Explore Your Career Identity: A Women's Workbook

Women’s career development is influenced by many of the same issues that affect men. However, women-specific issues can be found in women’s career development due to changing social trends, the socialisation of girls, and home/work role conflict. This workbook (based on Dr Southern's 'Explore Your Career Identity' practical workbook) looks at those issues as well as exploring career theory and how some of it relates specifically to women's issues. Today, a holistic approach is central to looking at careers. It places the person at the centre of their own career and life narrative with the power to unpack the ways they have been socialised and to challenge some of their thinking around their abilities and aspirations. Through this approach people remodel their cognitive approach to work and life based on new knowledge about the world of work and their place in it. While not specifically women-focused, this approach has a lot to offer women because of its potential to reframe identity and transform thinking in terms of career identity. The exercises in the workbook can help you in this process since they are focused on the part of career exploration called career identity exploration. This workbook has been produced for women who want to understand more about what makes them ‘tick’ in terms of their career development – both as a woman and a human being in the 21st century – so that they can make optimal decisions for their future success, security and happiness. There are lots of exercises in this book for you to do to discover more about your career identity. So have a blank journal or pad of paper ready and have fun!