Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students

Cristiano Felaco (), Andrea Zammitti, Jenny Marcionetti and Anna Parola
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Cristiano Felaco: Department of Social Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Andrea Zammitti: Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35122 Padova, Italy
Jenny Marcionetti: Department of Education and Learning, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, 6928 Manno, Switzerland
Anna Parola: Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy

Societies, 2023, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-11

Abstract: Choosing a career is one of the most challenging for young adults, and the representations of work could influence how people make decisions and build their career paths. This qualitative study examined the career choices, representations of work and future plans of 58 Italian university students. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research procedure. The results emphasize the centrality of environmental conditions and internal factors such as vocation and internal resources in career choice processes. Also crucial is students’ discussion of the meaning attributed to work as good for oneself and others. Finally, most students present in their narratives, clear future plans. Findings suggest themes to explore in career guidance interventions. Unpacking the influences of choices and working on the meaning attributed to work appears pivotal to career counseling interventions to orient young people toward powerfully pursuing their career choices.

Keywords: meaning of work; career choices; Italian context; qualitative approach; consensual qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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