From Shock to Shift–A Qualitative Analysis of Accounts in Mid-Career About Changes in the Career Path

Abstract

Career shocks are the norm, not the exception. Yet, much of research and counseling on career-development holds unrealistic assumptions of a makeable career. Little is understood about the role of shocks on the career path and how the interplay of individual reactions to shocks shapes careers. The purpose of this study is to provide understanding of responses to different attributes of career shocks and career shocks as antecedents to career and job change. A qualitative approach was chosen and data were obtained from 25 semi-structured interviews with a sample of mid-career individuals who had experienced shocks in their work lives. The analysis was 2-fold and aimed at unearthing of individual responses to shocks and the question of the role of shocks on changes in the career path. Firstly, the analysis of career shocks revealed a pattern of distinct agentic responses in relation to shocks of different attributes. Secondly, from the analysis of shock attributes and corresponding responses over time career changer profiles emerged which differ in regard to career change behavior and magnitude of changes in the career (e.g., major career changes into another field). A process model which depicts how post-shock careers are shaped distinctively in relation to different shock attributes and corresponding responses is presented. This study underlines the importance of understanding the unplannable in career development and shows a variety of options for individuals to develop their careers despite shocks. Limitation stems from the investigation of a sample limited to mid-career individuals. The findings provide a new conceptual lens to theorize and conduct research on career shocks and career changes and facilitate the development of coping strategies for career shocks. The originality lies in the investigation of the momentum of career shocks on career paths with detail to different attributes of career shocks and how they impact the career path.

Þáttaskil: Hvers vegna velja konur í forystu að fara úr æðstu stjórnunarstöðum á miðjum aldri

“…Eigindleg rannsóknaraðferð var valin, en samkvaemt þeirri aðferðafraeða er haegt að fá góða innsýn í reynsluheim þátttakenda.. Tekin voru ítarviðtöl en úrtakið var fundið með aðferð snjóboltagerðar. Í því felst að velja lykilþátttakendur sem eru sérstakir fyrir viðfangsefnið og falla að skilgreindum viðmiðum og biðja þá í viðtölunum að vísa rannsakanda á fleiri þátttakendur (Merriam, 2009).…”

“…breytingahvatar, heilsa og fjölbreytt forysta sem byggðu á þeim stefnum sem ítrekað komu fram í svörum viðmaelenda. Undir hvert þema voru greindir flokkar sem voru litakóðaðir (Merriam, 2009). (1994); eru skilgreiningar á breyttum starfsferli með ýmsum haetti og samraemd skilgreining ekki til.…”

Pause But Not Panic: Exploring COVID-19 as a Critical Incident for Nonprofit Workers

“…29–30) defined, “critical incidents are time-limited events that are often unexpected and potentially life-threatening, and exposure to critical incidents has been linked to depression, anxiety, and stress.” Rummel et al (2021) described critical incidents as intersecting personal agency—a person’s sense of control—with unforeseen events. Professionally, critical incidents have also been referred to as “career shocks,” acknowledging the before-and-after treatment effect that a chance event may have on a worker’s career intentions or path ( Nalis et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Hence, another defining component of critical incident research is focused on the person or worker’s response to the incident. Accordingly, a critical incident can be disruptive to a career, altering a worker’s path and their choices, or may be a focusing event, affirming choices already made and re-energizing commitment ( Nalis et al, 2021 ). Kelchtermans and Vandenberghe (1994 , pp.…”

Career shock of hotel employees and their individual resilience: an exploratory study

“…Although career shocks occur for reasons beyond the control of most individuals, they provoke jobholders to contemplate their career path (Akkermans et al , 2020). And responses to such shocks vary depending on a person’s character and the intensity with which they perceive the shocks (Nalis et al , 2021; Seibert et al , 2016). Hence, career shocks can have positive and negative implications such as seeking to upgrade skills or education versus seeking to leave the organization (Slay et al , 2006; Foller-Carroll and Charlebois, 2016).…”