Career Life Stages and Career Development Tasks by Donald Super

Stages and Substages	Ages	Career Development Tasks	Commentary
A. Growth Stage	Birth to age 14	Forming a picture of the kind of person one is (self-concept formation) Developing an orientation to the world of work, , including some understanding of the meaning of work and of the different ways in which it is possible to earn a living.	Self-concept develops through association and identification with key figures in family, school, and community and through exposure to and/or experiences with tasks, objects, and ideas. Knowledge of and attitudes toward of work in general and occupations in particular are learned by exposure to and/or experiences with people, tasks, objects, and ideas
1. Curiosity Substage	Birth to age 3		Behavior is presumed to be motivated by needs and curiosity.
2.. Fantasy substage	Ages 4 to 10		Behavior relevant to career develop- ment appears to be motivated primarily by fantasy in role playing.
3. Interest substage	Ages 11 to 12		Behavior relevant to career development appears to be motivated primarily by the individual's likes and dislikes
4. Capacity substage	Ages 13 to 14		Behavior relevant to career development involves consideration of the individual's abilities and job requirements
B. Exploration Stage	Ages 15 to 24
1. Tentative substage	Ages 15 to 17	Crystallizing an occupational preference	The individual begins to translate self- preference. concept into general occupational terms. Possible appropriate fields and levels of work are identified.
2. Transition substage	Ages 18 to 21	Specifying an occupational preference	Transition is made from school to work preference or from school to further education and/or training. Generalized choices are converted into a specific choice.
3. Trial (with little commitment) substage	Ages 22 to 24	Implementing an occupational preference.	A seemingly appropriate occupation having been selected or prepared for, a beginning job is found and tried out. Commitment to the occupation is still provisional and may be strengthened or weakened by experiences encountered on the job or in training. If weakened, the individual may change goals and repeat the process of crystallizing, specifying, and implementing an occupational preference.
C. Establishment Stage	Ages 25 to 44		Having found an appropriate field, effort is put forth to make a permanent place in it. For many individuals, these are the most productive and creative years.
1. Trial with commitment	Ages 25 to 30	Stabilization in the chosen occupation	The individual settles down, supports self and contributes to family support, develops an appropriate lifestyle, makes use of abilities and training, and pursues meaningful interests.
2. Advancement substage	Ages 31 to 44	Consolidation in the chosen occupation Advancement in the chosen occupation	After having settled down, individuals are commonly concerned with their place in an occupation or in an orga- nization; security is the objective. In middle-class and upper-class circles, occupation. there is generally an expectation that individuals will get ahead financially and move to more challenging levels of responsibility and independence. Frustration often results when advancement is not forthcoming.
D. Maintenance stage	Ages 45 to 59	Holding on in the chosen occupation	Having obtained a secure and recognized position, the individual is expected to maintain it in the face of competition from others, technological change, health problems, and family demands. For some individuals, holding may deteriorate into stagnation
		Updating the chosen occupation	In some fields of work and for some individuals, just holding on is not enough; it may be important to keep abreast of new developments as fields change and as individual goals change in order to remain current
		Innovating in the chosen occupation	In some fields, such as high technology, individuals are expected to break new ground. Some individuals continue to feel the need to explore and to do something different or at least do things differently, even after they are well established.
E. Disengagement Stage	Age 60 on		As physical and/or mental powers decline, work activity changes and in due course ceases; the worker role is gradually supplanted by greater involvement in other life roles.
1. Deceleration substage	Ages 60 to 64	Selective reduction in pace and/or load of work. Planning for retirement	Deceleration is common, especially among individuals who have some if control over their work situations. Some begin to delegate part of their activities to younger persons and become more selective in what they themselves do. Some individuals anticipate retirement and plan carefully for it; others gradually or suddenly become aware of the fact of impending retirement and plan less carefully, poorly, or not at all.
2. Retirement substage	Age 65 on	Retirement living.	Giving up a job or work for pay brings opportunities for individuals to increase their participation in other roles they fulfill in their home life, hobbies, civic activity, and sometimes study. Cessation of the worker role comes easily and pleasantly to some, to others with difficulty and disappointment, and to some only with death.

SOURCE: Published with permission of Jossey-Bass, Inc., 350 Sansome St., Son Francisco, CA 94104, and Dr. Jomes M. Morrow, 718 Mognolio Street, Mooresville, NC 28115.