Making Sense of One's Career: An Analysis and Typology of Supervisor Career Stories

Abstract

This study examines career development from a sensemaking perspective. Previous research in career theory identifies individual and social factors in individuals' career development. Communication theory and research demonstrate the importance of interactions and actions within contexts. These bodies of literature suggest that accounts for one's career constitute a valuable resource for understanding how people make sense of their professional lives. Supervisors from two companies provided stories of how their careers began and developed. A typology of story features was derived and indicates that participants made sense of their careers by utilizing topoi of agency, organizational and task features, and supportive relationships.

Keywords:

• Accounts
• Career
• Organizations
• Relationships
• Sensemaking
• Stories

Notes

Note: ratios are rounded to the nearest 100th. Totals are not exact due to rounding.

Note: , two-tailed tests.

∗p < .05;

∗∗p < .001

The non-significant t-tests can be obtained by contacting the lead author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Heather E. Canary

Heather E. Canary (PhD; Arizona State University, 2007) is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Arizona State University at the Polytechnic Campus.

Daniel J. Canary

Daniel J. Canary (PhD, University of Southern California, 1983) is a Professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University.