Millennial Career-identities: Reevaluating Social Identification and Intergenerational Relations

Abstract

This article extends generational literature by investigating the self-perceptions of U.K. based Millennials on how they formed their career-identities within intra- and inter-generational interactions (n = 36). Thematic analysis of interviews indicated that participants engaged in personal identification more than generational identification, interacting with both contemporaneous and older generations to co-produce and role model their career-identities. These findings challenge normative readings of sociological perspectives on generations which emphasize divergence and weakening ties between generations. Rather, findings suggest that an integrative framework provides a more appropriate theoretical lens for conceptualizing generational career-identities, incorporating kinship perspectives on interactive relationships within and across generations.