research on career development

• GRANTS & FUNDING HOME
• ABOUT GRANTS
• POLICY & COMPLIANCE
• NEWS & EVENTS

Division of Biomedical Research Workforce

• The Biomedical Research Workforce
• Reports on the Biomedical Research Workforce
• Extramural Diversity
• Undergraduate
• Graduate/​Doctorate
• Postdoctoral/​Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator
• Fellowships
• Career Development
• Other Training-Related
• Research Education
• Institute/​Program Matrix
• Resources  

Research Career Development Awards (K) Kiosk

To provide individual and institutional research training opportunities (including international) to trainees at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels.

Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award

For support of a postdoctoral or early career research scientists committed to research, in need of both advanced research training and additional experience.

Independent Research Scientist Development Award

For support of an early to mid-career scientists with research funding, in need of additional protected time committed to research.

Senior Research Scientist Award

For the support of a senior research scientist with research funding, to pursue independent research, and to serve as a mentor to more junior research scientists.

Academic Career Development Award

To support either a mentored or independent investigator to develop or enhance curricula, foster academic career development of promising young teacher-investigators, and to strengthen existing teaching programs.

Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award

To provide the opportunity for promising clinician scientists with demonstrated aptitude to develop into independent investigators, or for faculty members to pursue research, and aid in filling the academic faculty gap in health profession's institutions.

Clinical Scientist Institutional Career Development Program Award

To provide support for newly trained clinicians appointed by an institution for development of independent research skills and experience in a fundamental science within the framework of an interdisciplinary research and development program.

Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators

Provides either full-time or part-time support for experienced scientists who wish to broaden their research capabilities or to make changes in their research careers by acquiring new research skills or knowledge.

Career Transition Award

To provide support to outstanding newly trained basic or clinical investigators to develop their independent research skills through a two phase program; an initial mentored research experience, followed by a period of independent research.

Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award

To provide support for the career development of clinically trained professionals who have made a commitment to patient-oriented research, and who have the potential to develop into productive, clinical investigators.

Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research

To provide support for mid-career clinicians with research support, to allow for protected time to devote to patient-oriented research and to serve as mentors for beginning clinical investigators.

Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award

To support the career development of investigators with quantitative scientific and engineering backgrounds outside of biology or medicine who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on basic or clinical biomedical research.

Midcareer Investigator Award in Biomedical and Behavioral Research

To provide grant support for biomedical and behavioral scientists to allow them protected time to devote to their research and mentoring.

Emerging Global Leader Award

To provide research support and protected time to a junior scientist with a faculty position at an LMIC institution leading to an independently funded research career.

Emerging Leaders Career Development Award

To advance the development of physician-scientists prepared to take an active role in addressing present and future challenges of a global biomedical research enterprise.

Pathway to Independence Award

To support both an initial mentored research experience (K99) followed by independent research (R00) for highly qualified, postdoctoral researchers, to secure an independent research position. Award recipients are expected to compete successfully for independent R01 support during the R00 phase.

Stipend Levels & Info

• NIH Policies for NRSA Stipends, Compensation and Other Income
• NRSA Stipends (FY 2024)
• NRSA Stipends (FY 2023)
• Stipend/Salary FAQs

Policy Notices

• NOT-OD-24-129: Updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant Applications for Due Dates on or After January 25, 2025
• NOT-OD-24-116: Childcare Costs for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellows and Institutional Research Training Awards
• NOT-OD-24-107: Implementation of Revisions to the NIH and AHRQ Fellowship Application and Review Process
• NOT-OD-24-084: Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025
• NOT-OD-23-111: Reminder – NIH Policies for NRSA Stipends, Compensation and Other Income
• NOT-OD-23-076: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipends, Tuition/Fees and Other Budgetary Levels Effective for Fiscal Year 2023

Home About DBRW Career Path Programs Institute/​Program Matrix Resources FAQ HHS Vulnerability Disclosure Disclaimer Contact Us

NIH Grants and Funding National Institutes of Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services USA.gov – Government Made Easy

Older Versions of this Page

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Published: 24 August 2017

Career development: A plan for action

• Julie Gould 1  

Nature volume  548 ,  pages 489–490 ( 2017 ) Cite this article

22k Accesses

7 Citations

135 Altmetric

Metrics details

• Communication

When set up properly, individual development plans can be powerful tools for shaping a career.

Lia Rae Edmunds was annoyed when her department asked for an individual development plan (IDP) after she started her postdoc in developmental biology. “I thought it was an unnecessary hoop to jump through,” she says.

But despite her misgivings, Edmunds's IDP has helped her to establish, review and update her goals and achievements with her supervisor. “As postdocs we have very loose guidelines on what we're supposed to do, day in and day out,” says Edmunds, who works at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

She used her IDP to set a weekly plan for activities in and outside the lab that would help her to complete her year's goals, including writing a first-author paper (which she has now started) and mastering specific in vivo metabolic techniques. It has essentially become an informal contract between her and her supervisor. “We're on the same page,” says Edmunds.

Not every university, study programme or lab head requires PhD students and postdocs to prepare or maintain an IDP, but many junior researchers say that it helps them to identify their skills and skill gaps, set professional goals and objectives with specific timelines and build a positive relationship with their supervisor, particularly around shared aims.

Those who have used IDPs say that to be most effective, the plan should be reviewed and updated at least once a year, with input and guidance from the principal investigator or mentor.

IDPs and similar tools, including career- and personal-development plans, have long been used in government and industry, particularly in Western nations, as a way to help employees to achieve short- and long-term career goals and to improve their performance on the job. Data are sparse on the number of researchers who use them, but science-career experts who advocate such tools say that it is crucial that the a plan has specific, detailed objectives.

Some junior researchers agree that IDPs are most useful when they are highly detailed and have multiple sections. Uschi Symmons, a molecular-biology postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, created a customized version by merging the university's graduate-student IDP template with one for postdocs from Stanford University in California. She used her university's section on self-reflection, skills analysis and goal setting, and Stanford's progress-review section. The personalized plan helps her to consider and identify her skills and objectives in a clear way, she says. She knows that she wants to stay in academia and her plan has helped her to tick off important steps towards that goal, including publishing a paper and learning to do peer review. “It was useful to write down goals that I could measure, that I could influence,” she says. “If I hadn't had that, achieving those goals would have been tougher.”

An IDP should include four components, says Philip Clifford, an associate dean for research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who has been developing templates for and advocating IDPs since 2001. Those include sections for self-assessment and reflection; career choices and pathways; short- and long-term goals; and ways to achieve and implement those goals. All goals need to be specific, with timelines and action plans for each, says Cynthia Fuhrmann, an assistant dean of career and professional development at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester (see 'Goal setting' ).

Gary McDowell can attest to the power of self-assessment. Now in his main role as head of Future of Research, a scientist-advocacy group in San Francisco, California, McDowell had initially aimed for an academic research career. But candidly reflecting on his life's goals as part of his IDP helped him to realize that advocacy was his true interest. “I was looking at what I actually valued,” he says. “And had I done it earlier, this would have been a more obvious route.”

Reflection, together with considering career choices, also proved invaluable to Sarah Saminadin-Peter, who advises clients on food-contact regulations at Intertek, a quality-assurance company based in Brussels. While doing a postdoc at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, she found that her IDP helped her to determine that she has superior organizational and project-management skills, and led her to mull alternatives to academia. “From there, I started to explore career paths that could match my competencies,” she says. She also wrote in her plan that she wanted to meet people from industry through conferences organized by her postdoc association. Soon afterwards, she connected with the consulting company Dr Knoell Consult in Mannheim, Germany, where she worked as a project manager for two years before moving to her current position.

Some researchers use other techniques. Rachel Yoho, a research associate studying science education at Michigan State University in East Lansing, uses job advertisements to identify gaps in her competencies. “If an ad says that I need a specific skill, I can see I need to go out and get it,” she says. She learnt through scanning ads that employers in her speciality sought candidates with strong teaching and leadership skills, so she bolstered hers through short courses. Yoho has since landed a faculty teaching position that she starts this month.

Some universities place little value on IDPs. Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, doesn't advocate them for its graduate students and postdocs, says vice-provost for graduate education Zlatko Skrbis. Instead, Monash offers activities that are led by alumni and external trainers on career planning, project management, networking, negotiation, leadership and entrepreneurship, along with other topics relevant to professional development. The university encourages students to collaborate with their supervisors in coming up with a customized scheme. Research students can attend all activities for free and, depending on their doctoral programme, may be required to complete at least 120 hours of such training modules during their studies.

Discussing elements of your plan with your supervisor or mentor means that he or she is aware of the goals.

Those who are working on a written IDP, however, should ensure they discuss it with others to stay on track, says Furhrmann, who recommends that researchers share it with their principal investigator. “Discussing elements of your plan with your supervisor or mentor means that he or she is aware of the goals,” Fuhrmann says. Some universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, are experimenting with formal mentoring committees that connect a researcher with two or more academic staff members. These mentors can also help the junior researcher to stay accountable to their development plan and review their progress. “If you do have a disagreement over a project, technique or goal with one mentor,” says Edmunds, “there are two other people who signed off on the IDP”.

Occasionally a supervisor or principal investigator is not the best choice to confer with. Some graduate students and postdocs report that their principal investigator objected to non-academic career goals they had set out in the plan and tried to steer them into an academic-research trajectory. McGill University in Montreal, Canada, for example, will tell junior researchers not to automatically involve their supervisors when it launches a mandatory IDP initiative next year. “The idea is to not presume that the supervisor is the person with whom they should have that conversation,” says Lorna MacEachern, McGill's graduate career-development counsellor. “A lot of students report anxiety around discussing their professional-development plans with their supervisors.”

Although Edmunds was initially sceptical about the value of an IDP, she is now a believer. In addition to helping her to articulate and achieve her goals, it has provided leverage. “You can use the IDP to advocate for yourself,” she says. “And that puts you in a stronger position in your current job — as well as for your future career development.”

Box 1: Goal setting

Research suggests that people who use professional-development plans such as the individual development plan (IDP) rank themselves higher on indices of success and achieve greater success within science and other fields according to some metrics (T. W. H. Ng et al . Pers. Psychol. 58 , 367–408; 2005).

Cynthia Fuhrmann, an assistant dean of career and professional development at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, recommends that researchers apply the SMART principle — specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, time bound — to their goals. “It will transform planning from vague goals to specific ones, with timelines and action plans,” says Fuhrmann. Here are some of her tips for using the principle.

Create specific, clear goals that are based around these questions: What do I want to accomplish? Why is this goal important? Who is involved? Where do I need to be? Which resources or limits are involved? If, for example, you want to improve your writing skills, you might consider what you will do, who can help you, when you can do what's required and what improved writing skills would look like.

Establish concrete criteria for measuring your progress. Write down each step you will need to take and how you will know when you have reached that goal. When you can measure your progress, you are more likely to stay on track and reach your target dates.

Make sure your goals are action-oriented. Ask for the resources you need and mark check-in dates for the goals in your diary. Each goal should have a series of smaller sub-goals that you can tick off as you complete them.

Create realistic goals that fit into your research schedule (and study programme if you are a student). Your goals are realistic if you truly believe that you can accomplish them.

Give each goal a time frame. Without a deadline, there is no sense of urgency.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

a freelance writer, London

Julie Gould

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Related links

Related links in nature research.

Alumni: Post-PhD careers

Naturejobs podcast: planning time and goals

Career planning: the next five years

Job search: strategies for success

Related external links

Perelman School of Medicine IDP

Stanford University IDP

Personal Development Plan tips from Vital

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Gould, J. Career development: A plan for action. Nature 548 , 489–490 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7668-489a

Download citation

Published : 24 August 2017

Issue Date : 24 August 2017

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7668-489a

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

The Big Five Career Theories

Cite this chapter.

• S. Alvin Leung 3  

11k Accesses

64 Citations

Career guidance and counselling in the western world, most notably in the United States (USA), has developed a comprehensive system of theories and intervention strategies in its more than 100 years of history. It began in the years of Frank Parson as a trait-factor approach in the early twentieth century (Betz, Fitzgerald, & Hill, 1989; Zunker, 2002), and slowly evolved to become a rather mature discipline today in the twenty-first century with a strong theoretical and empirical base, with the potential to further develop into a more “global” discipline in the years ahead. Indeed, vocational and career related issues are salient across different cultures and nationalities (Hesketh & Rounds, 1995; Leung, 2004). In an age of economic globalisation, all individuals are affected by an array of work related concerns, some of these concerns are unique to certain cultures, but others are common to many cultural groups. The search for life purposes and meanings, the journey to actualise oneself through various life and work-related roles, and the efforts by nations to deal with problems of employment and unemployment, are examples of universal issues that seem to affect many individuals from diverse cultures. Under the theme of career development, there are experiences, oncerns, and issues that we could share, explore, and discussed at a global stage (Richardson, 1993; Lips-Wiersma & McMorland, 2006).

The development of career guidance and development into a global discipline requires a set of theoretical frameworks with universal validity and applications, as well as culture-specific models that could be used to explain career development issues and phenomenon at a local level. The focus of this chapter is on the five theories of career development that have guided career guidance and counselling practice and research in the past few decades in the USA as well as internationally. These five theories are (a) Theory of Work-Adjustment, (b) Holland’s Theory of Vocational Personalities in Work Environment, (c) the Self-concept Theory of Career Development formulated by Super and more recently by Savickas, (d) Gottfredson’s Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, and (e) Social Cognitive Career Theory. Given that the “big-five” theoretical models were developed by scholars in the USA, most of the existing reviews and summaries covering these frameworks (e.g., D. Brown & Associates, 2002; S. D. Brown & Lent, 2005; Swanson & Gore, 2000) have drawn from the literature in the USA. To augment the literature, this chapter will adopt an “international” perspective and will seek to selectively review studies conducted in regions around the world. With that as a backdrop, this chapter aims to achieve three objectives. First, to review the core conceptual propositions and the evolvement of the “big five” career development models, and discuss specific components of these models that are attractive to international career guidance professionals. Second, to review recent international empirical work (that is, studies conducted outside of the USA) that has been done in relation to the “big five” career development models. Third, to discuss directions that researchers and practitioners could take to advance and “indigenous” the big five career theories in their own cultural regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Durable hardcover edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Unable to display preview.  Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

New Trends in Theory Development in Career Psychology

Postmodern Guidance and Career Counseling: The Need for New Qualitative Tools for Evaluating Intervention Effectiveness

Contextualisation as a Determining Factor for Career Counselling Throughout the World

Arulmani, G., Van Laar, D., & Easton, S. (2003). The influence of career beliefs and socio-economic status on the career decision-making of high school students in India. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 3 , 193–204.

Article   Google Scholar  

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Google Scholar  

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control . New York: Freeman.

Betz, N. E., Borgen, F. H., & Harmon, L. W. (1996). Skills confidence inventory: Applications and technical guide . Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Betz, N. E., Fitzgerald, L. F, & Hill, R. E. (1989). Trait-factor theories: Traditional cornerstone of career theory. In B. Michael, D. T. Hall, & B. S. Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 26–40). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Brown, D., & Associate (Eds.). (2002) Career choice and development (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Brown, S. D., & Lent, R. T. (Eds.). (2005). Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Creed, P. A., & Patton, W. (2003). Predicting two components of career maturity in school based adolescents. Journal of Career Development, 29 , 277–290.

Creed, P, A., Patton, W., & Prideaux, L. (2006). Causal relationship between career indecision and career decision-making self-efficacy: A longitudinal cross-lagged analysis. Journal of Career Development, 33 , 47–65.

Creed, P. A., Patton, W., & Watson, M. B. (2002). Cross-cultural equivalence of the career decision-making self-efficacy scale-short form: An Australian and South African comparison. Journal of Career Assessment, 10 , 327–342.

Dawis, R. V. (1992). The individual difference tradition in counseling psychology. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 39 , 7–19.

Dawis, R. V. (2002). Person-environment-correspondence theory. In D. Brown & Associate (Eds.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 427–464). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Dawis, R. V. (2005). The Minnesota theory of work adjustment. In S. D. Brown & R. T. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 3–23). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Dawis, R. V., & Lofquist, L. H. (1984). A psychological theory of work adjustment . Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

du Toit, R., & de Bruin G. P. (2002). The structural validity of Holland’s RIASE-C model of vocational personality types for young black South Africa men and women. Journal of Career Assessment, 10 , 62–77.

Enriquez, V. G. (1993). Developing a Filipino psychology. In U. Kim & J. W. Berry (Eds.), Indigenous psychologies: Research and experience in cultural context (pp. 152–169). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Feij, J. A., van der Velde, M. E.G., Taris, R., & Taris, T. W. (1999). The development of person-vocation fit: A longitudinal study among youth employees. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 7 , 12–25.

Friedman, T. L. (2006). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century (updated and expanded). New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Goh, D. S., & Yu, J. (2001). Translating and validation of the Chinese form of the strong interest inventory. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 50 , 252–268.

Gottfredson, L. S. (1981). Circumscription and compromise: A developmental theory of occupational aspirations [Monograph]. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28 , 545–579.

Gottfredson, L. S. (1996). Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription and compromise. In D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds.), Career choice and development: Applying contemporary approaches to practice (3rd ed., pp. 179–232). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Gottfredson, L. S. (2002). Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription, compromise, and self-creation. In D. Brown & Associate (Eds.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 85–148). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Gottfredson, L. S. (2005). Applying Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription and compromise in career guidance and counseling. In S. D. Brown & R. T. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 71–100). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Griffin, B., & Hesketh, B. (2003). Adaptable behaviours for successful work and career adjustment. Australian Journal of Psychology, 55 , 65–73.

Gysbers, N. C. (2000). Implementing a whole school approach to guidance through a comprehensive guidance system. Asian Journal of Counselling, 7 , 5–17.

Hackett, G., & Betz, N. E. (1981). A self-efficacy approach to career development of women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 18 , 326–339.

Hampton, N. Z. (2005). Testing the structure of the Career Decision Self-efficacy Scale–Short Form among Chinese college students. Journal of Career Assessment, 13 , 98–113.

Herr, E. L. (1997). Super’s life-span, life-space approach and its outlook for refinement. The Career Development Quarterly, 45 , 238–245.

Hesketh, B., & Rounds, J. (1995). International cross-cultural approaches to career development. In W. B. Walsh & S. H. Osipow (Eds.), Handbook of vocational psychology: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 367–390). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Holland, J. L. (1996). The occupations finder . Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

Holland, J. L. (1985). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Holland, J. H. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Law, K. S., Wong, C. S., & Leong, F. (2001). The cultural validity of Holland’s model and its implications for human resource manage: The case of Hong Kong. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12 , 484–496.

Lent, R. W. (2005). A social cognitive view of career development and counseling. In S. D. Brown & R. T. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 101–127). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (2002). Social cognitive career theory. In D. Brown & Associate (Eds.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 255–311). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Leong, F. T. L., & Serafica, F. C. (2001). Cross-cultural perspective on Super’s career development theory: Career maturity and cultural accommodation. In F. T. L. Leong & Barak, A. (Eds.), Contemporary models in vocational psychology: A volume in honor of Samuel H. Osipow (pp. 167–205). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Leung, S. A. (1995). Career counseling and development: A multicultural perspective. In J. G. Ponterotto, J. M. Casas, L. A. Suzuki, & C. M. Alexander (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural counseling (pp. 549–566). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Leung, S. A. (2002). Career counseling in Hong Kong: Meeting the social challenges. The Career Development Quarterly, 50 , 237–245.

Leung, S. A. (2003). A journey worth traveling: Globalisation of counseling psychology. The Counseling Psychologist, 31 , 412–419.

Leung, S. A. (2004, August). Methodological issues in conducting vocational psychology research in Chinese communities . Paper presented at the 28th International Congress of Psychology, Beijing, China.

Leung, S. A., & Chen, P. W. (2007). Developing counseling psychology in Chinese communities in Asia: Indigenous, multicultural, and cross-cultural considerations. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Leung, S. A., & Hou, Z. J. (2005). The structure of vocational interest among Chinese students. Journal of Career Development, 32 , 74–90.

Lips-Wiersma, M., & McMorland, J. (2006). Finding meaning and purpose in boundaryless careers: A framework for study and practice. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 46 , 147–167.

Lokan, J. (1984). Manual of the career development inventory–Australian edition . Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.

Morrow, S. W., Rakhsha, G., & Castaneda, C. L. (2001). Qualitative research methods for multicultural counseling. In J. G. Ponterotto, J. M. Casas, L. A. Suzuki, & C. M. Alexander (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural counseling (2nd ed., pp. 575–630). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Nota, L., Ferrari, L., Solberg, V. S. H., & Soresi, S. (2007). Career search self-efficacy, family support, and career indecision with Italian youth. Journal of Career Assessment, 15 , 181–193.

Patton, W., Bartrum, D. A., & Creed, P. A. (2004). Gender differences for optimism, self-esteem, expectations and goals in predicting career planning and exploration in adolescents. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 4 , 193–209.

Patton, W, Creed, P. A., & Muller, J. (2002). Career maturity and well-being as determinants of occupational status of recent school leavers: A brief report of an Australian study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 17 , 425–435.

Patton, W., & Lokan, J. (2001). Perspectives on Donald Super’s construct of career maturity. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1 , 31–48.

Repetto, E. (2001). Following Super’s heritage: Evaluation of a career development program in Spain. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1 , 107–120.

Richardson, M. S. (1993). Work in people’s lives: A location for counseling psychologists. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 40 , 425–433.

Rounds, J., & Tracey, T. J. (1996). Cross-cultural structural equivalence of the RIASEC models and measures. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43 , 310–329.

Savickas, M. L. (1997). Career adaptability: An integrative construct for life-span, life-space theory. Career Development Quarterly, 45 , 247–259.

Savickas, M. L. (2002). Career construction: A developmental theory of vocational behavior. In D. Brown & Associate (Eds.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 149–205). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Savickas, M. L. (2005). The theory and practice of career construction. In S. D. Brown & R. T. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 42–70). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Spokane, A. R., & Cruza-Guet, M. C. (2005). Holland’s theory of vocational personalities in work environments. In S. D. Brown & R. T. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 24–41). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Spokane, A. R., Meir, E. I., & Catalano, M. (2000). Person-environment congruence and Holland’s theory: A review and reconsideration. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 57 , 137–187.

Super, D. E. (1990). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds.), Career choice and development: Applying contemporary approaches to practice (2nd ed., pp. 197–261). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Super, D. E., & Sverko, I. (Eds.). (1995). Life roles, values and careers: International findings of work importance study . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Super, D. W. (1969). Vocational development theory. The Counseling Psychologist, 1 , 2–30.

Super, D. W. (1980). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16 , 282–298.

Sverko, I., & Babarovic, T. (2006). The validity of Holland’s theory in Croatia. Journal of Career Assessment, 14 , 490–507.

Swanson, J. L., & Gore, P. A. (2000). Advances in vocational psychology theory and research. In S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Handbook of counseling psychology (3rd ed., pp. 233–269). New York: Wiley.

Tak, J. (2004). Structure of vocational interests for Korean college students. Journal of Career Assessment, 12 , 298–311.

Tien, H. S. (2005). The validation of the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Scale in a Chinese culture. Journal of Career Assessment, 13 , 114–127.

Tziner, A., Meir, E. I., & Segal, H. (2002). Occupational congruence and personal task-related attribute: How do they relate to work performance? Journal of Career Assessment, 10 , 401–412.

Van de Vijver, F., & Leung, K. (1997). Methods and data analysis for cross-cultural research . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Watanabe-Muraoka, A. M., Senzaki, T. A., & Herr, E. L. (2001). Donald Super’s contribution to career guidance and counselling in Japan. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1 , 99–106.

Zunker, V. G. (2002). Career counseling: Applied concepts of life planning (6th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

S. Alvin Leung

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

James A. Athanasou

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

Raoul Van Esbroeck

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer Science + Business Media B.V

About this chapter

Leung, S.A. (2008). The Big Five Career Theories. In: Athanasou, J.A., Van Esbroeck, R. (eds) International Handbook of Career Guidance. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6230-8_6

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6230-8_6

Publisher Name : Springer, Dordrecht

Print ISBN : 978-1-4020-6229-2

Online ISBN : 978-1-4020-6230-8

eBook Packages : Humanities, Social Sciences and Law Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• J Clin Transl Sci
• v.1(2); 2017 Apr

Creating effective career development programs

Doris mcgartland rubio.

1 Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

2 Institute for Clinical Research Education, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

3 Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Georgeanna F. W. B. Robinson

4 Qualitative Research, Analytic Support and Institutional Research, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA, USA

Janice Gabrilove

5 Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

6 ConduITS, The Institutes for Translational Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

7 Clinical Research Education Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

Emma A. Meagher

8 Perelman School of Medicine, The Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

This paper is the fourth in a 5-part series that focuses on educating and training the clinical and translational science workforce. The goal of this paper is to delineate components of effective career development programs that go beyond didactic training. All academic health centers with a Clinical and Translational Science Award have a KL2 career development award for junior faculty, and many also have a TL1 training program for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows. The training across these programs varies, however junior investigators across the United States experience similar challenges. Junior investigators can get overwhelmed with the demands of building their own research program, particularly in academia. 1Often, they are sidetracked by competing demands that can derail their progress. In these situations, junior investigators experience frustration and may search for alternative career paths. By providing them with additional professional skills in the 5 domains of: (1) self-awareness; (2) selecting the right topic and securing funding; (3) getting adequate support; (4) working with others; and (5) managing yourself, your career, and your demands. We will give junior investigators additional tools to manage these demands and facilitate their own career success.

Introduction

This paper is the fourth in a 5-part series on the clinical and translational science educational pipeline [ 1 ]. The overall goal of this series is to describe how institutions can develop an effective educational pipeline along the entire academic and career development continuum. Here, we focus on individual skills that career programs can provide to trainees to accelerate their career success.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Research on Careers (ROC) workgroup developed a model of career success [ 2 ]. In this model, career success has 2 dimensions—extrinsic (eg, grants) and intrinsic (eg, career satisfaction)—and 2 main contributing factors—personal and organizational. Within these components are several modifiable elements, which can increase trainees’ success, such as training, leadership, and mentoring.

A workgroup from the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) education and training arm conducted a qualitative study on the basis of ROC’s model to examine factors that contribute to successful transition to independence [ 3 ]. Forty former KL2 or K12 scholars (20 independently funded and 20 not independently funded) from multiple institutions were interviewed. The results of the study support ROC’s theoretical model and found additional factors that could be added. The personal factors identified by the participants included networking, resilience, initiative in career development, autonomy over work, and ability to balance work and personal demands. The organizational factors that impacted career success, as noted by the scholars, included mentoring, protected time for research, and resources. This work further clarified and underscored the need for training that goes beyond the traditional academic, discipline-based curriculum for junior investigators.

Many of the personal factors and academic life skills that influence career success are trainable. Skills such as resilience and initiative can be taught, as can leadership and time management. Our previous work has shown that these factors are needed for career success; however, these critically important components are typically not included in the context of didactic clinical translational science degree programs. Many of these programs generally provide research skill training that is limited to methodology and statistics, which falls short of skills required for career success. In addition, mentors usually do not focus on helping their mentees develop the necessary personal factors for success, which can leave trainees alone to figure out work-life integration or how to negotiate for resources needed for their research. Many early-stage trainees are not successful in managing this critical aspect of their careers and consequently leave academic research for alternative career paths. Effective career development programs that include a focus on professional skill development could greatly assist these trainees in ensuring successful research career outcomes.

Components of Career Development Programs

Table 1 outlines critical components of a career development program that are beneficial for junior investigators as they develop their career in clinical and translational research. These needs fall into 5 broad categories: (1) self-awareness; (2) selecting the right topic and securing funding; (3) getting adequate support; (4) working with others; and (5) managing yourself, your career, and your demands. Individual components of these specific educational domains have been included in various training initiatives; however, career development programs in translational science rarely offer all of these essential constituents as an integrated effort designed to best assure the success of junior investigators.

Critical components of career development programs

Self-Awareness

Many disciplines outside science and medicine have had considerable success embracing the use of validated tools to identify candidates who are a good match for a particular position in a specific work environment [ 4 ]. More recently, determination of surgical training applicants’ personal talents and behavioral styles has been undertaken with considerable success using the TriMetrix Personal Talent Report (Target Training International Ltd, Scottsdale, AZ, USA), with the goal of selecting more appropriate candidates for a specific surgical training program [ 5 ]. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator has also been shown to delineate individual characteristics associated with choice of medical subspecialty and has been used in specific faculty development and leadership programs in an effort to enhance self-awareness/evaluation, thereby enabling individuals to identify preferences and optimally apply their respective talents more successfully [ 6 , 7 ]. These same types of programs have also begun to incorporate resilience training. Similarly, 360° feedback has provided useful and impactful outcomes in the workplace and in medical training programs for a considerable period of time [ 8 ]. However, these tools have not been universally adapted for emerging clinical translational investigators to provide objective and constructive feedback needed for their development.

Selecting the Right Topic and Securing Funding

We anticipate that junior investigators have broadly identified their area of research interest but are often challenged with moving these interests into a research program. Many junior investigators are never trained to critically review the relevant literature. Without this grounding in their field, it is difficult to arrive at novel and creative questions that are both answerable and fundable. An additional challenge is “finding the data” (eg, literature, publically available databases, local and national clinical data repositories, digital and internet resources). While some clinical and translational science degree programs have incorporated “finding the data” in their didactic courses, investigators who are not formally trained rarely get exposed to this in career development programs.

Intensive grant writing courses or workshops can also assist junior investigators in this particular domain for career success. Such courses work best when instructors are faculty members particularly skilled in facilitating idea development and reviewing grants. Meeting weekly, these courses can progress through each part of a typical grant, including specific aims, background, innovation, approach, limitations, and qualifications of investigative team. At the University of Pittsburgh, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and University of Pennsylvania, trainees work in small groups (no larger than 6–8 trainees and 1 instructor), organized broadly by type of research. For example, groups could be organized by T1 translational research, health services research, clinical trials, and so forth. Following some didactic training on each part of the grant, trainees work intensively between group sessions to write the relevant part of their own grant before submitting it to the group for peer feedback. Following feedback, trainees rewrite the section and resubmit. This iterative process gives them a chance to think critically about their proposed project and justify their approach. Trainees refine their questions until they are appropriately articulated and focused, and they hone their grantsmanship as well as their written communication skills.

For many junior investigators, instruction on medical writing can be beneficial. Trainees need to learn: how to find their own effective writing process; how to write in appropriate styles and adapt to one’s audience; the components of typical research reports; appropriate responses to reviewers; and expectations for peer reviewing. Practicing writing and receiving intensive, specific, and formative feedback about their own writing allows junior investigators to establish early effective writing habits, which ought to translate into productivity later in their careers.

Getting Adequate Support

Junior investigators need a broad range of support to develop their research interests into funded research projects and ultimately published manuscripts. Once a junior investigator has begun to outline a research project, mentors with relevant expertise can be instrumental in helping the investigator answer his or her research questions. However, an effective mentoring team requires more than a collection of relevant content experts. Career development program leaders can facilitate the creation of mentoring teams by providing knowledge of both local and national colleagues who have a history of effective mentoring. Program leaders can make introductions where necessary, provide oversight to ensure that the full mentoring team meets regularly, and intervene to assist with challenges or conflicts that occur.

Mentee training can also be helpful for junior investigators who may not realize the extent to which they ought to steer and manage their team of mentors. Mentees need to learn to: develop agendas, follow up with individuals after meetings, keep track of questions and progress between meetings, keep their career and research goals at the center of the team’s efforts, and manage their mentors’ different mentoring styles. They may also need assistance in accepting contradictory feedback from multiple mentors and deciding on their own approach toward mentors who cannot agree on the best course of action.

Mentors, particularly faculty with many years of experience, may have established their mentoring techniques and styles and be reticent to develop mentoring skills further or experiment with new techniques. However, given the multiple challenges to effective mentoring, senior mentors can benefit from mentor training. A mentor training program, such as the one found to be effective by investigators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison [ 9 ], can introduce mentors to alternative ways to approach common mentoring problems, provide new perspectives and concepts for consideration, offer alternative opinions and courses of actions suggested by peers, and serve as a safe and confidential space to discuss current mentoring challenges. Being mindful of mentoring skills allows mentors to be intentional about specific aspects of mentoring that have been shown to help but that may have been given less attention by mentors previously, such as opening a mentor’s network to the mentee, adapting mentoring style to each mentee, respecting each mentee’s individual career goals, and providing resources, where possible, to support mentees.

Junior investigators need support from their department in concert with their mentors. Too often, junior faculty members are asked to serve on time-demanding committees or to pick up additional clinical time, such as urgent care. Department chairs need to protect junior investigators from these commitments; it can be difficult for someone who is junior to deny the request of a more senior person. If the department chair does not ensure that the junior investigator’s research time is protected, and that undue demands are not imposed, then it will be impossible for that junior faculty member to be an investigator. One cannot build a research career on nights and weekends.

Working with Others

Junior investigators need to be able to function as part of multidisciplinary teams, as well as to be able to lead teams in pursuit of their own research agenda. Overcoming multiple disciplinary differences is critical, which may include the customs and expectations of working together, the language of research, epistemologies, and methodologies. Career development programs can train investigators to work patiently through problems until they arrive at a mutual understanding, and to present issues in a clear manner that is free of disciplinary jargon.

Many of the skills that are instrumental for highly functioning multidisciplinary teams are also helpful when leading and managing one’s own research team. Business schools have long taught leadership and management skills, but this expertise does not consistently parlay into other parts of universities where clinical and translational investigators may be working. A formal, didactic program can be followed to ensure a thorough tutelage in the key aspects of leadership and management. If time and/or tuition costs present a barrier to this approach, however, workshops can also provide some useful training to investigators. Topics that are particularly relevant include strategic planning of one’s research agenda, motivating others, effective listening, communication skills, managing conflict, personnel management, and budgeting. In workshops or courses, investigators may find it helpful to discuss cases in small groups, complete an assignment that applies something to their own research group, and then report back to the group or class; this process results in an iterative approach to trying out and refining skills.

The acquisition of networking skills is critical to the process of working with others in an optimal way, and also serves to expand further opportunities for mentorship in complementary areas of relevance to one’s ongoing research. KL2 alumni highlighted networking as a critically important skill associated with, or impeding, successful transition to independence [ 3 ]. Formal curricular components and/or workshops focusing on the development of this informative ability are sorely needed as a key component of career development programs.

Managing Yourself, Your Career, and Your Demands

Junior investigators commonly experience overwhelming demands on their time, both personally and professionally. It is critical that they learn early in a career to manage their time and discover how they work most efficiently and effectively. Career development programs can offer workshops with productivity tips, suggestions to aid efficiency, and ideas to prompt junior investigators to develop habits that will allow them to manage their time better. However, it may be more helpful if mentors make suggestions and intentionally role model their time management techniques. Mentors can shield mentees from burdensome service duties at this point in their careers and help mentees prioritize work appropriately.

Particularly helpful is the 2×2 table that distinguishes urgent from important work ( Fig. 1 ). Junior investigators often find that they spend significant amounts of time on tasks that contribute little toward their main career goal. As part of a department or campus community, there are tasks that must be completed to make an individual faculty member a “good citizen” on their campus. However, those who complete such tasks well and without complaint, frequently find themselves unduly burdened by more such work, preventing them from focusing on their research. These tasks fall into the high-urgency/low-importance (to one’s career) category because they frequently have deadlines but contribute little to career progress. Other tasks, such as requests from a department chair or a funding agency need to be completed immediately. These are highly urgent and highly important to one’s career and must be prioritized. Unfortunately, there are frequently few deadlines in research, making one’s own work low on the urgency scale but undeniably high on the importance scale. Junior investigators need permission and encouragement from mentors, program directors, and administrators to put their own needs first and manage their time successfully.

Prioritization of important work over urgent work.

The second part training investigators to manage themselves is to help them learn their own working style. Training programs could use standardized tests that offer some insight into personal styles such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. These tests can also provide trainees with networks of similar scholars so they can develop relatedness with colleagues. By understanding their own strengths and weaknesses, tendencies, areas of difficulty, and effective habits that are practiced without thought, trainees can more effectively manage themselves. For example, if a trainee understands that he or she is more productive around 5 am , then it is important to organize the day to allow for an early awakening and some work before the hectic matters of the day evolve. Also, once investigators understand how they communicate, they can better facilitate effective communication and go some way to maintaining collegial relations.

Finally, developing effective time management skills can significantly benefit an investigator throughout his or her career. There are several effective books that teach time management skills, such as Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity [ 10 ]. For example, although a common practice, time management experts agree you should not start your day with e-mail [ 11 ]. Instead, do the hardest work of the day, such as writing a section of your grant. Doing the hardest work before the brain becomes cluttered with urgent and unimportant issues facilitates superior work and leads to better productivity. Junior investigators need to learn to block time to write and to keep that time sacred, create internal deadlines and share these with mentors so that they cannot easily be dropped, and delegate tasks when appropriate.

CTSA Career Development Programs: Lessons Learned

The CTSA program has been in existence since 2006. As part of the CTSA infrastructure, each CTSA institution has a career development award for junior faculty, funded under the KL2 mechanism. The overall goal of the KL2 is to develop independent investigators, but there are variabilities across institutions. The number of scholars supported by the KL2 mechanism varies; some programs are small with 2 scholars, while others may support 20 scholars. Scholars are supported for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 5 years. Robinson et al . [ 3 ] reported that scholars supported for only 2 years felt that this was insufficient time in which to secure their own funding—either another K award or an R01. Scholars supported for a longer length of time felt that they were better positioned to be productive and launch their independent careers. Some KL2 programs encourage scholars to earn an MS or certificate degree, whereas others have less structure to their training. The most important factor is that scholars can secure the training that they need to pursue their research agenda successfully. Although the training varies between programs, 1 commonality is that most program directors meet regularly with their scholars to ensure that scholars’ research is progressing as planned.

Another component of the CTSA program is the predoctoral and postdoctoral training grant, funded under a TL1 mechanism. Like the KL2 programs, the training that comprises different TL1 programs varies in size, intensity, and expectations. Some programs focus more on methods and scientific content; others also provide a range of professional skills, experiences, and training opportunities. TL1 fellows are expected to attend national meetings and present on their research as part of their academic socialization and to enhance their networks.

Beyond these formal training awards that provide financial support, most, if not all, CTSAs have other career development programs. These programs provide specific training for a range of trainees and on a range of topics (eg, training in mentoring; K to R programs; programs for investigators from groups under-represented in research; programs for medical students, residents, and basic researchers moving into more translational and clinical research). The range, breadth, and depth fluctuate across CTSAs. Some programs may have competitive admission and a year-long attendance requirement. Others may involve short modules, 1-hour workshop, or online videos for self-study.

There appear to be a limited number of programs that offer some of the personal factors that have been found to facilitate success, such as those discussed above. Curricular integration of these identified key elements into an innovative and unified platform would impact the success of future emerging clinical translational scientists in meaningful ways.

Future Needs to Develop the Workforce

With the average age of research independence steadily increasing [ 12 ], the United States is in need of effective training programs that provide new investigators with critical skills needed to be successful in research. We need to help trainees with resilience and persistence so that they do not choose alternate career paths, but rather stay engaged in research. By including training on professional skills such as those described above, we can help these trainees successfully navigate their research careers and ultimately build a successful research program. As we develop best practices in training and career development, it is critical that we evaluate our efforts so that we can widely disseminate novel approaches.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants UL1 TR001857 (University of Pittsburgh), UL1 TR001363 (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), UL1 TR001878 (University of Pennsylvania). The authors have no other conflicts of interest to disclose.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

What’s Holding Back Your Career Development?

• Helen Tupper
• Sarah Ellis

Four common challenges and how to overcome them.

Career challenges like reorganizations, layoffs, and a lack of personal fulfillment can feel like big bumps in the road, but instead of seeing them as obstacles, start to look for the opportunities. Personal career development is critical for resilience in the face of uncertainty and change. The authors, who train over 100,000 people a year in career development, have identified four common challenges that get in the way of people’s growth. They categorize them as when, who, what , and where challenges. Here’s how you can think and act creatively to overcome these challenges and continually invest in your career development.

Change and uncertainty are now a given in our careers. As a result, people are re-evaluating what they want from their work. For many, the traditional career ladder has been replaced by “squiggly” careers — non-linear career moves where progression goes beyond promotion and allows people to develop in different directions. In the context of constant change, personal career development is now a must-have rather than a nice-to-have.

• Helen Tupper is the co-founder and CEO of Amazing If , a company with an ambition to make careers better for everyone. Together with her business partner Sarah Ellis, she is the author of two Sunday Times bestsellers, The Squiggly Career  and Y ou Coach You . Sarah and Helen are also hosts of the podcast Squiggly Careers, which has had 4m downloads, and their TED talk, The best career isn’t always a straight line , has been watched by almost 2m people.
• Sarah Ellis is the co-founder of Amazing If , a company with a mission to make careers better for everyone. Together with her business partner Helen, she is the author of two Sunday Times bestselling books, The Squiggly Career and You Coach You. Sarah and Helen are also hosts of the podcast Squiggly Careers, which has had 4m downloads, and their TED talk, The best career isn’t always a straight line , has been watched by almost 2m people.

Partner Center

Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools

• Log in/Register Register

https://www.vitae.ac.uk/doing-research/leadership-development-for-principal-investigators-pis/developing-individual-researchers/supporting-researcher-career-development/supporting-researcher-career-development

This page has been reproduced from the Vitae website (www.vitae.ac.uk). Vitae is dedicated to realising the potential of researchers through transforming their professional and career development.

• Vitae members' area

Supporting researcher career development

The UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers places great importance on the career development of researchers:

• Principle 3 : "Researchers are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse, mobile, global research environment."
• Principle 4 : "The importance of researchers' personal career development, and lifelong learning, is clearly recognised and promoted at all stages of their career."
• Principle 5 : "Individual researchers share the responsibility for an need to pro-actively engage in their own personal and career development, and lifelong learning."

Career development is complementary to professional development and will often involve the same processes and activities. To learn more about professional development, visit our section on   supporting professional development .

When should a researcher consider his or her career development needs?

Career development is most effective when it starts early and becomes a continual activity. By encouraging your researcher to begin to consider their career goals early in their contract you can ensure they have sufficient time to develop the skills and experience to help them work towards those goals.

Developing a CV suitable for any career takes time. Leaving consideration of career options until the end of a contract means that any potential for shaping their work to encompass new experiences related to a career path or engaging in other development activities may have been missed.

The   career planning cycle   is a helpful model to support the process, and the RDF Planner provides an online resource for planning and managing career development.

The role of the principal investigator

Principal investigators have an important role to play in helping researchers consider and develop their career options. You are well-placed to support your researchers' career development for a number of reasons:

• you can encourage serious consideration of their career path
• you can consider their career goals when   delegating responsibilities amongst your team
• you can help them combine career development with their day-to-day work
• if they wish to pursue a career in research, you will have valuable experience to pass on
• you will often be the first person to whom a researcher will turn to for advice.

In the 2009 CROS survey, 40 per cent of researchers said they had consulted their PI or line manager about their career development, 22 per cent would definitely consult them and 23 per cent felt they were likely to do so. This made PIs the most popular source of advice alongside family and friends. Researchers were far more likely to turn to their PI than to career advisors or staff developers.

While there are some areas where PIs will be able to give specific advice based on their own experience, you cannot be expected to play the part of a qualified careers advisor. You will want encourage all their research staff to give active consideration to their career plans and but be prepared to point them in the direction of the careers specialists in your institution when there are questions that you do not feel qualified to answer.

Often the PI will be most helpful simply as a respected sounding board as the researcher tries to investigate their career options. In this case the most important attribute to possess is an open mind. Some researchers, especially those who have moved seamlessly from degree to postgraduate study to postdoctoral research, may have had little exposure to career decision making or may even feel a reluctance to look outside of their current research group, department or PI because of a sense of loyalty or a fear of leaving their comfort zone. Your support can be invaluable in encouraging them to broaden their horizons.

Combining research and career development

Career development should not be seen as an activity separate from, or even a rival to your researchers' day-to-day activities. Once they have considered their possible career paths you can discuss your researcher's development needs with them to see if they can be met alongside their research activities:

• are there any specific skills they can learn as part of their research?
• can they take responsibility for an area of the project that would be helpful for their career goals?
• would involvement in, say, the financial side of the project, give them valuable experience?
• encourage them to see their attendance at conferences or involvement in other outside activities as an opportunity to market themselves.

Even if their career development needs are sometimes best met by attending a course or activity away from their research, the skills they learn can often feed directly back into how they approach their work.

Academic versus non-academic career paths

Of all the issues surrounding the career development of researchers this can be the most contentious. Many PIs will have spent their whole career within academia and assume their researchers will want follow the same path. Indeed some research managers can view with suspicion, or even hostility, career development that actively encourages researchers to look outside of the academic world.

In reality, supporting career development is not about a competition between the academic and the non-academic but is simply trying to encourage researchers to take control of their own careers and develop the skills to help them pursue whatever goals they set themselves. If they come to the conclusion that their current career is the direction they want to go in then that is a positive result in itself.

In the UK Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS), the majority of those questioned saw their career aspirations over the following five years as remaining within higher education. 38 per cent, however, would prefer a research career outside of higher education and 19 per cent had five-year aspirations of a non-research career in business, industry or the public sector. Those involved in supporting researchers' career development need to respect that there will be a wide variety of aspirations for the future.

Bookmark & Share

To read this content please select one of the options below:

Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, the why, what and how of career research: a review and recommendations for future study.

Career Development International

ISSN : 1362-0436

Article publication date: 25 January 2022

Issue publication date: 18 February 2022

The field of careers studies is complex and fragmented. The aim of this paper is to detail why it is important to study careers, what we study and how we study key issues in this evolving field.

Design/methodology/approach

Key theories, concepts and models are briefly reviewed to lay the groundwork for offering an agenda for future research.

The authors recommend ten key directions for future research and offer specific questions for further study.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to the development of the theoretical underpinning of career studies.

Practical implications

The authors hope that the proposed agenda for future research will help advance the field and encourage more research on understudied, but important, topics.

Originality/value

This paper presents a comprehensive view of research on contemporary careers.

• Career studies
• Contemporary careers
• Future research agenda

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers and Editor Jim Jawahar for their insightful comments.

Baruch, Y. and Sullivan, S.E. (2022), "The why, what and how of career research: a review and recommendations for future study", Career Development International , Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 135-159. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-10-2021-0251

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles

All feedback is valuable.

Please share your general feedback

Report an issue or find answers to frequently asked questions

Contact Customer Support

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Career success: analysis and development of career opportunities in students.

• 1 Department of Personal Development and Education, NJSC Toraighyrov University, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
• 2 Department of Trilingualism, NJSC Toraighyrov University, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
• 3 Department of Foreign Languages, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow, Russia

Effective implementation and development of the career development programmes determine the economic growth of countries. The research aims to discuss and analyze the characteristics and elements of the students’ career opportunities. The results help the scholars select the proper type of analysis and appropriate tools to examine the elements of career opportunities. The sample consisted of 102 third and fourth year students from NJSC Toraighyrov University. The following methods and criteria were used to analyze the initial stage of the student career development: emotional intelligence (based on the methodology proposed by J. N. Hall), communication skills (Test of communication skills by L. Mikhelson), self-assessment (S. A. Budassi’s method of self-assessment), career value orientations (Edgar Schein’s Career Anchors), motivation for success (The Questionnaire by T. Ehlers). The surveys were conducted using Google Forms. The results helped to identify the characteristics and elements of the students’ career opportunities. The data collected at NJSC Toraighyrov University of the Republic of Kazakhstan show that 35% of students have a low level of emotional intelligence, 47% have addictive behaviors during communication, 31% of respondents have low self-esteem, lack of motivation for success was identified in 18% of students. Only a small number of students could clearly define their career orientations regarding Lifestyle Integration, Challenge and Management. The research suggests that it is important to introduce career development programmes that empower students and encourage them to build professional career paths in the future. Used as a learning framework, the Career coaching programme helps to design, develop, assess and implement each element of the career opportunities. The implementation advantages of the Career coaching programme for students as part of the educational process are discussed in the present research. The programme Career coaching will develop awareness and advance careers among graduate students. Moreover, it will provide a guideline for the first steps toward developing a successful career path.

