From Books to Business: The Impact of Career Goal Achievement on Career Sustainability During the School-to-Work Transition

Sjoerd Gerritsen, Maral Darouei, Karen Pak, Jos Akkermans, Beatrice I. J, Van der Heijden, Rotterdam Business School, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands, Institute for Management Research, Radboud University, the Netherlands, Department of Management and Organization, School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Department of Human Resource Studies, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, the Netherlands, Open Universiteit, the Netherlands, Department of Marketing, Innovation and Organisation, Ghent University, University of the Free State Business School, South Africa, Kingston Business School, Kingston University

Journal of Career Assessment

Published online on November 20, 2025

Abstract

Journal of Career Assessment, Ahead of Print.
In this qualitative longitudinal study, we investigate how discrepancies between career goals set before graduation (T1) and actual achievements one year later (T2) shape the sustainability of emerging adults’ careers. Although prior research has shown ...