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.

Museum Technician Career

Museum technicians are skilled craftworkers who, using detailed plans supplied by designers and architects, build and set up various kinds of museum displays and fixtures. The role of museum technician varies depending on the needs of the employing museum and the skills of the technician. For example, a museum technician may work as an electrician, […]

Plasterer Career

Plasterers apply coats of plaster to interior walls, ceilings, and partitions of buildings to produce fire-resistant and relatively soundproof surfaces. They also work on exterior building surfaces and do ornamental forming and casting work. Their work is similar to that of drywall workers, who use drywall rather than plaster to build interior walls and ceilings. […]

Nursing Instructor Career

Nursing instructors teach patient care to nursing students in classroom and clinical settings. They demonstrate care methods and monitor hands-on learning by their students. They instruct students in the principles and applications of biological and psychological subjects related to nursing. Some nursing instructors specialize in teaching specific areas of nursing such as surgical or oncological […]

Polygraph Examiner Career

Polygraph examiners use polygraph equipment and techniques to determine whether individuals have answered questions truthfully or dishonestly. Polygraphs, often called “lie detectors,” are instruments that measure and record certain nonvoluntary body responses that are affected by the individual’s emotional state. To judge whether the subject has answered all the questions truthfully, the examiner compares the […]

Music Venue Owner and Manager Career

Music venue owners and managers are responsible for the overall success of a music venue. They book music acts, oversee employees, and play a role in the hiring and firing of staff. While owners have the final say in the club’s business decisions, managers handle the daily operations of the venue, such as hiring, training, […]

More Careers

Career Development Issues

Read More About Career Development: