Pryor and Bright’s (2011) chaos theory of careers (CTC) focuses on how life and career cannot be predicted and controlled.

Plans may not go to plan, they may not work out, things may go entirely differently to the way we imagined. And that’s a fact we have to deal with.

You can find out more about CTC here, via Marc Truyens excellent site: 

https://marcr.net/marcr-for-career-professionals/career-theory/career-theories-and-theorists/chaos-theory-of-careers-pryor-and-bright/

I’ll admit it: In 2016, when I first heard about chaos theory, I wasn’t a fan.

Here’s what I wrote about it in a theory assignment:

“Addressing the potential danger of overemphasising agency, Pryor and Bright’s (2011) chaos theory of careers (CTC) recognises that career decisions are impacted by diverse, changing influences and chance encounters (Pryor and Bright, 2014). Integrating the stable positivist worldview with constructivist concepts of creativity, agency, and change, CTC can help individuals to embrace constancy and uncertainty in their lives and careers. CTC, which has echoes of Patton and McMahon’s (1999) systems theory framework, can be used to normalise the simultaneous “regularity and randomness” (Amundson, Mills, and Smith, 2014, p.18) of career while building clients’ resilience to prepare for and cope with change. It promotes objective planning of likely convergent career outcomes while supporting individuals to cope with complex, unpredictable emergent outcomes (Amundson, Mills, and Smith, 2014), arising from “strange attractors” (Pryor and Bright, 2014, p.6). Encompassing tools for practice (Pryor and Bright, 2014), CTC is reported to be useful in high school and university career counselling (Pryor and Bright, 2014), and with adult clients (McDowall and Peake, 2012), like those facing redeployment or redundancy following unforeseen organisation change.

Like narrative counselling (Bright and Pryor, 2005) CTC focuses on life patterns and processes rather than “predicting stable variables as outcomes”. As with narrative approaches, identification of emergent career patterns is subjective. Career patterns are influenced by the larger, ever-evolving patterns of the client’s life (Pryor and Bright, 2014); hence client’s conclusions may only serve them temporarily. Continuous reflection is, therefore, advisable to explain past and future career against career’s current context.

Though a strong explanation for career in a chaotic and complex world, CTC’s rational message risks alienating its intended audience. “Chaos ideas” of “complexity, connection, and chance” (Pryor and Bright, 2014, p.10) could overwhelm rather than inspire clients to plan for the expected and prepare for the unexpected. In seeking careers guidance, clients often to reduce rather than increase their uncertainty (Bright and Pryor, 2005), therefore may not want to discuss their vulnerability and lack of consistent agency in the face of intermittent, intense, and random change (Bright, 2010). Bright and Pryor (2005) argue that complexity is to be embraced not feared and that unwillingness to surrender utopian ideas of career (Bright and Pryor, 2005) can limit opportunities to benefit from unplanned or chance events. Therefore, practitioners should invite clients to reflect on positive experiences arising from happenstance (Krumboltz, 2011) to ready themselves for future possibilities. Despite Pryor and Bright’s recommendation, not all people can transition easily from “closed to open-system thinking” (2007, quoted in Amundson, Mills, and Smith, 2014, p.18).

CTC’s notions and terminology, including attractors, fractals, and phase shifts, are demanding, potentially limiting its use. Bright and Pryor (2005) admit that practitioners and clients find CTC notions hard to grasp, offering metaphors and analogies to illuminate core tenets. Despite their efforts, a theory that puzzles rather than simplifies and requires extensive explanation has some limitations.”

I’ll be honest. 

Underlying my critique was the plain fact that the idea didn’t fit into my idea of the world where agency and control could help you weave your own path. Agency and control had worked for me so far, within chaos, but I never really wanted to acknowledge the chaos.

I wanted to believe that I could blank out and/or control it. This probably won’t be a newsflash to you, but it was to me in 2023: I can’t. 

Chaos theory is right.

I’ll admit it, I was wrong.

Since 2016, I’ve become more aware of my dislike for chaos. In any form. It unsettles me. But in 2023 it got worse. Things felt so upside down, in my world and the wider world.

But over the past year, I’ve come to accept that chaos exists and chaos theory is valid.

I don’t always like how things are going. Sometimes I hate it, I’ll be honest. External events can make me feel bad about myself and make me question what I think I know about the world. 

But struggling against it is hard. That’s an understatement. At times, last year, it made me feel unwell, physically and mentally. It’s been hard work and it doesn’t solve it. When I opened my eyes, chaos was still there.

