Reflections on the 2025 EAWOP Congress
Attending the 2025 EAWOP Congress in Prague offered a valuable opportunity to reflect on how careers unfold across time, context and relationships. Across a number of sessions, researchers examined how people experience transitions, cope with disruption and make sense of change in their working lives. The sessions below were particularly influential in shaping my thinking.
Session 1: Qualitative Research Foundations and a How-to Guide to Interview Design
Dr Katja Wehrle invited us to think carefully about how we design and carry out qualitative research. Her emphasis on participatory approaches stood out as both methodological and ethical. Researchers were encouraged to:
Pilot questions with participants or similar groups before beginning data collection
Share interpretations with participants, allowing them to comment on accuracy and relevance
Reflect participant voices clearly within the analysis, particularly in the conclusions drawn
This session reinforced the importance of trust and transparency in the research process. When participants help shape how their stories are represented, findings become more meaningful and less reliant on the assumptions of the researcher.
Session 2: Career Transitions and the Role of Others in Negotiating Boundaries
In a session led by Carol Linehan, Margaret Healy and Sylvia Dempsey, the presenters examined how accounting students navigated the transition from university into placement. The study used the Landscapes of Practice framework to understand how students engaged with different communities and managed identity shifts across contexts. The findings highlighted that:
Students were influenced by a wide range of people, including teachers, parents, peers, mentors and colleagues
Some students felt supported and validated in their new roles, while others experienced limited integration or feedback
Boundaries between university and work were not always clear, and students varied in how confidently they navigated them
This research showed that career development is not an isolated process. Social relationships, institutional structures and moments of feedback all shaped how students participated and what they learned.
Session 3: Motifs for Radical Career Change in Mid-Career
Julie Aglave, Isabel Raemdonck and Margherita Bussi presented findings from a qualitative study of individuals undergoing radical career change in mid-life. Drawing on biographical narratives, the research examined how people make sense of change, and what resources support or constrain their decisions. Participants described:
Periods of discomfort, tension or burnout that prompted reflection
A strong desire for work that aligned more closely with personal values
The importance of learning as both skill development and identity exploration
The continued value of previous careers as sources of confidence and security
This study added depth to our understanding of mid-career decision-making. The findings emphasised that change is often cumulative and reflective, supported by personal agency and social context.
Session 4: Navigating Career Shocks in Health and Social Care
In a session led by Professor Taru Feldt, with contributions from Sanna Markkula, Johanna Rantanen, Saija Mauno and Mari Herttalampi, the team explored the experiences of health and social care professionals who had encountered career shocks. Drawing on survey data from over 3,000 respondents in Finland, the study investigated how these shocks affected wellbeing and professional direction. The findings showed that:
A majority of participants had experienced at least one career shock
Most shocks were related to work tasks, organisational change or workplace relationships
Coping often involved discussing experiences with colleagues, supervisors or close others
Many participants reported changing their attitude towards work rather than changing roles
The research highlighted how informal conversations and internal reframing were key strategies for managing disruption. It raised important questions about how organisations can offer structured support during periods of uncertainty.
Session 5: Career Shock Attributes and Career Commitment
In a second session by Sanna Markkula, Johanna Rantanen, Mari Herttalampi and Taru Feldt, the focus shifted to the attributes of career shocks and how these were associated with career engagement and intentions to leave roles or professions. The research showed that:
Recent shocks were associated with stronger career reactions, both positive and negative
Less predictable and less controllable shocks were linked to lower commitment
Shocks perceived as having negative consequences increased intentions to change roles or professions
The analysis revealed that it is not only the presence of a shock that matters, but also how it is experienced. Perceptions of timing, predictability and agency all shaped the outcome.
Session 6: Books to Business: Career Goals and Sustainability During the School-to-Work Transition
Sjoerd Gerritsen, Maral Darouei, Karen Pak, Jos Akkermans and Beatrice van der Heijden presented a longitudinal study on how emerging adults experienced the transition from university into work. The study focused on career goal discrepancies and their impact on sustainable career development. Three broad patterns emerged:
Some participants experienced alignment between goals and outcomes, though not always with sustainable effort
Others adjusted goals over time, often with reduced engagement or momentum
A third group experienced clear misalignment, leading to instability and later re-evaluation
The session offered a useful framework for understanding how career goals evolve over time. The findings suggested that career sustainability is shaped not only by planning, but by the capacity to reflect, reframe and respond to unexpected realities.
Concluding Reflections
The sessions at the EAWOP Congress 2025 reflected the complexity of contemporary working lives. They reminded us that transitions are rarely individual or isolated. Social relationships, learning opportunities and contextual factors shape how people make sense of their careers. The research also offered insight into how people adapt and move forward, often drawing on internal and external resources during times of uncertainty or change. The Congress provided a space to reflect not only on outcomes, but on processes. It encouraged a more human view of work, grounded in experience and open to redefinition.
