A Phenomenology of Career Change in the Malaysian Workforce: The Narrative of Rejectors, Navigators and Seekers

This research examines the phenomenon of career change whereby individuals undertake a shift from one career to a completely different career. Phenomenology is used to explore different experiences and sense-making of a career change across Malaysian working adults, focusing on the emotional experience of change. Three narratives of career change are identified: Rejectors, Navigators and Seekers, each with unique characteristics, motivations, emotions and behaviours that shape their career change process to unfold differently. From these findings, an Adaptive Career Construal Model is proposed to explain how careers are constructed and managed.