Gross-Avnir, O. (2025). Career Memories and Identity Formation: A Qualitative Study of Professionals' Life Stories. GAIA 1(2), 1 - 18. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14889751

This study introduces and analyzes the unique concept of 'Biographical Career Memory' - how individuals retrospectively construct and interpret their vocational experiences across their work life. Combining narrative approaches with identity and career decision-making theories, the research takes a novel approach to exploring how men near retirement remember and make meaning of their professional journeys. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 men, the study reveals how being interviewed about one's career can facilitate the formation of a new biographical identity, offering participants a renewed perspective on their occupational history. This aligns with findings on psychological flexibility, which plays a crucial role in how individuals process career-related experiences and adapt to their vocational narratives (Fuchs, H. et al., 2024). By reinterpreting their professional histories, individuals may gain a stronger sense of identity and purpose in later career stages. The findings, organized into four key themes, reveal distinct patterns in how participants recalled their professional lives: (1) Educational decisions were remembered as relatively straightforward, with few reported dilemmas; (2) Initial job searches were characterized as natural progressions from education; (3) Mid-career challenges were recalled with minimal drama, described instead as organic transitions; and (4) Overall career summaries demonstrated high levels of satisfaction and positive reframing of past experiences. Participants' retrospective accounts showed minimal emphasis on career obstacles or regrets, suggesting that career memories serve as components of positive self-definition and biography. These findings have significant implications for theory and practice, particularly in the field of career counseling and development. The study's insights into how individuals construct meaning from their career histories can inform practical approaches to helping younger professionals navigate career challenges and transitions. Additionally, the research demonstrates how retrospective career narrative construction can contribute to psychological well-being