Maximizing Career Engagement Across a Lifetime of Transitions

Abstract

Across a lifespan, especially during times of significant workplace changes, increasingly interconnected global markets, and the rise of the gig economy, individuals experience many career-related transitions. These include, but are not limited to, such developmental milestone transitions as from secondary to postsecondary education, from school to work, and from work to retirement. Other common transitions include leaving for, and returning from, parental or maternity leave; returning to work after a significant illness or injury; navigating job losses; reestablishing careers post-immigration; and navigating promotions and growth opportunities. This chapter applies the Career Engagement model (Neault and Pickerell, 2019; Pickerell and Neault, 2016) as a conceptual framework to support understanding and successfully navigating a myriad of career transitions. The Career Engagement model acknowledges a dynamic interaction between challenges and both individual and contextual capacity, recognizing that amismatch between challenge and capacity can result in individuals becoming overwhelmed or feeling underutilized; both states, if allowed to progress without intervention, can result in disengagement. Through a review of career development and organizational development literature, and use of several case vignettes to illustrate how the Career Engagement model can be applied during different types of career transitions, this chapter offers practical tools to support the goal of this book, to promote inclusion and sustainable employment for all.