“It's not what you achieve, it's what you overcome. That's what defines your career.”
~Carlton Fisk (Major League Baseball player)
Though career development is a familiar concept, it could be hard to define without giving some time to think about it. One of the best definition that I’ve come across so far is from Dawn Rosenberg McKay, a New York career consultant who’s been writing books about interviews and jobs. She writes, “Career development is the process that forms a person's work identity.”
Indeed, it is a significant part of human development and spans over the individual's entire lifetime, beginning when a child first becomes aware of how people make a living. It continues as that person begins to explore occupations and ultimately decides what career to pursue himself.
Career development doesn't end there. After you choose a profession, you must then get the required education and training, apply for and find employment, and ultimately advance in your career.
Some people will start to think about occupational choices very early in life, while others won't give this subject much thought until they are relatively close to having to decide how they will earn money. For many of us, college applications may be the first time that you’ll seriously think about your future career development—which brings us to—why colleges care about your career development and how it is evaluated in your application.
How do colleges evaluate your career development?
From the perspective of college admissions, career development in high school is about how you have taken advantage of available resources to explore potential career paths or majors. Admissions officers look for characteristics of future success in an applicant, so it’s important to show colleges that you have a clear goal and are making active efforts to achieve it.
This also gives colleges a frame of reference to evaluate your track record in high school. (If a student is applying as undecided, then the combination of his academics, personal character and background must be sufficient to warrant an offer without the consideration of his career path)
Two ways to show colleges what you’ve done:
1) Related activities:
Student clubs (such as joining the Environment Club on campus if you’re interested in environmental sciences)
Internships/volunteering experiences (such as volunteering in a hospital for a potential pre-med student)
2) Related skills: if your high school or your community does not have the resources for the majors/careers you’re interested in, you can focus on acquiring the skills that would be important for your career development.
Example: if a student is interested in law, he can join the Debate Club at school to improve his critical thinking and oratory skills.
In essence, career development is a lifelong process, shaping a person's work identity from childhood awareness to decisive career choices. For college applicants, it's important to show active efforts in exploring potential careers. When colleges evaluate an applicant's track record, the focus is not just on your goals but on intentional steps taken toward those aspirations, highlighting a commitment to personal and professional development. Ultimately, colleges value applicants who approach career development with purpose and a clear vision for their future, reflecting a continuous evolution in their journey.
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