Passions, tradeoffs, traps and walls: the experience of Italian graduates searching for a professional identity

Nowadays in Italy, as in most European countries, young graduates start their careers with very fragmented paths, often characterized by short contracts and a high number of transitions. They have to adapt to fluid societies and flexible organizations, without losing the “thread” that connects many episodes into their unique career story. How can educators and/or career counselors give a contribution to guiding young high skilled workers towards educative work experiences and continuous learning, even in such a difficult socio-economic context? In a time when the importance of gaining work experience is highly emphasized, attention should be given to the quality of such experience, in terms of its effects on the person and his/her intellectual and moral growth. The support given to a young graduate by a professional should be targeted to identifying all elements to consider in order to create the foundations on which one can build a solid career plan, given individual and contextual factors.