Occupational career patterns over 30 years: predictors and outcomes

Abstract

Background: Investigating individuals' sequences of occupations and identifying suitable patterns is a complex task. Most research focuses on single time-points, single jobs and single transitions and only few longitudinal studies have investigated career paths over a long period of time. The aim of this study is to describe occupational career patterns (OCP) over a period of 30 years using longitudinal data from a representative sample of Swiss men and women. Based on a contextualist perspective of career development (Vondracek et al. Career development: a life-span developmental approach, 1986) potential antecedents such as characteristics of the family of origin and consequences of occupational career are examined. Methods:The database is the Zurich Longitudinal Study "From School to Middle Adulthood" (ZLSE), which includes eleven surveys and covers the age span from 15 to 52 years. Our sample consists of 597 persons. The vocational activity was surveyed with the aid of a "life graph" and the occupational career patterns were categorized with the help of the "International Standard Classification of Occupations" (ISCO-08). In addition information about the family of origin, roles over the life course, highest degree of education, intelligence, satisfaction in different areas of life, income and working conditions were collected.Results: Patterns of "upward mobility" and "fluctuating patterns" (upward and downward movements) were prevalent in the men's OCPs. For women, the "family pattern" with several interruptions and the "stability pattern" were most frequently observed. Men's and women's OCP were only weakly related to family of origin, but more strongly to their overall life career (e.g. multiple role constellations, such as family and investment in work and education). The results also show that the individual career development matters in terms of later career success and well-being. Conclusions:The study confirms the overall assumption of more beneficial consequences (for both genders) for "upward mobility", followed by "fluctuating patterns", whereas changing patterns such as "downward" and "horizontal changes" show negative effects. In conclusion the study shows that for career counseling practice it is important to look into the future and talk about long-term perspectives.

Career Stability in 14 Finnish Industrial Employee Cohorts in 1988–2015

“…If displaced, women have a harder time regaining their previous earnings level than men do (Jolkkonen et al 2012). All in all, men typically have more stable careers than women (Schellenberg et al 2016;Stawarz 2018).…”

“…Our focus is on the age and period of life when people have completed their education and when, in ideal conditions, careers are expected to stabilize and become upwardly mobile in terms of career progression. However, this 'mid-career' phase remains less studied compared to early and late careers (Brzinsky-Fay & Solga 2016;Riekhoff 2018), even though it is a crucial time for family formation and often marks a period when employees seek promotional opportunities or new career alternatives (Schellenberg et al 2016). Studies have also emphasized that mid-careers may have a lasting impact on later working life, retirement, and well-being in older age (Halpern-Manners et al 2015).…”

Monitoring work-related physical activity and estimating lower-limb loading: a proof-of-concept study

“…Whilst work-related PA has been shown to be a risk factor for OA, appropriate methods for the measurement of workplace PA are however, unclear, and currently there are barriers to assessment. For instance, previous occupation-based observational studies [14][15][16][17] are often restricted to assessing occupational exposure(s) using self-reported surveys at a single visit; which is not reflective of long-term exposure patterns [25]. Further, estimating lower-limb load presents new challenges beyond measuring workplace PA and subsequently, biomechanical surrogate markers are frequently used including load rate; defined as the rate of change in load with respect to time [26,27].…”

Automotive Electrical Learning Module to Improve Students Interest and Learning Achievement of Vocational School

“…Module is a learning material packed in an intact and systematic ways that covers a set of planned and designed learning experience in order to help learners master a specific learning purpose [5] [6]. Learning means a change in behavior and performance with a set of activities such as reading [7] [8], observing, listening, imitating, etc. Learning would become more efficient if done by the learners, instead of only as a verbal compulsion.…”

“…Learning would become more efficient if done by the learners, instead of only as a verbal compulsion. In addition, Learning Interest refers to learners' high tendency and passion, or a huge desire towards certain matter [9] [7]. Learning results are abilities possess by the learners as a result of their behavior in learning and may be observed through the learners' performance [10] [11].…”