Career Development Basics
The NCDA defines career development as the ongoing process of managing these three things across your lifetime.
Life, learning, and work
Holland's theory uses this 6-letter acronym to describe the six personality types in his model.
RIASEC
The #1 employability skill on the Lesson 3 list — essential in every industry and every role.
Communication skills
These skills are described in the lecture as abilities that can be applied to many different jobs and industries.
Transferable skills
This on-campus resource offers resume reviews, mock interviews, job search workshops, and career advising.
The campus career center
This type of career path is described in the lecture as NOT always being a straight line.
A career path (or career journey)
Super's theory names this as the SECOND stage of career development, when individuals explore possible directions.
Exploration
This employability skill involves adjusting quickly to new conditions, technologies, or roles.
Adaptability and flexibility
A student who led a group project for a class likely developed these two transferable skills.
Leadership and project management (accept either)
This professional platform, used by employers and job seekers worldwide, is essential for networking and showcasing your professional brand.
According to NACE (2022), students who participate in these three activities have better employment outcomes.
Career fairs, mentorship programs, and internships
This theorist introduced the idea of "happenstance learning" — that unplanned events can shape career decisions.
Krumboltz
Being reliable, punctual, and committed to completing tasks well describes this employability skill.
Work ethic and dependability
The lecture identifies this action as essential for using transferable skills effectively in job searching and networking.
Recognizing and highlighting them (on your resume, in interviews, and in networking)
Beyond LinkedIn and the career center, the lecture identifies this type of relationship as a critical part of your career support ecosystem.
Mentors, faculty, or alumni networks (accept any)
This researcher and publication (2024) identified three reasons career development matters more now than ever, including success in a fast-changing market.
Matuson (Forbes, 2024)
Savickas's Career Construction Theory encourages career coaches to use these techniques to help people align work with personal values.
Narrative (or storytelling) techniques
This employability skill involves managing emotions and understanding others to build positive workplace relationships.
Emotional intelligence
According to the lecture, having diverse transferable skills helps workers do this in a changing job market.
Stay competitive, open new opportunities, and ensure long-term career success (accept any)
Professional organizations in your industry offer these three specific career development benefits.
Mentoring, certifications, and professional development
Career development is described in the lecture as not just finding a job, but about building THIS — something that reflects your passions, values, and ambitions.
A fulfilling life (or a meaningful career)
Gottfredson's theory is named "Theory of Circumscription and ___________" — the second word describes how people adjust ideal choices to realistic options.
Compromise
According to the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report (2022), employers increasingly prioritize these skills over technical expertise.
Soft skills (or employability skills)
This is the key difference between employability skills and workplace skills, as described in Lesson 3.
Employability skills are general and apply across all jobs; workplace skills are specific to a particular job or field
The lecture describes career planning as providing these three outcomes: a roadmap, managing uncertainty, and preparing you for THIS.
Adapting to changes in the global job market