in an individual’s career, and both parties may take actions to influence that career. These sets of related activities are referred to as career planning and career management.