Most career development professionals studied the writings of Holland, Super, and other ground-breaking theorists at some point in their education or career. However, how long ago did those words get absorbed? How have contemporary theorists and practices been influenced by those pioneers? What can be gained by revisiting the foundations? Looking with fresh eyes on career development basics may increase the competencies of the service provider.
~ Melanie Reinersman, editor@careerdevelopmentalliance.com

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
FOCUS ON: The Same Key Fundamentals
The foundation of career development is its universal goal – helping people see what they can be. Taking time to explore the evolution in the field, and asking what role you will play, most definitely will influence the future. Start with a broad overview of how career theories have evolved, available in a timeline format. It includes a short definition and the theorists’ names, with links to where to learn more. For a more specific look at the history of career guidance and assessment, view Kuder’s guide covering 85 years. Focusing on these key fundamentals aids the future of the practitioner, the client and the field.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: Ideas Crucial in the Development of Career Intervention
On the occasion of NCDA’s 100th anniversary, Dr. Mark Savickas released a list of ten “Ideas that Changed Career Development” which included a statement of career development’s core ideas and the field’s vital ideas. “In short, the career development field promotes social justice through the practices of vocational guidance, career education, and personal counseling that use inventories, information, and interventions to help people learn to make transitions which fit their values as well as develop their personalities. Career development practitioners prioritize these self-constructing actions in terms of matching, congruence, stages, adaptability, self-efficacy, work volition, and happenstance.” Learn more about each of these groundbreaking ideas by reading an explanation and reflection on the ten highest ranked ideas.
FOR PRACTITIONERS: Super Was, Is, Super
Donald E. Super revolutionized the understanding of career development with the concepts of life-span, life-space and self-concept. Beyond these ground-breaking, pervasive models, Super was one reason the terms career counseling and career development came into more common usage in the 1950s, according to Mark Pope’s “A Brief History of Career Counseling in the United States” (Pope, 2011). Super’s theory is mentioned four times in Savickas' list of top ideas that changed career development, specifically the areas of work values, career counseling, vocational maturity and career stages. No other theorist is as repeatedly mentioned in the historical list! Learn more about Super’s work from The Counseling Psychologist on the occasion of his death.
YOUR LIBRARY: Reviewing Holland’s RIASEC Hexagon
Real-life examples support the application of the material in Holland’s RIASEC hexagon: A paradigm for life and work decisions, a free book by Bullock-Yowell and Reardon (2024). Whether the reader is “navigating their own career path, pursuing graduate studies in vocational psychology, or seeking to deepen their understanding of the RIASEC theory as a career services practitioner… the use of relatable anecdotes, coupled with a limited amount of industry jargon, makes [the book] accessible” according to the recent review. Read more in Career Convergence.
COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY: Getting Another Degree
A major career change is a common reason for returning to school for more education, but the time and financial commitment may make the pursuit difficult. Although pursuing a second bachelor’s degree may be a requirement when seeking a master’s degree, a look at alternatives is important too. Learning new skills is admirable if the actions are in line with specific career goals and the individual is up for the challenge. Read more pros and cons about increasing foundational education from Best Colleges.
TOP TEN: Ways to Learn from the Past
Productively learning from the past can affect the present and future. It involves study, reflection and more. Can you identify common threads? Do you know what it would take to let go? Will reframing an experience aid understanding and application. Read more ways to learn from the past, then, well, learn!
QUOTES
"It is impossible to learn that which you think you already know.” ~ Epictetus
“Those who cannot learn from history are bound to repeat it.” ~ George Santayana
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