Temporality: A fruitful concept for understanding, studying, and supporting people in transition

The specific processes of transitions or turning points have been studied in different fields, notably vocational psychology, career development, sociology, and the life-course approach. However, little work has brought together these different strands of research. To fill this gap, we explore the issue of temporality, raised to varying degrees by each approach, with the aim of showing its heuristic value in the study of career transitions. After clarifying a number of concepts, we describe research methodologies that can be used to identify temporality and suggest keys of comprehension to understand transitions from a temporal angle. Finally, we describe intervention avenues that take temporality into account to support people in career transition. Covering the past, the present, and the future, they aim to stimulate self-reflection in order to give meaning to the most significant biographical experiences and, hence, make the present clearer and anticipation of the future easier.