Introduction

High-quality preparation of students and pursuing a career path that interests them is one of the ways for countries to ensure stable economic growth ( Boat et al., 2021 ). The fast development of civilization becomes an obstacle for many students to fulfill their career opportunities and build a successful career ( Van der Horst et al., 2021 ). From year to year, employment requirements for employees are increasing, and some professions are becoming obsolete and even unnecessary. Medium and small businesses are developing, and new requirements for job seekers are changing dramatically ( Emanuel et al., 2021 ).

In addition to professional knowledge, skills and abilities, a graduate must have self-esteem, a desire to continue learning and take advanced training even if they complete formal education and enter the workforce. Moreover, graduates should have the good critical thinking, developed communication skills, high emotional intelligence, the ability to solve various kinds of problems and use modern technologies in the learning process ( Gordieiev et al., 2014 ).

The concept of Career Opportunities is at the initial stage of its development, so the scholars combine two concepts as Career and Personal opportunities into one.

The present research proposes different definitions of a career term. The research analyses scientific sources that examine the career concept, its developments and opportunities for its implementation. Therefore, the concept of career means a process of career development and actions undertaken by an employee to ensure professional progress and advances during the working life ( Kleine et al., 2021 ).

Personal opportunities and the ability to work are important factors for career development. Motivation at work influences the process of building a career. Career development depends upon the ability to work and facilitate overall success in the profession. The opportunities of an employee should not be limited by psychological, physical and pedagogical factors, inclinations, acquired experience and knowledge. They are subjected to life experience, professional skills and overall knowledge about the world ( Kuehn, 2008 ).

The concept of career opportunities includes two important notions: personality and intellect ( Leutner and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2018 ). Career opportunities mean a set of internal resources of the individual and management of these resources. Moreover, career opportunities depend greatly upon the overall success of career building, intelligence viewed as a fundamental component, and the academic performance of each student that is not assessed by employers ( Ganiyeva and Pfeifer, 2020 ).

Career success largely depends on the personal opportunities, skills, professional orientations, motivations, needs and values of young employees. The current research reflects the development of certain aspects of career opportunities, including career orientations as the important incentives for work productivity and output ( Schein, 1996 ); emotional intelligence, perceived as the ability to identify and manage emotions ( Urquijo et al., 2019 ); motivation as a factor of progressive career development ( Day and Allen, 2004 ); self-esteem, as a person’s ideas about himself and his qualities ( Yang and Wong, 2020 ) and communication skills, as the ability to communicate effectively ( Pico-Saltos et al., 2021 ).

The literature analysis identified elements of career opportunities in students. The research was conducted using a sample of third and fourth year students from NJSC Toraighyrov University, analyzing the following issues:

- emotional intelligence;

- motivation for success;

- self-assessment;

- communication skills;

- value orientations.

A high level of emotional intelligence has a positive impact on mental health, work competencies and leadership skills ( Goleman, 1995 ). The ability to identify and manage emotions, as well as the emotions of other individuals, directly affects the labor productivity and profitability of an organization ( Santos et al., 2018 ). Therefore, HR managers, employers and recruiters are looking for employees who are good team members, understand colleagues, demonstrate high productivity and quality of work, and want to move up the company ladder ( Sidebotham et al., 2020 ). It is important to foster emotional intelligence in students. In the final years of education, graduates will be able to analyze the difficult situation, introduce changes and communicate with other employees at the workplace ( Akhtar et al., 2015 ).

Any activity of an individual, including professional life, begins with an impulse to act, or in other words, with motivation to work ( Burk and Wiese, 2018 ). Career motivation differs among individuals. It is important to identify motivation in the final university years. A student, a future employee motivated for success, should be aware of career needs considered the most critical factors influencing organizational performance ( Copuš et al., 2019 ).

In the career development of the individual, self-esteem plays a pivotal role, reflecting confidence in personal and professional strengths ( Modestino et al., 2019 ). Success is always a result of an internal rather than an external stimulus. Self-esteem, an internal resource of career opportunities, is the driving force behind all types of personality development ( Karababa, 2020 ). It is very important for a student to develop effective communication with peers, earn the respect of faculty members and build the trust of the university administration. It is difficult for a student with low or overestimated self-esteem to interact with other members of the educational community because he cannot interpret the world and make the right decisions ( Wang et al., 2021 ).

Moreover, at the initial stages of career building, it is very important for an applicant to demonstrate confidence and attract the attention of employers for successful employment and rapid career advancement ( Takeuchi et al., 2021 ).

Business communication skills, the ability to think creatively and adapt to a certain communication style in the business environment are important elements of professional training ( Karoly, 2008 ). The age of Information Workers means a workplace with employees who possess verbal, informational, technical and visual literacy ( Seitenov et al., 2020 ). Therefore, it is crucial to develop cognitive skills in students such as critical thinking, communication skills, the ability to make correct and on-time decisions, and build teamwork skills. Organizations should use modern methodological approaches and pedagogical innovations to develop the professional skills and competencies of students ( Zarudnaya et al., 2018 ). Many employers introduce training for employees on business communications using psychological training, business games, role-playing games with dramatization, group discussions, advanced training techniques, etc. However, the development of communicative literacy in university students will ensure their competitiveness in the current labor market.

Each employee chooses a way of life and a career path that meets his values and worldviews ( Hirschi and Koen, 2021 ). If the student works within an organization that shares the same values, he will be able to develop a successful career. The analysis of values and career expectations of university students will help to develop career opportunities and choose the right career path ( Cortellazzo et al., 2020 ).

The research aims to discuss and analyze the characteristics and elements of the students’ career opportunities. The research includes the following stages to achieve this goal: determining the main elements of the career opportunities, conducting the analysis, identifying the forms and methods for developing the career opportunities.

Materials and methods

The sample included 302 third and fourth year students (the number of students from each course is 50%) from NJSC Toraighyrov University (Pavlodar, the Republic of Kazakhstan).

The research purpose is to analyze the characteristics and elements of the students’ career opportunities. The gender, year of study and specialities are available in Table 1 . The research involved third and fourth-year students, from 19 to 22 years. In the final years of education, students can establish new contacts, be involved in new communication patterns and demonstrate social behavior. In the research, gender differences and academic specialities were not taken into account. The general level of the career opportunities in students to develop the framework was identified.

Table 1 . Characteristics of participants.

Research design

The following methods were used to analyze elements of career opportunities among university students ( Table 2 ). For the analysis of emotional intelligence, the methodology proposed by J. N. Hall was used. The test identifies the ability to define emotions, the ability to control an emotional sphere through choice and decision-making. The test has five scales and consists of 30 points ( Ramanauskas, 2016 ). Test of communication skills by L. Mikhelson was used for the determination of the level of communication skills. To identify a quantifiable level of self-evaluation S. A. Budassi’s method of self-esteem was used. Career value orientations were determined based on Edgar Schein’s Career Anchors methodology. The methodology defines motives for a career choice, the values of an individual and his understanding of career and professional performance ( Abessolo et al., 2017 ). Motivation for success was analyzed with the help of the Questionnaire by T. Ehlers. The test determines motivation to achieve individual success across the lifespan.

Table 2 . Elements of the career opportunities.

Students of NJSC Toraighyrov University performed five tests to identify the initial level of career opportunities. All research stages were carried out online because of the complicated epidemiological situation and the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. During the Covid-19 pandemic, NJSC Toraighyrov University has provided remote education, so all students were equipped with necessary technological and Internet resources (laptops and wireless routers for the Internet). The university administration gave consent to collect data for the research. The conference on the zoom platform was held by one of the researchers to familiarize students with the research process. Students were well aware of Zoom and its functions before the research. During the conference, all students confirmed their consent to participate in the research. They were provided with full instructions on each of the proposed methods (tests). Students may ask any questions unclear or ambiguous to them.

The test questions were in Google forms. The questionnaire consisted on the questions from the Test by J. N. Hall, Test of communication skills by L. Mikhelson, Test by S. A. Budassi, Edgar Schein’s Career Anchors Test, Questionnaire by T. Ehlers. Links to online surveys were sent by e-mail to all participants. The survey took up to 2 months because students had to answer many test questions and took time to respond to all tasks. On the first month, the tests collected information on the level of emotional intelligence and the development of communication skills. The analysis of self-esteem, motivation for success and value orientations in a career were carried out on the second month. All tests have been assessed to ensure quality and availability. Each student independently answered the numbered questions, provided to them during the online meeting. The results were recorded in a Google spreadsheet for further analysis, and it made it possible to use descriptive statistics and present the data as a graphic chart.

Research limitations

The research limitations include limited sample size and the data collected in one educational institution. The research includes the initial analysis of the elements of the career opportunities and does not cover the dynamics of its development. Further research on these issues is required.

Ethical issues

The students participated voluntarily in the research. The scholars ensured the anonymity of the results. The online surveys did not include questions on any personal identification and personal data of the respondents.

The results demonstrate the main elements of the career opportunities, which was determined by the purpose of the study. The results of all tests are correlated in such a way that each test is aimed at determining the main elements of the career opportunities (one test - one element of career opportunities). All these tests, which apply to each defined element of career opportunities, are aimed at achieving the goal of the study.

The analysis of emotional intelligence ( Figure 1 ) shows that the majority of students has an average level of emotional intelligence (43%), 35% of students have a low level of emotional intelligence, and only 22% of students have a high level. These indicators indicate the need to increase the level of emotional intelligence of students as one of the elements of career opportunities, which can increase the probability of a positive result when students are looking for a job.

Figure 1 . Emotional intelligence in students.

The results ( Figure 2 ) show that most students received an average level on all tests except the test on Manage your emotions (24%). The research found that students acquired the necessary skills to manage emotions. About 42% of the respondents noted that they experiences difficulties managing emotions, they could not control and sustain in different life situations. The emotional awareness (knowledge of emotions and emotional states) among students was as follows: an average level – 61%, high level – 20%, low level – 19%. The inability or low level of development of the skills of managing emotions by students reduces not only the probability of getting a job, but also complicates communication in the team of employees (at work) and students (at university). A possible solution to this problem is the organization and conduct of psychological trainings and workshops with the involvement of professional psychologists in order to teach students to control their emotions. Self-motivation (emotional mood) was identified in 63% of students, a high rate of self-motivation is demonstrated by 13% and a low rate by 24% of the students.

Figure 2 . The results of tests on emotional intelligence.

The average level of empathy was reported by half of the respondents (53%). The ability to understand the feelings and emotions of other individuals, without experiencing any difficulties, was reported by 18% of students. Less than one-third of students (29%) had a low level of empathy.

The test on controlling the emotions of other people showed that only 10% of students had a high level, 54% had an average level and 36% had a low level of control. Most students needed to develop the ability to evoke powerful emotional responses in other people and reduce negative emotions.

The analysis and results of communication skills among students are presented in Figure 3 . The research identified that only 19% of students demonstrated aggressive communication patterns. The majority of students, being in their teens and studying at school, have passed the stage of risk-taking and disobedience. At the university, students demonstrate positive communication skills. About one-third of students (34%) had well-developed communication patterns and interacted with their peers. Figure 3 shows that the main communication pattern is an addictive one (47%). The students exhibit addictive behavior interacting with peers or adults they respect. A high level of development of communication skills among students increases the chances of finding career opportunities, in particular, improves communication between employees and thus improves the quality of work.

Figure 3 . Students communication skills.

The results of self-esteem ( Figure 4 ) reveal that most students have an adequate average level of self-esteem (47%). Most students show a positive attitude toward themselves. They demonstrate an understanding of strengths and weaknesses, a willingness to analyze situations and choose the best solution to achieve goals. A slight difference is identified among students with high self-esteem. Moreover, 15% of students have adequate high self-esteem and 19% have inadequate high self-esteem. Students with adequate high self-esteem show flexible thinking but painlessly perceive criticism. On the contrary, students with inadequate high self-esteem believe that their actions cannot be criticized. Thus, they often accept wrong decisions due to weak critical thinking skills. Inadequate low self-esteem has 12% of the respondents who cannot fully accept themselves. Most often, such students have lower goals than others. Only 7% of students show adequate low self-esteem. These students accept only positive personal qualities, paying no attention to negative ones. It causes rejection of their personality and misunderstanding of individuals around them.

