“Running away is easy; it's the leaving that's hard”: Career enactment by former military officers

Abstract

Although frequent role transitions have become a fixture of contemporary careers, the literature does not offer clear evidence on whether and how former career roles continue to be relevant to ongoing careers. We draw on data collected via 41 interviews with former military officers who voluntarily left the military, and we explore how identities informed by past careers impact individuals' future career enactment. We argue that, while identity motives unfulfilled by a certain career role can trigger a transition, a reflexive awareness of the motives it fulfilled can prompt the former identity to linger and influence individuals' career paths. Our study adds theoretical depth to the careers and identity literatures by identifying three career pathways that emerge from this predicament and impact career enactment. We term the occupants of these pathways as settlers, explorers, and shapers. Our study elaborates how identities informed by prior roles influence career enactment, noting that individuals may not jettison identities informed by such roles on making a career transition. Thus, we question the linear relation between career change and identity change that is presupposed by prior studies on career transitions. We also highlight the double-edge of prior career role identities, showing how they continue to inflect ongoing cognition and behavior through a process of imprinting.