Career Development

Career Development Issues

A vocational psychologist studies many important issues that people might encounter in their career development process. Often these same issues are what prompt an individual to seek the assistance of a psychologist or career counselor. These issues include career transitions (i.e., school to work, midlife changes, and work to retirement), work and well-being, job satisfaction, career advancement, career coping strategies, networking, work motivation, and stress and burnout. Motivation and stress are two of the most common issues of importance to the career development process.

Motivation to work varies from person to person. For many people, work is more than earning a wage. Most individuals share the basic human need for self-fulfillment through meaningful work. Choosing a particular career may fulfill other needs, such as status, security, or satisfaction. The type of tasks required for a particular occupation, the working conditions (both physical and interpersonal), and the working hours required (e.g., shift work) may also influence motivation to work.

The work environment and the demands of work have the potential to be stressors that may interact with stressors outside work (e.g., family stressors). These stressors, as frequently cited in the literature, include poor physical working conditions (e.g. excess heat), work overload or underload, home and work pressures, job dissatisfaction, shift work, and poor relationships with colleagues or management. Stressors may also stem from the person. For example, a Type A personality is characterized by excessive competitiveness and ambition, which may cause the person to experience greater occupational stress. Stress overload may result in burnout, which is the depletion of physical and mental resources that results in nonproductive behavior, job dissatisfaction, boredom, accidents, or interpersonal conflicts.

Quality Control Engineer and Technician Career

Quality control engineers plan and direct procedures and activities that will ensure the quality of materials and goods. They select the best techniques for a specific process or method, determine the level of quality needed, and take the necessary action to maintain or improve quality performance. Quality control technicians assist quality control engineers in devising […]

Metallurgical Engineer Career

Metallurgical engineers develop new types of metal alloys and adapt existing materials to new uses. They manipulate the atomic and molecular structure of materials in controlled manufacturing environments, selecting materials with desirable mechanical, electrical, magnetic, chemical, and heat-transfer properties that meet specific performance requirements. Metallurgical engineers are sometimes also referred to as metallurgists. Metallurgical engineers […]

Retail Business Owner Career

Retail business owners are entrepreneurs who start or buy their own businesses or franchise operations. They are responsible for all aspects of a business operation, from planning and ordering merchandise to overseeing day-to-day operations. Retail business owners sell such items as clothing, household appliances, groceries, jewelry, and furniture. History of Retail Business Owner Career Retailing […]

Music Teacher Career

Music teachers instruct people on how to sing, play musical instruments, and appreciate and enjoy the world of music. They teach private lessons and classes. They may work at home or in a studio, school, college, or conservatory. Many music teachers are also performing musicians. Music teachers make up a very small percentage of the […]

Phlebotomy Technician Career

Phlebotomy technicians, sometimes called phlebotomists, draw blood from patients or donors in hospitals, blood banks, clinics, physicians’ offices, or other facilities. They assemble equipment, verify patient identification numbers, and withdraw blood either by puncturing a person’s finger, or by extracting blood from a vein or artery with a needle syringe. They label, transport, and store […]

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Career Development Issues

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