Why adopt a sustainability approach in career studies? A theoretical essay about the foundations and the relevance of the discussion

Abstract

Sustainability has been adopted as a perspective to understand contemporary careers allowing an analytical view of the reality of work by including human and social impacts. This theoretical essay aims to discuss the sustainability’ foundations as a core dimension of the sustainable career concept. As main contributions, the career sustainability perspective presents a theoretical analysis lens emphasizing in a systemic and processual way dynamics of the influence of multiple contexts for the continuity of individual paths; the career continuity through time movements; the interconnectivity of the diverse actors that influences individual careers; the need for a process which allows fostering adaptative capability and the creation of opportunities for sustainability, among others factors.