Explore Your Career Identity: A Lesbian & Gay Workbook

Little research has been done into lesbian and gay career issues and almost none on the career issues of transgender, bisexual and intersex people. It is hoped that this will be remedied in the future. What research has been done has shown that lesbian and gay career development is influenced by many of the same issues that affect straight people. However, lesbian and gay specific issues can be found due to the coming out process and stigma and discrimination. This workbook looks at those issues as well as exploring career theory and how some of it relates specifically to lesbian and gay 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. By doing this work, 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 lesbian and gay-focused, this approach has a lot to offer lesbian and gay people because of its potential to reframe identity and transform thinking in terms of career identity. The exercises in this workbook can help you in this process since they are focused on the part of career exploration called career identity exploration. This workbook (based on Dr Southern's 'Explore Your Career Identity' practical workbook) has been produced with specific material for lesbian and gay people who want to understand more about what makes them ‘tick’ in terms of their career development 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!