Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students
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. S...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Societies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/13/10/225 |
| _version_ | 1797572262550831104 |
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| author | Cristiano Felaco Andrea Zammitti Jenny Marcionetti Anna Parola |
| author_facet | Cristiano Felaco Andrea Zammitti Jenny Marcionetti Anna Parola |
| author_sort | Cristiano Felaco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:53:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7d68f9df5591479f98cd490f4680709d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:53:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d68f9df5591479f98cd490f4680709d2023-11-19T18:07:30ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982023-10-01131022510.3390/soc13100225Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University StudentsCristiano Felaco0Andrea Zammitti1Jenny Marcionetti2Anna Parola3Department of Social Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, ItalyDepartment of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35122 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Education and Learning, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, 6928 Manno, SwitzerlandDepartment of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, ItalyChoosing 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/13/10/225meaning of workcareer choicesItalian contextqualitative approachconsensual qualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Cristiano Felaco Andrea Zammitti Jenny Marcionetti Anna Parola Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students Societies meaning of work career choices Italian context qualitative approach consensual qualitative research |
| title | Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students |
| title_full | Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students |
| title_fullStr | Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students |
| title_short | Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students |
| title_sort | career choices representation of work and future planning a qualitative investigation with italian university students |
| topic | meaning of work career choices Italian context qualitative approach consensual qualitative research |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/13/10/225 |
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