So I came to an agreement with myself. I can’t change what is outside of my control. But what I can do is draw on my resources, be who I am (even if that’s not for everyone), live true to who I am. Accept that what is external to me is external to me. But by being myself and living my values I can sleep easier and I can make headway. I might only make small impacts or changes but that’s enough. And perhaps the change is one I can live with and thrive in.  

I’m not going to get crushed by the enormity of everything. I can still bounce around. I might not make big impacts but I can use my energy to bump into things in a small way and see what that does. I’m not going to shut down, turn off, because that doesn’t solve it – chaos will still be there. 

We need to find a way to co-exist so that chaos can happen but so can I.

References:

Amundson, N.E., Mills, and L.M., Smith, B.A, (2014) ‘Incorporating chaos and paradox into career development’, Australian Journal of Career Development, 23(1), pp. 13-21.

Bright, J. (2016) and Pryor, R. (2005) ‘The chaos theory of careers: a user’s guide’, The Career Development Quarterly, 53, pp. 291-305. 

Bright, J. (2010) ‘A twitter-brief summary of the Chaos Theory of Careers’, The Factory Career Development Blog & Podcast from Jim Bright, PhD, Bright and Associates, 14 September. Available at: http://www.brightandassociates.com.au/wordpress/a-twitter-brief-summary-of-the-chaos-theory-of-careers/ (Accessed: 12 January 2017).

Krumboltz, J.D. (2011) ‘Happenstance Learning Theory’, Journal of Employment Counseling, 48, pp. 89-91.

McDowall, A. & Peake, S. (2012) ‘A narrative analysis of career transition themes and outcomes using chaos theory as a guiding metaphor’, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 40(4), pp. 395-440.

Pryor, R.G.L and Bright, J.E.H. (2014) ‘The Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC): Ten years on and only just begun’, Australian Journal of Career Development, 23(1), pp. 4-12.

Pryor, R.G.L. and Bright, J.E.H. (2011) The chaos theory of careers. New York, NY: Routledge.

A client testimonial, June 2020

I was touched to receive this testimonial from a client. It is a pleasure and privilege to work with others as they think about their career. 

“If you are ready for a big, bold career move, want careers advice, guidance on how to create an awesome credible, compelling, shining CV, or simply want to discuss tools and mechanisms to promote yourself or your business, then I cannot recommend Lis McGuire highly enough.”

My Personal Career Guidance Story

I am a 49-year-old, retiring Police Sergeant, who has had a successful 30-year-long career in the Police, still willing and ready to work but one that had never written a CV before and one that has not had to consider ‘careers advice and guidance’ for some significant time.

However, having engaged with Lis over a number of weeks, I now realise the assets I have accrued during my career.

It is through my interaction with Lis that has helped me ‘identify, extract, discuss and assist’ me in my exploration and reorientation for future careers and in the development and evolution in what I can only describe as a professional, concise yet compelling CV, which I am extremely proud of, as it tells my story, with purpose and direction, and an almost guarantee of being noticed, when tendered for employment. 

When I discussed leaving the service with Lis, she readily identified my anxieties and disorientation and offered me the services she proudly provides, without any hard sell or pressure. I know of others too, that she has assisted and helped, who are now going on to newer and exciting things.

I had no idea of how to ‘crunch’ 30 years in to 2 pages of A4, or how to ‘identify and showcase all of my skills and abilities’ or even how to identify the type of new employment I fancied, let alone where to look and apply!

Lis took me on a journey of exploration, through 1-2-1 phone meetings, email conversations and even being flexible in her approach to arrange a 1-2-1, Covid-19 social distanced meeting.

The meetings have proven to be priceless.

In no time at all, the anxieties have been replaced with feelings of excitement and an openness about what lies ahead, with little to no fear.

Why? Lis that’s why, her intervention with me has opened my mind up to a whole range of potential working fields and also how to find the opportunities, what I need to apply for them, how to apply and the icing on the cake?.. a fantastic, powerful CV that will definitely open some doors.

Furthermore, a revitalised confidence in myself and recognition of what I am about, in order to do this. Having worked through my CV with Lis, I know it will make me aim high, stand tall and get spotted.

To conclude, a few personal words that describe Lis.. professional, confidential, encouraging, supportive, dynamic, hard-working, focussed, determined, patient, kind, knowledgeable, effective, understanding, realistic, interested, passionate, flexible, charismatic, credible, motivated, enthusiastic, efficient…  

I cannot thank Lis enough. I cannot recommend her highly enough. An absolute find.” 

Find out more about what you can expect from a personal career guidance meeting with Sunrise Career Guidance here.

You can also read other client testimonials on my LinkedIn profile. Please visit the Recommendations section.