Pathways to professional identity: a narrative research exploring how women who change careers make sense of their professional identity using social identity complexity theory.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20398317

This narrative study explored individual experiences with how women who have experienced multiple career changes make sense of their professional identity in a rapidly changing and global work environment. The purpose of this study was to better understand how these women described and structured their professional identities. This required in-depth analysis of the narratives encompassing their unique career change experiences, as well as the factors that contributed to their career decision making and professional identity development and self-categorization. The study focused on 10 women who experienced multiple career changes and transitioned to new careers. The types of career changes included intentional, long-term planning for change by the participants or resulted from external factors beyond the control of the individual. This research explored the changes, if any, to participants' professional identity, their new roles, and relied heavily on the participant's own understanding and self-categorization of their career roles and identities. Narrative content was examined through an inductive process to generate codes and emerging themes from the women's stories. Five conclusions emerged from this study. First, professional identity structure is complex among women who have experienced career transitions. Second, professional identity is not a constant self-concept or identity. Third, professional identity among career changer women has many contributing factors. Fourth, professional identity among career changer women has many contributing factors. And finally, the fifth conclusion was that a boundaryless, nonlinear career pattern does not neatly align with Super's model of career development stages.