Opportunity or risk for higher education careers practitioners? An exploration of peer influence on career behaviours

Abstract

A proportion of higher education (HE) students appear to be taking careers and employability support into their own hands, organising workshops, employer talks and networking events. Perhaps it’s time careers professionals stepped back and left them to it? Whether through transmittal of expectations or information, as ‘flesh and blood’ role models, collaborators or supporters, there is much to suggest peer influence could be better harnessed as a means of increasing and deepening opportunities for students’ career learning. Drawing on this, implications for the design and delivery of HE careers and employability support are considered.