Figure 4 . Self-assessment among students.

The data ( Figure 5 ) show that the majority of students (42%) accept Professional Competence as the leading career strategy. It supports the need to acquire professional knowledge, skills for a certain type of activity and the desire to succeed in life.

Figure 5 . Career value orientations (%).

The issue of Autonomy is important for 19% of students. They do not follow rules and regulations, but act independently and decide everything on their own. The next issue highlighted by 12% of the students was Entrepreneurship. The students underline that they are ready to take risks, want to start their business, be financially independent and not be employed with other companies. NJSC Toraighyrov University prepares students for entrepreneurial activities, so students receive knowledge and skills to start their business in the future. The tests on Integration of lifestyles, Service and Management show the same percentage in each category (6%). One of the issues related to career orientation, Stability of work environment, got 4%. It means that these students are interested in work mobility and changing organizational environments. Another issue analyzed by the research was Challenge. Only 3% of the students wanted to overcome obstacles, solve complex problems, ensure competence, and compete over others. For 2% of the respondents, the Stability of the place of residence was important. The majority of students are ready to relocate and change their place of residence to develop a successful career.

Figure 6 shows the results on motivation levels in achieving success. Among the respondents, most students (49%) have the average level of motivation to achieve career success. The majority of students do not differentiate success or failure at work. Some students should be motivated to develop a career path. About a quarter of students (26%) had a moderately high level of motivation to achieve career success. These students admitted a strong desire to succeed. They were active and persistent in learning. Only 7% of the students showed a high level of motivation to develop a successful career path.

Figure 6 . Motivation levels in achieving career success.

The obtained indicators testify to the predominance of the average level of motivation of students to achieve career success, which makes it possible to conclude that it is necessary to increase the motivation of students at the expense of conducting various activities for career development and growth, demonstrating various professions and showing opportunities for achieving career success in each of them. Career orientation events, etc.

Most students are motivated for success and focus on achieving career goals. The research showed that only 18% of students had low motivation for success. The main emotions of such students were self-doubt and fear of failure. It affected the assimilation of knowledge that could lead to a negative attitude of the management team in the future.

Using the results, the framework of Career coaching was developed and implemented at the university ( Figure 7 ). The results presented above demonstrated the initial level of the career opportunities for students of the third and fourth years of study. It was considered the starting point in developing the career opportunities of students.

Figure 7 . The career coaching framework.

The first part of the Career Coaching aims to develop the career opportunities identified by the research: emotional intelligence, self-esteem, communication skills, motivation for success and career value orientations. The students examine self-opportunities and self-potential. The second section develops student knowledge about the concepts, types and varieties of careers, the main elements of a career path, and the criteria of its success. Learning the Career Coaching programme students get acquainted with the options for career advancement, methods of planning and career development. The third section of the programme helps students in their final years at the university to develop their career plans.

A well-thought plan where to start a career, rather than where to end it, is a way to choose between alternatives available to every individual. The fourth section helps students to develop tools for effective employment that will help them sell their resume to a potential employer. Students should know how to interact with a future employer, present their candidacy, write a resume, highlight advantages in social networks, and pass interviews.

In the future, there is a need to develop a full programme, based on the framework, and introduce it to the educational process. Moreover, the research will analyze the results and conduct a comparative analysis of the present research and the future one.

Career development is an ongoing process consisting of learning about individuals and the environment. Career growth is influenced by individual changes, career values, and goal setting ( Nagy et al., 2019 ). Similar to our study the research underlines that it is necessary to develop a desire for career development throughout the university years.

The opportunities and personal characteristics of an individual are the keys to success in any activity, including career development ( Hirschi et al., 2021 ). The concept of personal opportunities in one of the researches coincides with the theoretical background of the present research. It defines the opportunities of the individual as a complex concept. Its characteristics are reflected in a wide range of situations and determine the consequences ( Romanova et al., 2020 ). It is important to assist students in the implementation and development of their career opportunities.

The research conducted in the Netherlands was based on a sample of 704 young professionals between 21 and 35 years. The results showed that a modern employee with professional qualities has good employment opportunities ( Blokker et al., 2019 ). Professional competence is important for employment and building a successful career for young professionals, as well as the ability to identify factors of career opportunities for students within their area of study.

Career centers should be an integral part of education around the world. According to the survey results of students studying in the second, third, fourth years and graduates of the University of Michigan, 76.8% of respondents are satisfied with career development services ( Ives et al., 2020 ). Career centers help graduates cope with planning issues, build a career and respond effectively to economic or environmental factors ( Dey and Cruzvergara, 2014 ). Similar to our study the researchers agree that it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage career development and manage the modern workforce.

University career services are staffed by qualified specialists who help students make career decisions and achieve goals. They focus on prospects for further employment of graduates ( Healy et al., 2020 ) and work with a large number of students. Similar to our study the research admits that career centers are overloaded with service requests and enquiries from people seeking advice.

Career adaptation may lead to psychological manifestations such as mania, envy, manic or true reparation, measured using the Dynamic Career Line (DCL; Caputo et al., 2020 ). Therefore, the tools and methods of influence on career adaptation are diverse and may change over time.

The research of 433 undergraduates from the US and Australia, conducted at two universities, finds that university administration pays little attention to career services for students. Universities do not help students develop their career paths and build a career ( Jackson and Tomlinson, 2019 ). Similar to our study the results show that there is a need to develop career services within the curriculum to help students understand what is important to them and develop the career ladder.

Psychological issues play a crucial role in the development of career opportunities among students. Career Development Applications are designed to foster change and help students in career development. The emphasis is on the development of positive emotions of the individual to ensure the personal well-being of employees and the organization ( Dik et al., 2014 ). Similar to our study the authors think that in order to form positive emotions, it is important to develop emotional intelligence and the components of individual career opportunities.

At Marmara University, the administration introduced the career development programme that helped students gain experience and mastered the qualifications necessary for career building. Surveys were conducted before and after the programme. The findings show an increased awareness among students, as well as confidence in career building ( Aydın et al., 2016 ).

The human resource specialists should take into account the family history and a place of residence assessing career opportunities for students. The family business, family-based crafts, migration and the current place of residence of the individual can affect the employment ( Mitrovic Veljkovic et al., 2019 ). These issues were beyond the scope of the present research. In the future, these characteristics should be considered and investigated to improve the research accuracy.

Students in final years of education are focused on preparing for the final exams, rather than on career planning. They do not focus on employment and the first steps toward building a successful career ( Kinash et al., 2017 ). Students should be motivated to plan their careers and think about employment opportunities. Career development programmes should function in parallel with preparation for exams. It will have a positive impact on the results of further career development ( Hansen et al., 2016 ).

Many modern organizations have examined new ways to create jobs and expand career opportunities for employees ( Mulhall, 2014 ). The introduction of career development programmes at universities will anticipate this process. It is necessary to launch career coaching programmes, help students develop career skills and take the first steps toward building a successful career path ( Bear, 2016 ).

Career opportunities are a complex phenomenon that combines resources of various kinds. The final years at the university are decisive for students. They determine success in future employment and building a career path. Some students are concerned about their future careers, but some individuals are indifferent towards their careers. However, most students will get a job after graduation and enter the workforce ( Gunawan et al., 2019 ).

The research examined the individual career resources and career opportunities available for the final year students. The need to explore these issues was caused by the lack of research in this field and the ineffectiveness of future professional activities among students. In the final years of education, students need to make decisions about their further career development, ask questions about a particular type of profession and where to start their career. The problem of career opportunities and professional paths are crucial for third and fourth years students. The results prove that a modern graduate is limited in resources and career achievements. Many students are not able to compete with the high-qualified workforce. In this regard, students may experience difficulties integrating into the professional community.

The data collected at NJSC Toraighyrov University of the Republic of Kazakhstan show that 35% of students have a low level of emotional intelligence, 47% have addictive behaviors during communication, 31% of respondents have low self-esteem, lack of motivation for success was identified in 18% of students. Only a small number of students could clearly define their career orientations regarding Lifestyle Integration, Challenge and Management.

The results of the research can be used to find new ways to expand the career opportunities of students of various specialties and various educational courses. In addition, the obtained indicators can be useful in the development of methods of increasing the motivation of students in achieving success. Further research is needed to investigate the development of career opportunities after the application of the proposed career programme and compare it with the initial career opportunities. The career success of each student and a team member influences labor productivity within the organization. The research highlights the need to assess work opportunities in the final years at the university. A graduate with an understanding of career opportunities and a career path will become a successful professional in the future and a valued employee of any organization.

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Ethics statement

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the NJSC Toraighyrov University. The ethics committee waived the requirement of written informed consent for participation.

Author contributions

NP and EP performed the data collection, material preparation, and analysis. MU and AB wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the study conception and design, read, and approved the final manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Abessolo, M., Rossier, J., and Hirschi, A. (2017). Basic values, career orientations, and career anchors: empirical investigation of relationships. Front. Psychol. 8:1556. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01556

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Akhtar, R., Boustani, L., Tsivrikos, D., and Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2015). The engageable personality: personality and trait EI as predictors of work engagement. Pers. Individ. Diff. 73, 44–49. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.08.040

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Aydın, S., Yurtsever, B., Tok, S., and Sönmez, D. (2016). A Study of Career Orientations of Marmara University Department of Political Science Students . Istanbul: Marmara University.

Google Scholar

Bear, S. E. (2016). A new career strategies course for undergraduate business students. Bus. Educ. Innov. J. 8, 79–84.

Blokker, R., Akkermans, J., Tims, M., Jansen, P., and Khapova, S. (2019). Building a sustainable start: the role of career competencies, career success, and career shocks in young professionals’ employability. J. Vocat. Behav. 112, 172–184. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2019.02.013

Boat, A. A., Syvertsen, A. K., and Scales, P. C. (2021). The role of social capital in promoting work readiness among opportunity youth. Child Youth Serv. Rev. 131:106270. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106270

Burk, C. L., and Wiese, B. S. (2018). Professor or manager? A model of motivational orientations applied to preferred career paths. J. Res. Pers. 75, 113–132. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2018.06.002

Caputo, A., Fregonese, C., and Langher, V. (2020). Development and validation of the dynamic career scale (DCS): a psychodynamic conceptualization of career adjustment. Int. J. Educ. Vocat. Guid. 20, 263–292. doi: 10.1007/s10775-019-09403-5

Copuš, L., Šajgalíková, H., and Wojčák, E. (2019). Organizational culture and its motivational potential in manufacturing industry: subculture perspective. Procedia Manuf. 32, 360–367. doi: 10.1016/j.promfg.2019.02.226

Cortellazzo, L., Bonesso, S., Gerli, F., and Batista-Foguet, J. M. (2020). Protean career orientation: behavioral antecedents and employability outcomes. J. Vocat. Behav. 116:103343. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2019.103343

Day, R., and Allen, T. D. (2004). The relationship between career motivation and self-efficacy with protégé career success. J. Vocat. Behav. 64, 72–91. doi: 10.1016/s0001-8791(03)00036-8

Dey, F., and Cruzvergara, C. Y. (2014). Evolution of career services in higher education. New Dir. Stud. Serv. 2014, 5–18. doi: 10.1002/ss.20105

Dik, B. J., Duffy, R. D., Allan, B. A., O’Donnell, M. B., Shim, Y., and Steger, M. F. (2014). Purpose and meaning in career development applications. Couns. Psychol. 43, 558–585. doi: 10.1177/0011000014546872

Emanuel, F., Ricchiardi, P., Sanseverino, D., and Ghislieri, C. (2021). Make soft skills stronger? An online enhancement platform for higher education. Int. J. Educ. Res. Open 2:100096. doi: 10.1016/j.ijedro.2021.100096

Ganiyeva, E. S., and Pfeifer, N. E. (2020). Structure and content of students’ career potential. Bulletin of PSU by S Toraighyrov. Pedagog. Ser. 2, 136–142.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence . New York: Bantam.

