Are you familiar with the Career Rainbow?

Oh to be young again! Place yourself on the Career Rainbow as a 15-year old and there you are, in the Age of Exploration: this critical time in a young person’s life when you begin to make choices about future direction. The Rainbow is the spectrum, the continuum that all of us are on. We shared this rainbow with students during a Careers Assembly and spoke to them about the importance of exploring different classes, different opportunities, different internships that come your way: this is the time that you begin to lay the foundation for a well established career.

The Life Career Rainbow was developed by psychologist Donald Super in the 1950’s. The Rainbow will be different for all of us, but the general idea, that we have an “Arc”, is still relevant in 2021.

In short, for our perspective for our students, it is important to note the characteristics of the Growth and Exploration stages, edited from Mindtools:

1. Growth (ages 14 and under). This stage focuses on physical growth. It is a time when you begin to form ideas about your self-worth, and discover your interests, talents and abilities.

2. Exploration (ages 14 to 25). This is when you learn about the types of work available, and what is required to be successful in different careers. As you learn, you grow more committed to certain choices and narrow down the options that you want to pursue. Near the end of this stage you may have analyzed your career options, taking into account your personal skills, talents and interests, and your career expectations”.

In today’s world, where careers are very certainly not linear, it is worth noting that a return to the Age of Exploration for most people is highly likely, even during the Establishment phase.

Mrs. Amber Singh
Careers Counsellor
Sunmarke School