Journal
CAREER DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL
Volume 19, Issue 6, Pages 668-682Publisher
EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1108/CDI-12-2013-0144
Keywords
Boundaryless career; Boundary-crossing; Career boundaries; Career self-management; Graduate labour market; Underemployment
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and role of career boundaries for enabling/constraining career self-management (CSM) for occupational boundary-crossing in the UK graduate labour market (GLM). Design/methodology/approach - The data are provided by career history interviews with 36 UK graduates. The analysis contrasts transitions for those who started careers in low-, intermediate-, and high-skilled segments of the labour market. Findings - Availability of development and progression opportunities were the most prominent career boundary experienced. Ease of boundary-crossing differed by career stage and educational background. Boundaries enabled CSM by acting as psychological/external push factors, but push factors only aided progression to high-skilled segments for a third of graduates who started careers in underemployment. For the rest, an adaptation of expectations to labour market realities was observed. Research limitations/implications - Although career history interviews limit generalisability, they contextualise boundaries and deepen understanding of career actors' subjective experiences and responses. Practical implications - The study highlights the role of labour market and demand-side constraints for career transitions as well as proactive career behaviours. This has implications for career counsellors, employers, and individuals. Originality/value - This paper provides a distinctive boundary-focused analysis of emerging career boundaries in the GLM. The findings point to the intricate interplay between structure and agency for career development.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available