Interpreting visual metaphors related to career planning as viewed by younger Millennials

Abstract

The article provides an analysis of the results of a survey conducted by the authors. Using a “deep metaphor” technique the authors explore career-building activities of the Millennials aged 21-24 with a working experience of at least one year and a half. The methodological basis of the paper is a combination of biographical interviews, a visual set of metaphors related to career planning prepared by respondents (filmstrips) and discussion (interpretation) of these visual images with the researchers. A special attention is paid to analyzing the key generational fears. On the basis of ten dominant metaphors and fears the authors single out six models of building a career path, or four models in a scaled-up version. Those models are (1) career as a calculated project (“I see the goal and see no barriers”), (2) career viewed through invariable life principles (“the choices made by many others do not suit me”), (3) career as an established tradition under implementation (“this has always been common, thus this is what I need to do”), (4) career as an unlimited adventure (“an adventure, in one word”).  The article proposes a detailed typology and presents all the visual metaphors drawn from the study in the form of structural schemes.