Using Metaphors in Career Theory: A Road Map for Career Development

The last few decades have witnessed many social, economic and political changes that have influenced the contemporary work environment in Australia. The increasing involvement of women in the workforce, the growing need to balance work and family life and the changing importance of career in people's lives are influencing the career decisions of men and women. The question confronting both researchers and organisations Is whether the traditional male model of career development, in which an individual enters the work force early in life, slowly progressing up the organisational hierarchy, remaining in it full time until retirement, is relevant for both men and women in this changing world. The purpose of this paper is to outline the results of PhD research which explored the career development of men and women in the accounting profession in Australia. The results led to the development of an age-related framework which describes the stages men and women in the study progressed through during their careers. This paper focuses on describing the metaphor of a road map which is used to conceptualise this career development. Several researchers have adopted the technique of using a metaphor to conceptualise career development. Whilst the findings of the research confirm elements of the existing theories on career development, the benefit of the research is that those elements have been integrated into the one conceptual model and are based on the contemporary workforce in Australia.