ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we provide a brief introduction to the main theories that explain how people make career decisions and manage transitions, and evaluate their relevance for the twenty-first century.
The earliest theory is trait and factor. With its roots in differentialist psychology, this entails matching the client’s personality against the characteristics of occupations in order to find the best fit. Most computer-aided matching programs reflect this theory. Developmentalists argued that such matching only reflected a snapshot in time and so focused their research on how people changed through life stages.
Both of these theories focus on the psychological process of career choice. In contrast, sociological theories examine the opportunity structure and the barriers created by social class, gender, ethnicity and membership of other disadvantaged groups.
Some theories attempt to bring together the psychological and the structural, arguing that there is an interplay between these factors (social and career learning theories), with community playing a large part (community interaction theory).
So, we find ourselves in a postmodern, relativist world in which each client has constructed a view of their self and the world around them (constructivism) and is making sense of this reality through the stories they construct (narrative). The world has become unpredictable, with clients having to change their plans in the face of new circumstances (planned happenstance and chaos theory).
To reflect this increasingly complex landscape, the emphasis has shifted from a need to possess a well-informed plan to lifelong career management competencies that will enable clients to navigate the challenges ahead.
