When you can't stop the waves: navigating career insecurity in the early career stage

Uncertainty has long been viewed as an inherent nature of individuals’ careers (Trevor-Roberts, 2006). The concept of career insecurity essentially considers the increasing uncertainties in the modern work environment and its significance to a person’s future career development. In light of the risks and precarity that young people face in the present labor market, this dissertation focused its research on the career insecurity of early career individuals. The overarching aim of the three studies that were conducted in this research project was to examine the adaptiveness of the resources and strategies that early career individuals employ to cope with their career insecurity. Study 1 of this dissertation explored the importance of psychological and social career resources in the perceptions of career insecurity among university students. Whereas Study 2 and Study 3 of this dissertation focused on testing a conceptual model of coping with career insecurity. The general findings of this dissertation offer meaningful contributions to the growing field of research on career insecurity by highlighting the significance of both personal and contextual resources, as well as the importance of early career individuals’ coping responses. In brief, the insights gained from this research project can serve as a stepping stone to help address early career individuals’ career insecurity and sustain their endeavors as they navigate the uncertainties of the future world of work.