Career development theory, although most highly developed for persons in the first two or three decades of life, can help counselors plan ways to work with older persons. The career development theories of Super, Tiedeman, Holland, Blau and other sociologists, Ginzberg, and Krumboltz, as well as the developmental theories of Levinson, Gould, and Neugarten are briefly reviewed to support this assertion. Although applications should be made with caution, concepts from these theories seem to have potential for enhancing the effectiveness of counseling of older persons. There seems, however, to be an increase in research and theory‐building on the career development of this age group; more helpful guidelines can be expected in the futur