Theories of career development focus on the role of work, both paid and unpaid, in people's lives. Although many aspects of work and working life have changed in the past century, work continues to be of central importance in the North American context. Career is one of the primary ways we make sense of our lives and our work helps to shape our identities. One of the best ways to gain an understanding of career and career development is to examine these topics from a variety of theoretical perspectives.
