There are few certainties in our visions of post-COVID-19 careers, but change is inevitable. This article will explore how HRD can be proactive in addressing the immediate needs of the post-pandemic workforce and workplaces, as they strive to recover and resume a productive future. Uncertainties about employment and employability, how workplaces will be configured, the future of some careers and the possibilities for new opportunities will weigh heavily on individuals as they navigate these challenges. Drawing on the career shock, resilience, and sustainable careers literature, we consider how both individual and contextual factors will impact people and their occupations moving forward.

The nature of work, organizations, and careers has evolved significantly in the past decade. In the wake of these changes, career-development research and implementation have languished. This article addresses this dearth of discourse and practice from the perspective of human resource development (HRD). The authors suggest a framework for reintegrating career development into the HRD function and offer specific learning activities better suited to the needs of individuals and organizations in this turbulent environment. Recommendations for future action are provided.

The world of work continues to change, with potentially dire predictions for the future as technology, work intensification, and workplace inequities impinge on careers, suggesting a need for increased attention on how to sustain them. This article focuses on the concept of sustainable careers: what they are, why they matter now, and what other disciplines are doing to address this phenomenon. The authors conclude with how human resource development can play a significant role in research and practice to develop both systems that foster career sustainability and individuals who are ready to embrace an evolving career climate.

The problem and the solution. This exploratory qualitative study investigated young professionals' definitions of career success and the strategies they employ to achieve that success. There were three over-arching themes that emerged from the data. Two reflect how young professionals perceive career success.They see it as individualistic and as a multidimensional concept that is likely to change throughout their work lives.The third theme, attaining work—life balance, is integral to their definition of career success as well as to their strategies for attaining success. Implications for human resource development are provided.

This study addresses career aspirations and planning among non-managerial women. Results indicate career goals often are adapted to meet other life circumstances ; and that family responsibilities, job security, and organizational support systems influence career success and satisfaction. Recommendations for organizationally based career initiatives focused on women in non-managerial positions are provided.