Gordieiev, O., Kharchenko, V., Fominykh, N., and Sklyar, V. (2014). Evolution of software quality models in context of the standard ISO 25010. Adv. Intell. Syst. Comput. 286, 223–232. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-07013-1_21

Gunawan, W., Creed, P. A., and Glendon, A. I. (2019). Development and initial validation of a perceived future employability scale for young adults. J. Career Assess. 27, 610–627. doi: 10.1177/1069072718788645

Hansen, J. M., Jackson, A. P., and Pedersen, T. R. (2016). Career development courses and educational outcomes. J. Career Dev. 44, 209–223. doi: 10.1177/0894845316644984

Healy, M., Hammer, S., and McIlveen, P. (2020). Mapping graduate employability and career development in higher education research: a citation network analysis. Stud. High. Educ. 47, 799–811. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2020.1804851

Hirschi, A., Johnston, C. S., De Fruyt, F., Ghetta, A., and Orth, U. (2021). Does success change people? Examining objective career success as a precursor for personality development. J. Vocat. Behav. 127:103582. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103582

Hirschi, A., and Koen, J. (2021). Contemporary career orientations and career self-management: a review and integration. J. Vocat. Behav. 126:103505. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103505

Ives, R. C., Klein, K. C., and Mason, N. A. (2020). Career and professional development services for pharmacy students. Curr. Pharm. Teach. Learn. 12, 1110–1115. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2020.04.026

Jackson, D., and Tomlinson, M. (2019). Career values and proactive career behaviour among contemporary higher education students. J. Educ. Work. 32, 449–464. doi: 10.1080/13639080.2019.1679730

Karababa, A. (2020). The reciprocal relationships between school engagement and self-esteem among Turkish early adolescents: a three-wave cross-lagged model. Child Youth Serv. Rev. 116:105114. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105114

Karoly, L. (2008). The 21st Century at Work: Forces Shaping the Future Workforce and Workplace in the United States . Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.

Kinash, S., Crane, L., Capper, J., Young, M., and Stark, A. (2017). When do university students and graduates know what careers they want: a research-derived framework. J. Teach. Learn. Grad. Employab. 8, 3–21. doi: 10.21153/jtlge2017vol8no1art584

Kleine, A.-K., Schmitt, A., and Wisse, B. (2021). Students' career exploration: a meta-analysis. J. Vocat. Behav. 131:103645. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103645

Kuehn, C. (2008). Introduction to potential theory via applications. ArXiv:0804.4689 [preprint]

Leutner, F., and Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2018). Stronger together: personality, intelligence and the assessment of career potential. J. Intelligence 6:4. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence6040049

Mitrovic Veljkovic, S., Maric, M., Subotic, M., Dudic, B., and Greguš, M. (2019). Family entrepreneurship and personal career preferences as the factors of differences in the development of entrepreneurial potential of students. Sustainability 11:20. doi: 10.3390/su11205693

Modestino, A. S., Sugiyama, K., and Ladge, J. (2019). Careers in construction: an examination of the career narratives of young professionals and their emerging career self-concepts. J. Vocat. Behav. 115:103306. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2019.05.003

Mulhall, S. (2014). “Careers and Career Development,” in Strategic HRM: Research and Practice in Ireland . eds. B. Harney and K. Monks (Dublin: Orpen Press), 211–229.

Nagy, N., Froidevaux, A., and Hirschi, A. (2019). “Lifespan perspectives on careers and career development” in Work Across the Lifespan . eds. B. B. Baltes, C. W. Rudolph, and H. Zacher (Cambridge, MA: Elsevier Academic Press), 235–259.

Pico-Saltos, R., Carrión-Mero, P., MontalvánBurbano, N., Garzás, J., and Redchuk, A. (2021). Research trends in career success: a bibliometric review. Sustainability 13:4625. doi: 10.3390/su13094625

Ramanauskas, K. (2016). The impact of the manager's emotional intelligence on organisational performance. Vadybos mokslas ir studijos-kaimo verslų ir jų infrastruktūros plėtrai 38, 58–69. doi: 10.15544/mts.2016.6

Romanova, E. S., Bershedova, L. I., Tolstikova, S. N., Rychikhina, E. N., and Morozova, T. Y. (2020). Fulfilment of personal potential by high school graduates in time of career choice. Cypriot J. Educ. Sci. 15, 423–432. doi: 10.18844/cjes.v%vi%i.4908

Santos, A., Wang, W., and Lewis, J. (2018). Emotional intelligence and career decision-making difficulties: the mediating role of career decision self-efficacy. J. Vocat. Behav. 107, 295–309. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2018.05.008

Schein, E. H. (1996). Career anchors revisited: implications for career development in the 21st century. Acad. Manag. Perspect. 10, 80–88. doi: 10.5465/ame.1996.3145321

Seitenov, A. S., Aubakirova, R. Z., Fominykh, N. I., and Вelenko, O. G. (2020). Technological dimension of pre-school teacher training at tertiary school: fine arts concept-based case study. J. Soc. Stud. Educ. 11, 186–203.

Sidebotham, M., Walters, C., Baird, K., and Gamble, J. (2020). Simulated employment interviews: a collaborative approach to gaining understanding of the graduate midwife employment process. Women Birth 33, 455–463. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2019.10.005

Takeuchi, N., Takeuchi, T., and Jung, Y. (2021). Making a successful transition to work: a fresh look at organizational support for young newcomers from an individual-driven career adjustment perspective. J. Vocat. Behav. 128:103587. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103587

Urquijo, I., Extremera, N., and Azanza, G. (2019). The contribution of emotional intelligence to career success: beyond personality traits. Int. J. Environ. Res. 16:23. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234809

Van der Horst, A. C., Klehe, U.-C., Brenninkmeijer, V., and Coolen, A. C. M. (2021). Facilitating a successful school-to-work transition: comparing compact career-adaptation interventions. J. Vocat. Behav. 128:103581. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103581

Wang, Y., Huebner, E. S., and Tian, L. (2021). Parent-child cohesion, self-esteem, and academic achievement: the longitudinal relations among elementary school students. Learn. Instr. 73:101467. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2021.101467

Yang, L., and Wong, L. P. (2020). Career and life planning education: extending the self-concept theory and its multidimensional model to assess career-related self-concept of students with diverse abilities. ECNU Rev. Educ. 3, 659–677. doi: 10.1177/2096531120930956

Zarudnaya, M. V., Fominykh, N. Y., Enygin, D. V., Kudysheva, A. A., Galakhov, D. V., Epifanov, D. A., et al. (2018). Methodological approaches to university instructors professional foreign languages competence development. J. Soc. Sci S5, 375–381. doi: 10.32861/jssr.spi5.375.381

Keywords: building a successful career path, career, career development, career opportunities, career success

Citation: Pshembayeva E, Pfeyfer N, Uaikhanova M and Bubenchikova A (2022) Career success: Analysis and development of career opportunities in students. Front. Educ . 7:999541. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.999541

Received: 19 August 2022; Accepted: 17 November 2022; Published: 06 December 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Pshembayeva, Pfeyfer, Uaikhanova and Bubenchikova. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Nellie Pfeyfer, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

BRET Career Development ASPIRE Program

Nih loan repayment programs now accepting applications.

Posted by Kate Stuart on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 in Announcements .

The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. The escalating costs of advanced education and training in medicine and clinical specialties are forcing some scientists to abandon their research careers for higher-paying private industry or private practice careers.

The LRPs counteract that financial pressure by repaying up to $50,000 annually of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. Since tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs will be made by investigators starting in their research careers today, the LRPs represent an important investment by NIH in the future of health discovery and the wellbeing of the Nation.

There are two LRPs, one for researchers not employed by NIH (Extramural) and another for researchers employed by NIH (Intramural). Research funding from NIH is not required to participate in the Extramural LRP, and Extramural and Intramural LRP awardees may apply for subsequent, competitive renewal awards as long as they meet Program eligibility. Although organized around broad research areas, the LRPs were never intended to fund research projects. Rather, LRP awards are based on an applicant’s potential to build and sustain a research career

Application Periods and Documentation Deadlines

Extramural new & renewal awards.

Online Application Period

 Sep 1, 2024 – Nov 21, 2024

Supporting Documentation Period

Intramural New & Renewal Awards

 Jan 2, 2025 – Mar 17, 2025

Intramural ACGME New Awards

 Jan 2, 2025 – Apr 15, 2025

Interested in applying? For more information on the programs and eligibility, check out the webpage here  https://www.lrp.nih.gov/eligibility-programs

Here are some helpful resources:

Download the LRP Application Instruction Booklet Review the  Tips for Completing a Competitive Application Check out the Ambassador Program that helps pair applicants with past and present LRP awardees.

Visit www.lrp.nih.gov  for more details and to apply. For additional assistance, call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at 866-849-4047 or [email protected], Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. You can also follow the NIH Division of Loan Repayment on Twitter and Facebook for more information and cycle updates.

Share this post:

Tags: Announcements , Funding Opportunity

Comments are closed

VIEW MORE EVENTS >

Beyond the Lab: Data Science

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My Portfolio
• Latest News
• Stock Market
• Biden Economy
• Stocks: Most Actives
• Stocks: Gainers
• Stocks: Losers
• Trending Tickers
• World Indices
• US Treasury Bonds Rates
• Top Mutual Funds
• Options: Highest Open Interest
• Options: Highest Implied Volatility
• Basic Materials
• Communication Services
• Consumer Cyclical
• Consumer Defensive
• Financial Services
• Industrials
• Real Estate
• Stock Comparison
• Advanced Chart
• Currency Converter
• Credit Cards
• Balance Transfer Cards
• Cash-back Cards
• Rewards Cards
• Travel Cards
• Credit Card Offers
• Best Free Checking
• Student Loans
• Personal Loans
• Car insurance
• Mortgage Refinancing
• Mortgage Calculator
• Morning Brief
• Market Domination
• Market Domination Overtime
• Asking for a Trend
• Opening Bid
• Stocks in Translation
• Lead This Way
• Good Buy or Goodbye?
• Financial Freestyle
• Capitol Gains
• Living Not So Fabulously
• Decoding Retirement
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Yahoo Finance

Gallagher study finds career development as a top factor in employee engagement and retention.

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. , Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With an increased focus on employee retention amidst a competitive job market and continued economic complexity, Gallagher's 2024 U.S. Career Wellbeing Report found that career development opportunities highly influence both employee engagement and retention. Although employers understand the importance of focusing on career wellbeing, only 35% reported an increase in focus, with many prioritizing the physical (42%), financial (47%), and emotional (64%) wellbeing dimensions instead.

"Hiring and retaining talent is one thing, but driving better organizational outcomes requires effective engagement solutions," said William F. Ziebell , CEO of Gallagher's Benefits & HR Consulting Division. "If employees are given more opportunities to develop and advance their knowledge and skills from their employer, they're more likely to gain a sense of purpose in their work leading to increased motivation, engagement and buy-in."

Gallagher's study, which draws data and insights from more than 3,500 organizations across the U.S., identifies current and emerging trends to help employers optimize their career wellbeing investments by highlighting employee engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Support for career development, growth, and mobility has been a steady driver of engagement and retention, and it still is — now more than ever.

More employers are recognizing the importance of developing and implementing a consistent engagement approach, as nearly 3 in 5 (57%) have a formal strategy for improving employee engagement—up 9 points from 2022. Nevertheless, it's important for employers to understand that drivers of engagement change with circumstances.

Service awards or employee recognition are commonly offered by 81% of employers—up from 75% in 2023. There are many more tactics, however, that can help build engagement. In recent years, neither pandemic setbacks, economic disruptions, nor financial turbulence have diminished employees' interest in opportunities to develop and grow their careers. Clear goals, a sense of purpose and direction motivate employees and enhance their experience.

While 43% of employers support employees in developing and pursuing a career path, less than a fifth (19%) strive to offer interesting and challenging work. To motivate employees to stay engaged, organizations should consider better prospects for increased responsibilities, new challenges and promotions.

More employers are embracing the value of DEI but are slow to fully integrate their practices.

Across all types of organizations, the importance of integrating DEI into the people strategy is gaining recognition. More leaders acknowledge its influence on workplace culture and feel a growing urgency to respond to key stakeholders' expectations. However, few have actually completed the integration of DEI policies, practices, and programs within their organization.

To bridge the gap between intention and action, employers are taking a more holistic approach to DEI. Nearly half (45%) are designing initiatives to align with the core values of the organization—up 4 points from 2023. DEI needs to be embraced as a philosophy for successful integration, not treated as a program.

"A committed employee engagement strategy that includes DEI can strengthen culture and retention," said Ziebell. "And consistency in these aligned approaches will promote trust and credibility, ensuring that the employee experience remains a top organizational priority."

