Method presentation
Metaphors are generally a figure of speech used to underline the similarity between an
action or an object, event or experience, on the one hand, and a sentence or widely used
word, on the other (Gowler; Legge, 1989, apud Inkson, 2004). Its function is to
“communicate the unknown by transposing it into the terms of the known” (El-Sawad,
2003) or to visualize a complex phenomenon through familiar images (Amundson,
2005a).
Metaphors are current in everyday career-related discourse, as well as in formal career
theories (Inkson; Amundson, 2002). Common metaphors are: “path / way / route / track
of a career”, “journey”, “decision tree”, “window of opportunities”, etc. Influential
academic concepts are also formulated in metaphoric terms: “career rainbow” (Super,
1990), “career map” (Krumboltz, 1993), “career construction” (Savickas, 2002),
“vocational personality” (Holland, 1997), “career anchors” (Schein, 1978), “career
without boundaries” (Arthur; Rousseau, 1996). They trigger live and familiar images
allowing thus a special and personal perspective of events. Career metaphors do not have
the same status. They differ with respect to reference and source. Metaphors such as
“journey” or “construction” come from a person’s experience. Others, such as “seasons”
or “resources”, are based on external views of the situation. Metaphors like “ladder” or
“competition” describe the circumstances of the career, and “anchors” or “vocational
personality” describe characteristics of the person engaged in career development.
From the counselling perspective, metaphors, as a way of experiencing reality through
aspects common to other situations, allow a deeper career analysis, integrating complex
information on these phenomena in a simple image. In the counselling process, metaphors
create the exploration context most favourable to a person and lead to discovering
personal career-related characteristics and significances.
One of the most thorough presentations of the main career metaphors belongs to Kerr
Inkson (2004). In the author’s opinion, carer conceptualisations can basically be grouped
around the metaphors resulting from the main theories in the field. They have influenced
career conceptualisation throughout time and have become possible career metaphors
themselves:
The inheritance metaphor
The metaphor expresses the concept that career, just like inheritance, can be passed from
one generation to other; a person’s career is more or less inherited. Using this career
metaphor, sociologists stress the role of social class, gender, ethnicity in determining the
values and aspirations children get from their families. Moreover, this metaphor targets
the career model existing in the family, and the financial and educational opportunities
that children benefit from at home.