Finding Your Next Career Move
Making a career change or trying to figure out your next move can feel too difficult to approach. If you are exploring new opportunities, looking to pivot to a different industry, or even contemplating a major life shift, it’s easy to get stuck in the uncertainty of what comes next.
One of the most valuable frameworks for understanding career transitions comes from Donald Super, a pioneering psychologist who spent his career exploring how we develop and grow through our professional lives. His Life-Span, Life-Space Theory offers powerful insights into how we can approach career transitions with a sense of purpose and clarity.
1. Career Development is a Lifelong Process
One of Super’s core ideas is that career development doesn’t stop after you choose a career—it’s a lifelong journey. This means that it’s totally normal to experience multiple shifts, changes, and even reinventions of your career over time. So if you’re thinking about changing paths, know that this is part of the ongoing evolution of your professional identity.
Super’s theory suggests that we all go through different stages in our career development:
Growth: Developing a sense of self and interests.
Exploration: Trying out different roles, discovering what excites you.
Establishment: Becoming solidified in your career or focusing on advancement.
Maintenance: Refining your skills, contributing in meaningful ways.
Disengagement: Slowing down or transitioning out of the workforce.
You’re likely at one of these stages right now. Maybe you’re in the exploration phase again, seeking a fresh start or figuring out where you want to go next. Or perhaps you’ve reached a point of establishment where you’re asking, “Is this really where I want to stay for the long term?” Super’s model reminds us that we are not bound to one stage forever. Your career path can move fluidly between these stages as you grow and adapt.
2. Your Career is Connected to Your Self-Concept
One of Super’s most powerful ideas is that our careers are deeply tied to our self-concept—that is, how we see ourselves and how we want to express that in the world. When you feel stuck or uncertain, it might be because your current career no longer aligns with who you are or who you want to become.
Super’s Self-Concept Theory suggests that career choices are ultimately about finding work that reflects your values, interests, and abilities. If you’re in the process of figuring out your next move, it can be helpful to reflect on the following:
Who am I, and how do I want to express myself through my work?
What values are most important to me in my career (e.g., creativity, service, flexibility, financial stability)?
What are my strengths and passions that I haven’t yet explored?
By getting clear on who you are and how you want to contribute, you can identify career paths that align with your true self—rather than just chasing a title or salary.
3. Embrace Career Exploration
If you’re considering a career change, you might find yourself revisiting the exploration phase of your career development. This is a time of experimentation and learning, where you try out different options to see what feels right. Super emphasized that career development involves trial and error—you don’t need to have all the answers right now. Exploring new paths might include things like:
Taking up side projects or freelancing in a new field
Volunteering to gain hands-on experience
Seeking out mentors or networking with people in industries you’re interested in
Taking courses or certifications to build new skills
This phase is all about gaining clarity through experience, so be patient with yourself as you try out different avenues. The goal isn’t to make a perfect choice immediately, but to learn and grow from the exploration process.
4. Trust the Process and Be Flexible
Super’s Life-Space concept reminds us that career development isn’t just about work—it’s about balancing all the roles we play in our lives. Family, hobbies, health, and personal interests all intersect with our careers. When considering your next move, think about how your career fits into your overall life goals. Does it align with your priorities in other areas of life?
For example, if you’re feeling burnt out, a career change might not just be about finding a new job—it could also involve rethinking the way you balance work and life. Super’s idea of life roles helps us see that career transitions are often connected to broader life transitions, like starting a family, going back to school, or pursuing new personal goals.
Being flexible and open to the idea that your career might evolve in unexpected ways can help you feel more at ease with the process. Career transitions don’t need to be rushed, and they’re rarely linear. Allow yourself to explore and adjust as your life and career continue to unfold.
5. Take Action, No Matter How Small
Lastly, while it’s important to reflect and understand where you are in your career development, taking action is the next step. Super emphasised that career development is not just about passive reflection—it’s about engaging with the process actively. Even if you don’t know exactly where you’re headed, take small steps toward gaining new skills, exploring new industries, or expanding your network. Embrace the exploration stage, gaining clarity, and developing confidence in your next steps, rather than rushing into getting a new job.
What stage are you in?
Are you in the exploration phase, considering a career change? Or maybe you’re reassessing your sense of self in your current role? Whatever stage you're at, the most interesting thing I think to remember is that your career is a lifelong process of growth and discovery.
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to explore your next steps together—I’d love to support you in finding a career that aligns with who you are.
