Career Theories Project Management Pros Should Know

Career theories project management professionals rely on can reframe how they handle an uncertain path. Many of us reconsider our direction at some point. A graduate weighs first roles, while a seasoned manager rethinks the path they are on. To see how people find the right fit, we can look toward two modern career theories.

The global labour market stays unpredictable. Therefore the uncertainty facing university students in the hunt for jobs has seemingly intensified (Lee & Jung, 2021). Working professionals feel it too. Those who hoped to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic met shifting ground. Such uncertainty can then lead to "the inability to make a decision at all, or…making an undesirable decision" (Gati et al., 1996; Kwok, 2018).

So a few questions follow. What mindset should job seekers aim to adopt? Which attitudes and skills matter most when career indecision strikes? The two theories below offer practical answers.

Things To Consider Before You Choose

First, accept that career uncertainty is a widespread dilemma. It reaches every kind of person, no matter how many years of experience you hold. Therefore keep an open mind toward opportunities, and treat unexpected events as a positive sign.

Moreover, be ready to embrace the change that uncertainty brings. Sarah Ellis is co-founder of Amazing If, a career development company. She noted in a recent podcast that "On average, most of us are going to have five different types of career during our working life". Value each experience you gain. Stay open to new roles, since that openness helps you find the career that is right for you.

The Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC)

Bright and Pryor developed this theory. It aims to embrace uncertainty within career development. The approach rejects "treating ambiguity as a negative concept that disrupts career progression" (Kwok, 2018). It also pushes back on older models.

Critics said traditional theories missed key influences. Those influences include "changes in individuals, working contexts…culture, economics, politics and the family" (Järvensivu & Pulkki, 2020). Thus CTC defines a career as an "emergent property". It grows from the environment one works in. Such a career also builds steadily from one's behaviour and experience (Pryor, 2016; Järvensivu & Pulkki, 2020).

Chaos here rests on four principles. They are complexity, change, constructiveness and chance (Kwok, 2018). Bright and Pryor (2014) have increasingly focused on chance, because it is such a common part of people's careers. Empirical evidence supports the point. Most of us meet many chance events across our lives. One such event, moreover, "more often than not…leads to another" (Bright et al., 2009; Bright & Pryor, 2014).

The Theory of Planned Happenstance

The theory of planned happenstance treats unexpected events as part of career growth. It also urges people to pursue such openings to deepen their learning (Krumboltz et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2014). The effort means "taking action, exploring, and learning from diverse experiences to seize career opportunities" (Kim et al., 2014). It calls for clear skills too. Furthermore those skills include curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism and risk taking (Mitchell et al., 1999; Kwok, 2018).

This theory stays relevant as employment trends, globalisation and outside forces keep shifting. Consequently it accepts that people live different lives. They hold "unique characteristics or preferences", and they "face all kinds of unpredictable events" that shape their careers (Lee et al., 2017). It then aims to redirect events, both good and bad, into "opportunities for career development" (Lee et al., 2017).

An open-minded view of opportunity is one proposed way to ease uncertainty. Indeed research finds a clearly positive link here. It connects tolerance of uncertainty with the happenstance skills that drive career satisfaction (Krumboltz et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2014).

Career Theories Project Management Professionals Can Use

These career theories project management professionals can use point to one shift in mindset. When we rethink how we handle uncertainty, the unexpected becomes an opportunity. It can shape a career over the long term.

Career theory research backs this. The core aim of CTC and planned happenstance is to "develop positive psychological attitudes toward ambiguity" (Kwok, 2018). Instead of overlooking uncertainty, the theories help people face their careers with more confidence. Therefore graduates and professionals need updated, current career resources. Uncertainty should not be seen as a barrier to the right path.

Project leaders can apply the same lens while they build their credentials. You might map an open-minded plan around a PMP certification course. Alternatively you can start earlier with a CAPM certification course, then lean into the chance events that follow. The Project Management Institute sets the global standards that frame these roles. So by refusing to force yourself into one traditional route, you can revalue your potential and reach further career success.