Embracing occupational history: A doctoral research study investigating the career aspirations of older workers

Abstract

What are the career aspirations of older professional workers in business advisory services? How does their career history influence their aspirations as they navigate toward retirement? These are the principal questions underlying the doctoral research programme showcased in this article. In contemporary society the concept of retirement is being challenged as the population ages and the government review their social strategies. ‘Traditional’ career pathways of older professional workers reflected an ascendant career which embraced their expertise and service, but now, with continuing organisational turbulence, some face a changing environment where their career path looks less certain. This article illustrates some of the main issues facing a new doctoral researcher; it is written at the beginning of the second year of research and addresses some critical questions that a new researcher needs to consider when they set out on their research journey. This reflective article takes Rudyard Kipling’s (1902) ‘six honest servingmen (sic)’ as its framework.