According to Ginzberg and associates, the primary characteristic of the realistic stage of career development...

Ginzberg and his associates described the realistic stage (ages 17 to early 20s) as the period when individuals clarify and integrate their capacities and interests with realistic career options. This stage involves exploring and then committing to a vocational choice that matches one’s abilities and aspirations. “The realistic stage is marked by the integration of capacities, interests, and values as individuals make final career decisions.”