Career stages that you cannot avoid passing through

A young person who has just embarked on a career journey and somebody who has been working for two decades are at different stages of their careers. While the former may not may be unduly concerned about the future, a person who is close to the end of his career will invariably be worried about what is in store for him. There are five broad career stages through which everyone passes through and it is essential that all working individuals understand them so that they are well-geared to face the challenges associated with them.

All career stages call for comprehensive knowledge and skills that facilitate career advancement and successful career journey as relevant to a particular stage. It is pertinent to state that every stage is loosely connected with a sequential length of time and is particularly distinguished  by one’s outlook towards work, general conduct, different categories of alliances enjoyed and work issues that are held in high esteem or accorded higher priority.

The five different career stages that any working individual has to necessarily pass through are:

• Development & advancement: Generally speaking, this stage comprises the period of life upto the time of entry into adolescence. It could also be called the formative years and is a time when a person first becomes conscious of the future and begins to devise methods to increase one’s proficiency levels and get to acquire firm control over his or her destiny.
• Research & knowledge acquisition: The decade that follows the first stage - generally up to when you are around twenty five years old - witnesses a crystallisation, drawing up and enactment of a career choice. One tends to try out different responsibilities and career options while still at college and also by way of hobbies, part-time employment , with of without remuneration. Taking up temporary jobs to gauge one’s penchants and suitability could also be taken up so that one’s mind is made to select the most appropriate career path.
• Inception & Stabilisation: This is perhaps the stage that extends the longest; it starts from after completion of the initial embedding and lasts for around twenty years. During these years, an appropriate field is opted for and concerted action taken to carve out a place for oneself in field selected. It is the period of youthful adulthood which is made use of to stabilise and advance forward by way of acquiring new skills and qualifications.
• Continuation & sustenance: This stage begins after being in a career for about two decades and generally when one is yet to cross the fifty mark and continues for twenty years or so. The stage stands out by way of what can be described as  by commitment and devotion to duty, irrespective of one’s accomplishments. One either comes to terms with his or her position or works hard to further enhance it. There are people who think of changing jobs or careers to remain in a their comfort zone. For those who reach their career endpoint and are unable to cope up, frustration may also set in.  
• Retirement & superannuation: This stage is when you reach the age of sixty and are all set to reach the destination station your career journey. Many people say that stage is ideal for reinventing or rediscovering yourself and that retirement is not the end of the road. An employment after retirement is always recommended alongside leisure pursuits. One could also work from home or take up the role of a mentor, based on your penchants and experience.

There are inherent restrictions in the above stages, largely on account of the emerging work culture and peculiar individual circumstances. It is not essential that everyone pass through all the five stages discussed above. Taking a step back is also seen as as a part of career management. And this can take place at any point of time in your career and leads to self-discovery and you are able to fathom the gravity of changes that could perhaps be  deciding to make, together with identification of issues that warrant prompt attention. You are thus in a better position to address the challenges that you may encounter in the journey ahead. And that perhaps highlights the truth that as years pass by and you age, you become more insightful, independent and impactful.