THE ROLE OF LIFE EVENTS AND RELATIONS IN CAREER DECISIONS

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis was to investigate which formative and relational life events that may be particularly important for career decisions. To understand career choices, the thesis used a life story approach and portrayed how individuals reflected and found meaning from experiences and events. The sample consisted of thirteen interviewees, and five categories emerged from the analysis: (1) friends and acquaintances as inspiration, (2) door openers as the way in, (3) making sense of luck, (4) revelations along the way, and (5) mastery as propulsion. Moreover, the thesis noticed how individuals’ sensemaking of particular life events can contribute to outcomes in career decisions and development. In particular, the findings revealed that relations have influenced the interviewees’ career decisions, directly or indirectly. Further, the study revealed that mastery played a critical role in career development. Lastly, the interviewees’ sensemaking of the life stories included serendipities and epiphanies at different stages of the narratives.