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Considering-Mobility: Expanding Our View of PhD Graduate Life-Career Decision-Making

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Title: Considering-Mobility: Expanding Our View of PhD Graduate Life-Career Decision-Making
Language: English
Authors: Lynn McAlpine (ORCID 0000-0002-5361-1361), Montserrat Castelló (ORCID 0000-0003-1757-9795), Kirsi Pyhältö (ORCID 0000-0002-8766-0559)
Source: Higher Education Quarterly. 2026 80(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Graduate Students, College Graduates, Employment Patterns, Occupational Mobility, Career Development, Career Choice, Decision Making, Intention
DOI: 10.1111/hequ.70111
ISSN: 0951-5224
1468-2273
Abstract: Globally more than half of PhD graduates work beyond academia and they change jobs with greater frequency than in academia. We have been researching this post-PhD mobility for some time, and recently, in beginning a study, we became intrigued by transcript excerpts that were not actual mobility but still referenced mobility. On examining these more closely, we realised they represented "assessing options/possibilities without actual moving." This unexpected phenomenon led us to expand our analysis to compare experiences of considering mobility and actual mobility. Strikingly, in considering mobility compared to actual mobility, life-career goals predominated, and assessments of personal and structural factors were often present--not the case with actual mobility. These findings fundamentally expand our understanding of life-career thinking: first, they position considering mobility as an ongoing internal dialogue assessing personal and structural factors around life-career intentions. Second, given no visible action results from the effort, these assessments emphasise the centrality of 'thinking' in individual's agency--efforts to influence their life-career options. As to policy and practice, this new evidence of intentionality has implications for helping individuals enhance their career thinking--important in today's world of self-authored careers.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503993
Database: ERIC
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lynn+McAlpine%22">Lynn McAlpine</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5361-1361">0000-0002-5361-1361</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Montserrat+Castelló%22">Montserrat Castelló</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1757-9795">0000-0003-1757-9795</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kirsi+Pyhältö%22">Kirsi Pyhältö</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8766-0559">0000-0002-8766-0559</externalLink>)
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduate+Students%22">Graduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Graduates%22">College Graduates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Patterns%22">Employment Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Occupational+Mobility%22">Occupational Mobility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+Development%22">Career Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+Choice%22">Career Choice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intention%22">Intention</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/hequ.70111
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  Data: Globally more than half of PhD graduates work beyond academia and they change jobs with greater frequency than in academia. We have been researching this post-PhD mobility for some time, and recently, in beginning a study, we became intrigued by transcript excerpts that were not actual mobility but still referenced mobility. On examining these more closely, we realised they represented "assessing options/possibilities without actual moving." This unexpected phenomenon led us to expand our analysis to compare experiences of considering mobility and actual mobility. Strikingly, in considering mobility compared to actual mobility, life-career goals predominated, and assessments of personal and structural factors were often present--not the case with actual mobility. These findings fundamentally expand our understanding of life-career thinking: first, they position considering mobility as an ongoing internal dialogue assessing personal and structural factors around life-career intentions. Second, given no visible action results from the effort, these assessments emphasise the centrality of 'thinking' in individual's agency--efforts to influence their life-career options. As to policy and practice, this new evidence of intentionality has implications for helping individuals enhance their career thinking--important in today's world of self-authored careers.
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      – SubjectFull: College Graduates
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      – SubjectFull: Employment Patterns
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