Narrative identity: writing the self in career learning

Abstract

We propose that writing can be employed to foster the kind of career learning required in the twenty-first century. The article offers insights into how writing exercises and approaches can be applied to help students construct their career stories in a way that allows them to engage in a dialogical learning process and work in a self-directed way. Creative, expressive and reflective writing practices are described and parallels are drawn between these and existing practices and theories in narrative career counselling. Key exercises in graduate courses for writing for personal development are discussed and a theoretical explanation is given as to why a particular order of approaches and exercises works best to promote career learning.

Keywords:

• career education
• career guidance
• identity
• narrative approaches
• creativity

Acknowledgements

We thank all those students who have allowed us to share examples of their work to illustrate how writing may contribute to career learning.

Notes on contributors

Reinekke Lengelle is a visiting graduate professor at Athabasca University currently doing research on the effects of creative writing on career learning.

Frans Meijers is a researcher in the area of career guidance in the Netherlands. He is also professor of pedagogy and career development at the University of the Hague.