In the UK there have been several calls for new models "fit for purpose" for careers work in the twenty-first century and in response, this article presents a model for career learning and development. This brings together recent theory regarding the ways in which people make career decisions throughout their lives in rapidly changing, turbulent labour markets and globalised economies. The model is articulated through the metaphor of a suspension bridge, which is used to explore and explain the ongoing dilemmas experienced by career practitioners and their clients as they seek to balance the opposing tensions that enable the bridge to fulfil its vital functions.