Career
A career is a person’s course of work and professional development over time, including the occupations, roles, and transitions that shape it.
Occupation: A kind of work defined by characteristic tasks, skills, and social roles. Occupations are the kinds of work that can make up a career.
Recruitment: The process by which organizations attract and select people for jobs. Recruitment is one route into a new role or occupation.
Linear career: A career path marked by steady advancement within a relatively consistent field or organization. It is one model of career progression, rather than a universal pattern.
Career counseling: Professional support for exploring occupations, making work decisions, and managing career transitions. Counseling applies career knowledge to individual choices and changes.
Occupational identity: The part of a person’s identity formed through their occupation and professional roles. A career can shape how people understand and present themselves.
Career development: The process of forming, managing, and adapting a career over time. It describes how a career grows and changes across a working life.
Promotion: An employee’s move to a role with greater rank, responsibility, or compensation. Promotions are a common form of upward movement within a career.
Protean career: A self-directed career shaped by personal values and adaptability rather than organizational plans. It contrasts employer-led advancement with individual control over career direction.
Career break: A period away from paid work, often taken for caregiving, study, health, or personal reasons. Breaks interrupt a career and can reshape later work choices.
Glass ceiling: An invisible barrier that restricts advancement for members of disadvantaged groups. It explains why career progression can remain unequal despite formal opportunity.