Talking about career

We’ve just produced a new publication for the national HE STEM programme. The publication explores how young people talk about their career.

The research found that there is considerable confusion about a range of career vocabulary both amongst young people themselves and between young people and the adults who seek to influence and inform their careers.

The publication argues that confusion about vocabulary cannot simply be solved by teaching young people the “correct” meaning of different words. The report explores the relationship between the words that we use to talk about career and the way that we think about career. In particular it examines how the different vocabulary and conceptions of career held by young people and adults complicate the career learning that takes place both in school and outside of school.

Moore, N. and Hooley, T. (2012). Talking About Career: The Language Used by and With Young People to Discuss Life, Learning and Work. Derby: iCeGS, University of Derby.