Playing the Career Game in a Changing World of Work: Career Navigation and Support Strategies in Advice Columns

Abstract

This study explores the career challenges individuals are facing and the type of managing strategies proposed on a public arena in Swedish media. The study investigates advice columns published between 2011 and 2015. Qualitative content analysis was used followed by an analysis based on the theoretical framework of career as a social and professional representation. The results uncovered several dilemmas of career navigation. These dilemmas were classified into five categories: 1) need for recognition, 2) how to advance, 3) how to understand the labor market, 4) experiences of injustice and of being controlled, and 5) uncertainty in current/forthcoming role. In all categories the social representation of career as a game of exchange is evident. The study identified four different support strategies in the answers given: 1) a strengthening strategy; 2) an enduring strategy; 3) a compensating strategy, and 4) a balancing strategy. These strategies relate to four different orientations: 1) individual-oriented, 2) market-oriented, 3) organizational-oriented, and 4) mutual-oriented. Moreover, four work-life contextually related representations were identified as underlying the answers given: 1) career-recognition as a cost issue, career-navigating as 2) a risky (power)game, as 3) understanding the rules of the game, and 4) as personal marketing and/or strategic communication. Based upon the results, a bridging guidance approach is suggested that manages to address a perspective of exchange and through increased awareness manages to build bridges between different knowledge bases about career to support learning in career navigation. Abstrakt Denna studie undersoker karriarfragor och utmaningar som individer star infor samt vilken typ av hanteringsstrategier som foreslas pa en offentlig arena i svensk media. Studien undersoker radgivningskolumner publicerade mellan 2011 och 2015. Kvalitativ innehallsanalys genomfordes foljt av en analys baserad pa det teoretiska ramverket karriar som social och professionell representation. Resultaten blottlade ett antal dilemman avseende karriarnavigering. Dessa dilemman klassificerades i fem kategorier: 1) behov av erkannande, 2) hur avancera/ga vidare, 3) hur forsta arbetsmarknaden, 4) upplevelser av orattvisa och kontroll, och 5) osakerhet i nuvarande/kommande roll. I samtliga kategorier framtrader den sociala representationen om karriar som ett utbytesspel. Studien identifierade fyra olika stodstrategier i kolumnernas svar: 1) starkande strategi, 2) uthardande strategi, 3) kompenserande strategi, och 4) balanserande strategi. Dessa strategier relaterar till fyra olika orienteringar: 1) individorienterad, 2) marknadsorienterad, 3) organisationsorienterad och 4) omsesidig orientering. Vidare identifierades fyra arbetslivsrelaterade kontextbundna representationer om karriar som underliggande de givna svaren; 1) karriar-erkannande som kostnadsfraga, karriar-navigering som 2) ett riskabelt (makt) spel, 3) som forstaelse av spelets regler, och 4) som personlig marknadsforing/strategisk kommunikation. Baserat pa studiens resultat foreslas en overbryggande vagledningsstrategi som formar hantera ett utbytesperspektiv pa karriar och genom okad medvetenhet bygga broar mellan olika kunskapsbaser om karriar for att stodja larande i karriarnavigering. Nyckelord: karriarnavigering; stodstrategier; radgivningskolumner; sociala representationer; overbryggande vagledning