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Cited by 620Career Development and DiversityHigher Education and EmployabilityEmployment and Welfare Studies

The Covid-19 crisis as a career shock: Implications for careers and vocational behavior

Open access
Akkermans, Jos, Richardson, Julia, Kraimer, Maria L.·2020·Journal of Vocational Behavior
DOI 10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103434PMC PMC7205633
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Abstract

for many people across the globe. In this article, we reflect on how insights from the literature on career shocks can help us understand the career consequences of the pandemic and offer suggestions for future research in this area. In particular, we offer three "key lessons". The first lesson is that the implications of Covid-19 reflect the dynamic interplay between individual and contextual factors. Here, we argue that although the pandemic was difficult to predict and control, research shows that certain psychological resources - such as career competencies and resilience - could make this career shock more manageable. The second lesson is that the pandemic may have differential implications over time, as suggested by research that has shown the consequences of career shocks to differ between short-term vs. long-term time horizons, and across life- and career stages. The third lesson is that, even though the pandemic is clearly a negatively valenced shock for most people, further into the future it may allow for more positive outcomes. This lesson builds on research showing how negative career shocks have long-term positive consequences for some people. We hope that these insights will inspire both scholars and practitioners to study and understand the work and career implications of Covid-19 as a career shock, as well as to support people in dealing with its consequences.

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  • The current generation of workers is likely to experience career shocks caused by rapid technological changes, and many workers have already experienced career shocks from the pandemic.

    “The current generation of workers is likely to experience career shocks (disruptive events that trigger a sensemaking process regarding one’s career) caused by rapid technological changes, and indeed many workers have already experienced career shocks from the pandemic222.”

    From Understanding and shaping the future of work with self-determination theory (2022) · cites this paper as [222]

    The “Covid-19 as a career shock” section defines a career shock, and the Conclusion argues that the pandemic can be considered one affecting people’s work and careers. Neither passage supports the prediction that the current generation of workers is likely to experience career shocks caused by rapid technological change. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • The great resignation refers to massive wave of employee departures during COVID-19 in several parts of world, attributed in part to career shocks.

    “‘The great resignation’ refers to the massive wave of employee departures during the COVID-19 pandemic in several parts of the world, including North America, Europe and China229,230, that can be attributed in part to career shocks caused by the pandemic222.”

    From Understanding and shaping the future of work with self-determination theory (2022) · cites this paper as [222]

    The Conclusion (page unavailable) argues that COVID-19 was a career shock with major effects on work and careers. Lesson 3 (page unavailable) suggests that it could prompt some people to re-evaluate their careers. The paper does not establish that career shocks contributed to the mass employee departures called the Great Resignation; the geographic description is attached to other citations in the citing sentence. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. JHU COVID-19 dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Retrieved 05-05-2020 from https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html 2020 PMC9432867 36057267

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Authors
Akkermans, J., Richardson, J., & Kraimer, M. L.
Affiliations
  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
  • Curtin University (AU)
  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
Corresponding author
Akkermans, Jos
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Vocational Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-06
Volume
119
Pages
103434
ISSN
0001-8791 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103434
PMC
PMC7205633
OpenAlex
W3022550060
Cited by
620
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 54 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 132 · 2022: 146 · 2021: 109 · 2020: 27 · 2018: 2
FWCI
140.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Vocational Behavior (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Career Development and Diversity
  • Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education and Employability
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Employment and Welfare Studies
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, career shocks, career outcomes, career skills, resilience, psychological resources, vocational behavior, individual and contextual factors

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