Career Development in the Commonwealth of Independent States

The dramatic changes that have occurred in the former Soviet Union as part of its transformation from a communist command economy to a free‐market economy are having a profound impact on the lives of its people. These changes are particularly important in the area of work and careers because these contrasting economic systems assign different meanings and valuations to these domains. Although the institutional and structural changes that are needed to make this transformation successful have been addressed extensively, the changes that are required in the career attitudes, values, and overall conduct of individuals have received little attention. This article applies a developmental‐contextual approach to the analysis of changes that have occurred in the former Soviet Union and how they may affect individual career development.