Disoriented life stories. How unemployed represent career guidance

Abstract

The contemporary evolution of work has transformed the concept of employment security, allowing new scenarios of multiple uncertainties to emerge. People face significant difficulties in planning their current and future life design, especially in the presence of overwhelming career transitions, such as job loss. The paper explores the Life Design paradigm from a lifelong perspective. The aim is to improve lifelong and preventive guidance perspectives making them accessible to people throughout their lives. Using qualitative approaches, the article analyses job loss and the meanings of guidance practices from the authentic and in-depth perspective of the biographical and experiential narrative of an informal selp-help group consisting of jobless people. The support offered by informal groups in implementing forms of community guidance along with the guidance and employment services offered to citizens is emphasized.