Career identities and Millennials’ response to the graduate transition to work: lessons learned

This article answers the call for more research on Millennials’ experience of graduate transition to work (GTW). Using an identity perspective, it investigates how Millennials explored and developed their career identities after GTW, with a particular focus traits often associated younger generations such as boundaryless, protean intrinsic motivations. Interviews were conducted 36 Millennial graduates from U.k. Irish universities. Findings confirmed that largely avoided exploration until latter perceived boundary self-learning event. Four main themes data analysis: restraining ideal self; reasserting revising re-exploring possible selves. Participants appeared increase adaptability, self-drive motivation GTW in way different previous generations. Moreover, they continued develop change career-identities long first few transitional years. Implications Higher Education organisational practice are accordingly discussed.