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This article proposes a merger between the traditionally separate worlds of occupational and organisational career counselling. It is suggested such a merger can be achieved through a self-organising view of careers, and of helping people exercise greater influence over their own career directions. This view is supported by describing the combined application of 'intelligent career' theory and 'active engagement' practice, and by illustrating that application through a complementary career counselling tool called the Intelligent Career Card Sort. The article proceeds with a brief report on how a related approach might be used within 'career communities', where these are self-organising phenomena in which people find career support. The conclusion invites career counsellors to develop a career community of their own, in order to pursue the proposed merger of counselling approaches.

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Change, ambiguity and shifting relationships are recurrent themes in contemporary career development. In turn, personal success in the unfolding knowledge economy calls for self-awareness, adaptability and the ability to work with others. A challenge in career coaching is to help people better develop these kinds of skills, and in turn to help people to contribute better to the contemporary knowledge-driven organisation (Drucker, 1999). A similar coaching challenge applies when working with current or aspirant leaders, namely those charged with helping or seeking to help the knowledge-driven organisation suceed. These leaders need to be successful in their own careers, and to simultaneously encourage and support other people's contributions to the organisation. In the knowledge economy, a different, more relational, style of leadership is required (Shamir, 1999).

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This article describes and discusses developments in careers research in the past few years in New Zealand. While detailing some important mainstream research in the 'career development' tradition, it focuses on research conducted largely in New Zealand business schools, which may have been prompted by the country's rapid deregulation in the 1980s and 1990s. Particular attention is paid to the destabilisation of careers and the development of 'boundaryless' and other new forms of career. This work provides a framework enabling us to understand career adaptation, and 'mobile career' phenomena such as careers based on project work and the role of overseas experience in career development.

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Professions are recognised occupations that require specialised knowledge, training, and skills. Entry into professions is gained through high level qualifications, such as university degrees. The theoretical knowledge base and profession-specific qualifications distinguish professions from other occupations and create a unique identity for them and their members. Professions have defined entry pathways that assist members who practise in the field (practitioners) to construct their professional identity. Governments regulate entry to some professions, such as teaching and psychology. Career development lacks the regulation of other professions and the entry pathway is less defined. This article considers the professional status of career development against a critical reflection on professions, professionalism and professionalisation, and professional identity construction. Potential implications of the differences between career development and other professions related to professional standards and regulation are discussed and questions posed about the construction of a professional identity for the field and its members.

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