The paper presentation is on the various career theories which explain why people behave the way they do. These theories explain the reason behind people’s choice of career and vocations. These career theories help to make sense of how individuals identify themselves and the kind of careers they choose and how others identify them.

The theories help to explain human’s search for life purposes and meanings and the journey to actualize oneself through various life and work-related roles. This paper focuses on six theories of career development which guides career guidance and counseling practice. Which has guided researchers in this area in the past decade, they are;

1. Frank Parsons’ “Traits and Factor Theory”– Known as the father of vocational guidance, he initiated the Trait and Factor theory in 1908. The theory seeks to describe individual differences in personality type. It assumes that individuals have unique characteristics which are related to different interests, abilities, needs, values, and personality traits. It also states that jobs have unique characteristics and different skills and abilities are required. So the theory states that people perform best and are satisfied and happy when they are in jobs that best suits their traits and abilities.
2. John Holland’s Vocational Type (Personality Types) Theory – It states that people can function and develop best and find job satisfaction in work environment that are compatible with their personalities. John based his theory on the assumption that people tend to choose career that is reflective of their personality, people are attracted to certain jobs, and the environment then reflects their personality. It is based on the premise that personality factors underlie career choices. People project self-views into occupational titles and they make career choices or decisions that satisfy their preferred personal orientation.
3. Donald Super’s Developmental Self-Concept Theory– Super’s contribution to career development is his emphasis on the importance of the development of self-concept. He states that self-concept changes overtime and develops as a result of experience, as such, career development is lifelong. This means that as people develop and mature, they change and adapt according to their self-concept. He defines the various stages of life and career developmental.. As a person’s self-concept develops and becomes more realistic and stable, so does his/her vocational choice and behavior. People choose occupations that permit them to express their self-concept at the particular time. Careers unfold over the life span.
4. John D. Krumboltz’s Social Cognitive Theory– He developed the idea that the things an individual learns and mimics from others influence his own development. The basic tenet of this theory is that people make career choices based on their social, environmental and genetic influences and how they are rewarded, reinforced and punished for certain behaviors. He acknowledges that workers’ changing roles and priorities influence their career decisions. Hence an optimistic outlook on life and environment turns serendipity into opportunity. The theory addresses the need for people to deal with changes within the rapidly changing labor market. Managing life transitions is an essential career management skill. At the core of this theory is the fact that unpredictable social factors, chance events and environmental factors are input influences on career choices and decisions.
5. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory– The concept of self-efficacy is the focal point of Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory. By means of their self-system, individuals exercise control over their thoughts, feelings and actions. Among the beliefs with which an individual evaluates the control over his/ her actions and environments, self-efficacy beliefs are the most influential predictor of human behavior. People with high self-efficacy are inclined to take on a task or career if they belief they can succeed, while those with how self-efficacy avoid tasks/careers that are challenging. So this shows.
6. “Social cognitive career theory” of Lent, Brown Et Al -Social Cognitive Career Theory is an offshoot of social cognitive theory which also emphasizes self-efficacy and incorporates culture, gender, genetics, social and environmental factors that may have a stronger influence on career decisions, than do the outcomes of career decisions themselves. They attribute career decisions to beliefs formed through learning from others, social persuasions and psychological states and reactions.