Flexible work schedules are one response to changes in the composition of the work force, new life-styles, and changes in work attitudes. Types of alternative work schedules are part-time and temporary employment, job sharing, and flextime. Part-time workers are a diverse group--women, the very young, and older near-retirees. Although part-time…

Preparation for productive employment in a global economy is one aspect of National Education Goals 3 and 5. Career education can help people realize the opportunities and meet the challenges of the international workplace. The emergence of flexible, information-based technologies is a primary factor in the evolution of the global economy. New…

Changes in the composition of the work force and changing work values require new life span and career development models that account for individual, gender, and cultural differences in experience. Age/stage models form one school of thought in developmental theory. A major criticism of prevailing theories is that they are based on male…

The critical career development strategy of networking is being transformed by the Internet into virtual or e-networking. Virtual networking provides these advantages: it eliminates the fear of making initial contact and the stress of first impressions; it overcomes restrictions of location, time, or money; it makes responses faster and easier;…

Adults experience cyclical periods of stability and transition throughout life. The conflict between role cycles may spur career change. Personality differences between voluntary changers and nonchangers have been identified in research. Career changes may be triggered by factors ranging from the anticipated (marriage, empty nest) to the…

Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing rates remain higher in the United States than in most Western nations; more than 500,000 teenage girls have babies every year. As these teen parents mature, they have diminished educational and career expectations. A small number of programs directed toward the career needs of teenage parents was developed…

In an era of rapid social and economic changes, the demand for adult career exploration services is growing in career-tech and one-stop centers and community college and university reentry programs. Career exploration is a process of acquiring self-knowledge and career knowledge and using this knowledge to formulate plans and prepare for a career.…

To dispel concerns that career education does not belong in middle school, it may help to reinterpret a career more broadly as life, not just work. Middle school students should view career paths as a broad range of options available to them. In addition, early career education may help to dispel sex-role stereotypes and self-limiting practices of…

One in every four families with children under the age of 18 is a single-parent family (up from 1 of every 10 in 1970). The vast majority of single-parent families are low-income families consisting of a mother (usually with relatively little formal education) and her young children. Many female single heads of households are either displaced…

Research indicates that parenting styles, family functioning, and parent-child interaction influence career development. The authoritative parenting style is associated with self-confidence, persistence, social competence, academic success, and psychosocial development; parents provide a warm family climate, set standards, and promote independence…

According to the theory of multiple intelligences (MI), intelligence is a set of abilities, talents, and skills in eight areas: mathematical-logical, spatial-visual, bodily-kinesthetic, musical-rhythmic, verbal-linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. All humans possess these intelligences in varying degrees, and most people can…

To assist career education and career development practitioners in helping students use occupational information, this Practitioner File begins by discussing the role of occupational information in career decision making. The next section addresses considerations and concerns in using online information such as user proficiency, quality of…

Many theories of career development are derived from theories of personality; however, broader perspectives on career development are being built on emerging research focused on gender, race, ethnicity, and social class. The main career development theories are as follows: trait and factor theories (which assumes the possibility of matching…

The purpose of multicultural career education and development is to foster positive self-concepts and career choices regardless of cultural background, encourage understanding of cultural groups' contributions, and develop effective intercultural communication skills. The attitudes, values, opinions, and beliefs with which a person perceives the…

The need for career development services is growing. One-stop career centers and school-to-work programs have spurred demand for career development facilitators (CDFs). Working under the supervision of a qualified career counselor, CDFs can serve the following functions: career group facilitator, job search trainer, career resource center…