Introducing career theory

Now you have considered your strengths and which of these you might like to develop at university, we will move on to look at career decision-making.

But how do you make decisions about your career, which may seem a long way off?

In this activity we will learn about career theory and how theories can act as a framework for considering your career decision-making. Theory can help you reflect on your experience. It is also a practical way to examine what influencing factors might relate to your future career thinking and decision-making. In the next few steps, we will look at four types of career theories:

• matching theories, also known as person–environment fit or trait-and-factor theories
• life-span or developmental theories
• structural theories
• planned happenstance.