Final answer:
A "Career Pattern" refers to a person's unique career journey, including education, work experiences, and achievements, and is shaped by cultural, social, and economic factors as well as personal choices.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of Developmental Theories, "Career Pattern" refers to A) a person's unique career journey, including education, work experiences, and achievements. This concept takes into account the various external factors that impact one's career trajectory, such as cultural influences, social forces, opportunities in the environment, and labor market trends. Career decisions are influenced by a myriad of elements, including career inheritance, whereby individuals may follow in the occupational footsteps of their parents, learning the norms and values of specific jobs through career socialization. Furthermore, sociologists highlight that cultural patterns and societal pressures can shape individual choices, advocating the importance of understanding these general patterns to navigate one's career effectively.
Your culture, societal expectations, and personal values all interplay in selecting a career path, thereby influencing your career pattern. In addition, the increasing necessity to stay current with business and labor market trends can also guide your career decisions, making self-awareness and adaptability important components of career development. As such, personal choice, guided by family, social norms, and cultural background, plays a significant role in shaping an individual's career pattern in a class system.