Editing Career development (section)

===Long-term careers===
Careers that are long-term commitments throughout an individual's life are referred to as ''steady-state careers''. The person will work towards their retirement with specialized skillsets learned throughout their entire life.<ref name="Cooper 1988 pp245–277" /> For example, somebody would be required to complete a steady process of graduating from medical school and then working in the medical profession until they have retired. Steady-state careers may also be referred to as holding the same occupational role in an organization for an extended period and becoming specialized in the area of expertise. For example, a retail manager who has worked in the sales industry for an extended period of their life would have the knowledge, skills, and attributes regarding managing non-managerial staff and coordinating job tasks to be fulfilled by subordinates.

A career that requires new initiatives of growth and responsibility upon accepting new roles can be referred to as ''linear careers'', as every unique opportunity entails a more significant impact of responsibility and decision-making power on an organizational environment.<ref name="Cooper 1988 pp245–277" /> A linear career path involves a vertical movement in the hierarchy of management when one is promoted. For example, a higher-level management position in a company would entail more responsibility regarding decision-making and allocation of resources to effectively and efficiently run a company. Mid-level managers and top-level managers/CEOs would be referred to as having linear careers, as their vertical movement in the organizational hierarchy would also entail more responsibilities for planning, controlling, leading, and organizing managerial tasks.