The College‐to‐Career Transition: An Exploration of Emerging Adulthood

The transition from college to career has changed drastically over the past 20 years as postponement of major decisions relating to work, family, and responsibility, in general, has become the norm among many sectors of the U.S. population (Arnett, 2000). Emerging adulthood comprises a new developmental stage for individuals who are between the ages of 18 and 25 years and who have postponed adult roles and responsibilities for further exploration of unusual work and educational possibilities. This period of time, characterizing the first few years out of college in which recent graduates spend time exploring their life options, has become a major challenge for employers, career counselors, higher education institutions, and emerging adults themselves (e.g., Arnett, 2000). According to Arnett (2000), emerging adults are distinctive demographically, subjectively, and in terms of their approach to identity exploration. With the increase in opportunities and the decrease of immediate responsibilities, many emerging adults hit the ground running as they exit college, viewing the multitude of options as exciting and empowering. Others seemingly become psychologically paralyzed, listless, and in more extreme cases, depressed as they leave college in search of their identity, which is often most clearly manifested in the exploration of a meaningful career (Kenny & Sirin, 2006; Mortimer, Zimmer-Gembeck, Holmes, & Shanahan, 2002). The construct of adaptability, which represents a recent modification of Super's (1980) life span, life space theory of career development, provides a relevant theoretical framework for exploring and understanding emerging adults in transition. More specifically, Savickas (1997) proposed substituting career adaptability for maturity. Career adaptability is "the readiness to cope with the predictable tasks of preparing for and participating in the work role and with the unpredictable adjustments prompted by changes in work and working conditions" (Savickas, 1997, p. 254). Given the nature of today's globalized workforce, the construct of adaptability is increasingly relevant to understanding how individuals survive and thrive in the working world (Blustein, 2006). When emerging adults exit college and begin their transition to the working world, they are embarking on the first of potentially many career transitions, which will require varying degrees of coping skills and adaptability over time. Another relevant theoretical framework informing this study is the literature on risk and resilience (Hamilton & Hamilton, 2006; Masten et al., 2004). The question raised by the risk and resilience literature is, What are the internal and external factors that promote resilience in the face of risky contextual and psychological life experiences? The fundamental notion is that if risk and resilience factors can be identified in specific circumstances and populations, counselors will have the tools with which to help clients build on inherent strengths and use resources that will enhance these strengths even further. When applied to the emerging adulthood population in the present study, the challenges presented by the transition from college to career may likely constitute a risky environment, which, according to the literature, can promote both adaptive and maladaptive outcomes (Arnett, 2000). A brief review of the literature follows, highlighting what is known and what has yet to be discovered about emerging adults in transition. As a recent trend in employment statistics among the baby boomer generation suggests, young adults are changing jobs more frequently in their earlier years, an observation that is particularly evident among young adults who have more education (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004). More than 40 years ago, Erikson (1963) stated that "it is primarily the inability to settle on an occupational identity which disturbs young people" (p. 252). Erikson's comment still seems to hold true for many emerging adults. …