Growth stage
The growth stage can be roughly defined from a person's birth to 14 years old. At this stage, individuals gradually establish the concept of self through their identification with family members, friends and teachers and their interaction. At the beginning of this stage, role-playing is extremely important. During this period, children will try different behaviors, which will help them form the impression of people's reactions to different behaviors and help them establish their unique self-concept or personality. By the end of this stage, teenagers who have entered adolescence (these people have formed some basic views on their interests and abilities at this time) have begun to think about various realistic optional occupations.
Inquiry stage
The exploration stage takes place in a person's age range 15 to 24. During this period, individuals will seriously explore various possible career choices. They try to match their career choices with their understanding of careers and their personal interests and abilities gained through school education, leisure activities and work. At the beginning of this stage, they often make some broad career choices with experimental nature. However, with the individual's further understanding of his chosen career and self, he often redefines his original choice. By the end of this stage, they have chosen a career that looks suitable, and they are ready to start working.
Perhaps the most important task that people need to complete at the present stage and the future career stage is to form a realistic evaluation of their abilities and talents. Similarly, people at this stage must make corresponding educational decisions based on reliable information of various career choices.
Establishment stage
The establishment stage takes place between the ages of 24 and 44, which is the core part of most people's work life cycle. Sometimes, in this period (usually in the early stage of this stage), individuals can find a suitable career and then devote themselves to various activities that will help them achieve permanent development in this career. People are usually willing (especially in the professional field) to lock themselves in a chosen career early. However, in most cases, at this stage, people are still constantly trying various abilities and ideals different from their initial career choices.
The establishment phase itself consists of three sub-phases.
Experimental sub-stage
It happens between the ages of 25 and 30. At this stage, the individual decides whether the currently selected career is suitable for him or her, and if not, he or she will be prepared to make some changes. For example, Wang Fang may have decided to choose a career in retail, but after working in a store as a newly hired assistant buyer for several months, she may find that a career with less travel time, such as marketing research, may be more suitable for her needs. From the age of 30 to 40, people usually enter a stable sub-stage.
Bistable substage
At this stage, people often have made firm career goals and clear career plans to determine their promotion potential, the necessity of job-hopping and what educational activities are needed to achieve these goals. Finally, at some point between the ages of 30 and 40, people may enter the crisis stage in the middle of their careers.
Triple crisis stage
At this stage, people often make an important re-evaluation of their career progress according to their original ideals and goals. They may find that they are not close to their dream goal (such as becoming the president of a company), or have completed their scheduled tasks, only to find that their past dreams are not all they want. During this period, people may also think about how important work and occupation are in their whole lives. Usually people at this stage have to face a difficult choice for the first time, that is, to determine what they really need, what goals they can achieve, and how much sacrifice they need to make to achieve this goal.
Maintenance stage
45-65 years old, many people simply enter the maintenance stage. In the later period of this career, people have generally created a place for themselves in their own work fields, so most of their energy is mainly focused on keeping this position.
Descending stage
As retirement approaches, people have to face the recession in their careers. At this stage, many people have to face the prospect of accepting the reality of reduced power and responsibility, learning to accept a paid role, and learning to become a mentor for young people. Then, almost everyone will inevitably face retirement. At this time, people are faced with the choice of how to spend their original time at work.