ABOUT THE 2024 U.S. CAREER WELLBEING REPORT Gallagher's 2024 U.S. Career Wellbeing Report is part of the Workforce Trends Report Series, covering employee engagement and DEI. It presents recent findings on current and emerging trends to help employers optimize their career wellbeing investments. Other reports in the series center on a specific aspect of employee wellbeing, including physical, emotional, and financial. Data and insights are compiled from a variety of Gallagher benchmarking surveys conducted each year. In this report, they're based on the results of the U.S. Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey, gathered from January to March 2024 . A total of 3,552 organizations across the U.S. participated. Findings are broken out by region, organization size and ownership structure for peer comparison.

ABOUT GALLAGHER Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois . Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Contact:    Mary Schwartz , Gallagher 847.378.5893 [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gallagher-study-finds-career-development-as-a-top-factor-in-employee-engagement-and-retention-302238309.html

SOURCE Gallagher

Cookie Notice

This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies.

Career Development Grants

Career Development Grants supports the career progression of women by funding to women preparing to advance or change careers or re-enter the workforce. Primary consideration is given to women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in education, health and medicine, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and social sciences. Grants are available to support full-time or part-time coursework such as a second bachelor’s or first master’s degree, a certification program, or specialized training in these fields.

Award Details

The award ceiling for Career Development Grants for a degree program is $20,000 and for non-degree programs is $8,000. Grant funds are payable to grantees only and are disbursed as follows:

• Degree Programs: Two equal payments at the beginning and the midpoint of the grant term
• Non-degree Programs: In full, either at the beginning of the grant term or at the program start

Fields of Study

Career Development Grants are available to pursue degree and non-degree programs in education, health and medicine, STEM and social sciences, except for the following degree programs:

• Architecture (M.Arch.)
• Computer/Information Science (MS)
• Engineering (ME, MS)
• Mathematics/Statistics (MS)
• Business Administration (MBA)
• Medicine (MD, DO)

Applicants in terested in pursuing these degree programs are encouraged to consider AAUW’s Selected Professions Fellowships .      

Eligibility

• Applicants must be or identify as a woman.
• Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree earned on or before June 30, 2017.
• Applicants must be pursuing a degree (such as a second bachelor’s or first master’s degree) or a non-degree program (such as a certification program or specialized training) in education, health and medicine, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and social sciences.
• Applicants must pursue their study in the U.S. at an institution accredited by the U.S. Department of Education .
• Applicants pursuing degree programs must be enrolled in their programs during the entire grant year.
• Applicants pursuing a second bachelor’s degree must enroll in a program that differs from the field of study in which they previously earned a bachelor’s or associate degree.
• Applicants pursuing non-degree programs such as a certification program or specialized training must be enrolled in their programs for at least six months during the grant year.
• Applicants who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming life challenges beyond their control, such as socioeconomic status, discrimination, limited academic resources or opportunities or other adverse circumstances (preferred) .    
• Applicants who were the first in their family to attain a bachelor’s degree (preferred) .  
• Applicants who hail from or lead single parent households (preferred).
• Applicants who reside or will matriculate at a school in Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee or Indiana (preferred) .  

Citizenship & Immigration Status

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Disqualifying Factors

The following are not eligible for consideration:

• Members of the AAUW Board of Directors.
• Employees of AAUW, including paid or unpaid, part-time or temporary employees, consultants, interns and contract employees.
• AAUW Review Panelists.
• Immediate families (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of individuals described in the points above.
• Applicants for another national AAUW fellowship or grant, in the same year.
• Previous national AAUW fellowship or grant recipients (excluding Community Action Grants or branch or local AAUW awards).
• Applicants who are recommended for an award, however, whose discipline or institution of study is different than envisioned at the time of application will be disqualified.

Selection Criteria

• Academic excellence, as demonstrated by academic records and achievements, recognition from professors, and/or institutions, and other forms of distinction.
• Potential to make contribution to chosen field as a practicing professional and role model for other girls and women.
• Demonstrated commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities or professions.
• Feasibility of applicants’ ability to complete their program of study based on sufficient, holistic financial support.
• Special consideration will be given to applicants who demonstrate their intent to professionally serve under resourced populations and communities or to pursue public interest areas.

How To Apply

How to apply.

International Scholarship & Tuition Services (ISTS) serves as the application portal for AAUW Career Development Grants. Please follow the steps below to start the application process:

• Review the eligibility criteria to ensure you are eligible.
• Click the Apply Now button below to access the application and create an ISTS account. If a program key is requested, please use the following program key: AAUW-CDG
• Follow the instructions provided in the Applicant Guide.

If you experience technical difficulties, please contact [email protected] or (866) 795-4892.

Application Requirements

In addition to a narrative application, all applicants are required to submit the following:

• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation from advisors, professors, colleagues or others well acquainted with the applicant, their work, professional qualifications and academic background.

Note: AAUW does not accept references from dossier services, such as Parment or Interfolio, and standardized or form-letter recommendations are discouraged.

• Proof of Degree: Copy of bachelor’s degree earned on or before June 30, 2017.
• Transcripts: Copy of official transcripts confirming conferral of bachelor’s degree. All transcripts must include the applicants’ full name, the school’s name, the degree conferred, and the list of courses taken, and grades received. Transcripts must also include the name of coursework and grades from transfer courses, if applicable. If transcripts reflect transfer courses without grades, a transcript from the institution where courses were taken is required. Applicants who studied at an institution that does not provide a transcript or a list of courses taken, and grades received, or the degree did not require coursework, must provide an institutional letter affirming the same as well as the degree completion date.

A certified English translation is required for all materials provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.

If the name differs from the one stated in the application, an explanation must be provided, such as a marriage certificate or a court letter of name change.

Applicants are responsible for the submission of all required documents. Incomplete applications will be reviewed and considered at the discretion of AAUW.

Selection Process

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis according to funds available in a given fiscal year.

Review Panels

Applications to the Career Development Grants are reviewed by panels of distinguished scholars and experts in the following disciplines:

• Health & Medicine
• Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
• Social Sciences

Review panels meet once a year to review applications for funding. Panel funding recommendations are subject to final approval by AAUW.

Review Process

Prior to the Career Development Grant Panel Review, AAUW’s Fellowships & Grants Team reviews applications for completeness and ensures compliance with eligibility requirements.

Each application is subsequently read by two panel reviewers. Reviewers assess applications based on the selection criteria described above.

Tax Liability

The determination of whether there is a tax obligation associated with the receipt of an AAUW award is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Specific questions regarding income tax matters should be addressed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the applicant’s financial aid office or a personal tax adviser. AAUW cannot provide tax advice.

Changes to Applicants’ Institution or Areas of Study

Applicants recommended for an award, but whose discipline or institution of study is different than envisioned at the time of application will be disqualified.    

Use of Funds

Career Development Grants may be used for tuition, fees and course-required expenses like books and supplies, as well as housing, food, and other living expenses (including childcare).   Awarded funds may not be expended on costs incurred prior to the fellowship term start date or after the fellowship term end date.      

Funds received may or may not be taxable depending on how they are used. It is incumbent on grant recipients to determine any tax related obligations. AAUW does not report Career Development Grant to the Internal Revenue Service and cannot provide tax-related forms or advice to recipients. The determination of whether there is a tax obligation associated with the receipt of an AAUW award is the sole responsibility of awardees. Specific questions regarding income tax matters should be addressed to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the applicant’s financial aid office or a personal tax advisor.     

Is it possible to be notified of my award status prior to April 15th?

No, AAUW is not able to honor requests for earlier notification.

If I had to decline an AAUW award in the past due to eligibility concerns or personal reasons, am I allowed to reapply?

Yes, if you were awarded an AAUW fellowship or grant but had to decline it without receiving your stipend, you are eligible to reapply.

Subscribe to our newsletter

You must enable JavaScript to sign up.

• Limited Submission Opportunity: 2025 St. Baldrick’s Foundation Grants

Media Inquiries

• 615-322-6397 Email

Latest Stories

• Limited Submission Opportunity: 2025 Moore Inventor Fellows
• Promising drug-like compounds found to have strong action against blood cancers

Share this Story

Sep 5, 2024, 10:38 AM

Applications due Sept. 23, 2024

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC): This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may submit Scholar (Career Development) Award and Research Grant proposals for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation spring grant cycle . Vanderbilt is limited to one submission per award program with the potential for a limited submissions policy exception, noted below.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a nonprofit organization raising funds for childhood cancer research. All projects must have direct applicability and relevance to pediatric cancer.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Adolescents & young adults
• Survivorship, outcomes, and quality of life
• Supportive care
• Epidemiology and pediatric cancer predispositions
• Precision medicine
• Alternative & complementary therapies

There is particularly high interest in the following topics. (Research on these conditions may qualify for a limited submission policy exception allowing for one (1) additional institutional proposal submission to any grant type, and therefore may receive priority.)

• Brain tumors – all types, including rare forms, especially atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT), diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG)/diffuse midline glioma (DMG) and glioblastoma (GBM)
• Burkitt lymphoma – all types, especially sporadic
• Ewing sarcoma
• Rhabdoid tumors – Extrarenal

Grant Types:

Download full guidelines for each grant type here. ***Please note that you may only apply as a lead PI on one of the following Grant Types***

• Scholar (Career Development) Awards: This award is meant to help develop the independent research of highly qualified individuals still early in their careers. This award is granted for three years with an opportunity to apply for an additional two years of funding based upon the demonstration of significant accomplishment. Funding for years 1–3 will be up to $110,000 per year (up to $115,000 per year for years 4–5), to be used entirely for the Scholar’s salary and fringe at the applicant institution.
• Research Grants: These grants are for specific two-year research projects which are hypothesis driven and may be either laboratory, clinical, or epidemiological in nature. Please submit a realistic budget for the project. Grants will be $100,000/year or less.

Eligibility

• Research projects must have direct applicability and relevance to pediatric cancer. They may be in any discipline of basic, clinical, translational, or epidemiological research.
• Applicants should hold a Ph.D., M.D., or D.O degree by the date the award becomes effective.
• No institutional overhead or indirect funding is provided under the terms of the grants.
• St. Baldrick’s funds may not be used for human embryonic stem cell research.
• Contact [email protected] with any questions about eligible positions.
• This is an early-career award. The Scholar award is intended to develop the independent pediatric cancer research careers of highly qualified investigators, not to support well established or senior investigators.
• In the event of comparable or higher (monetary value) career development funding after the LOI has been approved, the Scholar must give up the remainder of their St. Baldrick’s award, unless otherwise approved by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
• Applicants holding or awarded R01s at the time of the LOI are not eligible to apply. Applicants cannot hold a NIH K-award at the time that they apply (institutional K12 funding is allowable).
• Applicants must have an appropriate Sponsor who provides supervision, facilities and research support. If appropriate for the project, applicants may have more than one (1) Sponsor.
• Scholar awards are to be used entirely for the Scholar’s salary and fringe at the applicant institution. Other personnel and/or non-personnel costs are NOT allowed on Scholar awards.
• The Scholar must devote no less than 40% effort to the funded project.

Applicants should review full eligibility and budget requirements in their respective award’s guidelines, available for download here .

Internal Application Process

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee(s) must submit the following (in a single PDF) to [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2024.

• If your research will focus on any of the six high-interest areas listed above, please identify the area
• Letter must additionally acknowledge that this grant does not allow indirect costs.** This statement can be used/modified within the letter: “The Department recognizes that this grant does not allow indirect costs and will commit to covering any associated indirect costs per applicable school/institutional policy.”
• Please reference the Grant Type in the subject line of the email. Following internal selection, Vanderbilt’s nominee(s) will submit a Letter of Intent to St. Baldrick’s by Dec. 9, 2024.

**Process for cost-sharing typically coordinated at the departmental level and approved by department chair and/or dean. Please consult [email protected] for further guidance.

Keep Reading

Limited Submission Opportunity: 2024 St. Baldrick’s Foundation Research Grants

Limited Submission Opportunity: 2024 V Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Awards

Limited Submission Opportunity: 2024 V Foundation Women Scientists Innovation Award for Cancer Research

Explore story topics.

• Research Blog
• limited submission opportunity
• Office of the Provost