Although gifted girls have high career aspirations, they often do not attain their educational and career goals. Conflicting societal expectations of bright girls and women may lead to a loss of confidence in their own abilities and their aspirations. Career assessments in girlhood, adolescence, college years, and adulthood may be effective in nurturing the full development of their talents.The career development patterns of gifted girls and women are often a source of frustration and concern to career counselors, because so often girls of great intellectual promise do not grow up to be women who accomplish their career goals. Although gifted girls typically have high career aspirations, their confidence in their own aspirations often fades with adolescence. Decisions made in adolescence to forego challenging academic opportunities often have a negative impact lasting well into adulthood. The gap between gifted women's career achievements and those of their male peers widens throughout their lifetimes. Too often it seems that career development is itself a misnomer for the process by which gifted women's aspirations and achievements decline in a gentle, downward spiral from girlhood to adulthood.