ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the kinds of problems that people experience in their work, and the pressures that come to bear when we are choosing our careers. The most common kinds of career problem are those related to life stage, and just about everyone experiences indecision and confusion at one or more of life's stages. If life stage is the most common source of anguish when it comes to careers, the second must be change at work. Few experiences precipitate a career crisis with the effectiveness and force of redundancy, for example, or being sacked, or taken through disciplinary procedures. Career choices at this stage tend to be based on exam results, cultural values, and the expectations of parents and significant others. A theme running through all the potential sources of uncertainty and anxiety is the whole business of career choice. Gender, of course, has an enormous part to play in career choice and development.
