Theoretical and methodological analysis of youth career development in the context of labor market instability

Abstract

This article develops a theoretical and methodological approach to studying the career attitudes of young people amid growing labor market uncertainty. In a rapidly changing society, individuals have fewer opportunities to build stable, long-term careers within a single company. New career models emphasize strengthening the importance of various forms of labor mobility, shifts in employee value orientations, and the significance of subjective perceptions of one’s professional path. Thus, a new type of career, special to the information society, is emerging. Based on an analysis of several secondary data the author attempted to ascertain how traditional and new career development types are manifested among Russian youth. The results indicate that young Russians’ career orientations are hybrid and mixed. Generally, younger individuals aim to build organizational careers, with salary being a critical measure of success. However, there is also significant interest in self-employment, freelancing, and remote work. Some are willing to demonstrate self-directed approaches to their professional development and to change organizations when necessary. The study concludes that consideration in the career attitudes and orientations of young people should account for the coexistence of both traditional and new career types.