In an era defined by rapid technological changes, shifting economic landscapes, and unprecedented global challenges, sustaining a career over the long term remains an increasingly complex endeavor. Amid this backdrop, researchers O. Söner and H. Duru have embarked on a groundbreaking investigative journey to develop and validate a novel scale—aptly named the Career Sustainability Scale. The study, conducted with Turkish university students as their sample population and recently published in BMC Psychology, represents a significant stride toward quantifying and understanding what it takes for individuals to maintain sustainable career trajectories in dynamic labor markets. This research not only breaks new methodological ground but also offers vital insights that could reshape career development theory and practice worldwide.
Career sustainability, a term that combines notions of endurance, adaptability, and fulfillment in professional life, has, until recently, lacked a robust, universally accepted measurement tool. Söner and Duru’s work addresses this unmet need by operationalizing multiple dimensions that contribute to an individual’s ability to sustain their career without succumbing to burnout, job dissatisfaction, or career stagnation. University students, poised at the cusp of their professional lives, serve as an ideal demographic to test and calibrate such instruments, propelling the scale’s relevance for career counseling, human resource development, and educational programming.
The scale development process began with an extensive literature review incorporating multidisciplinary insights from psychology, organizational behavior, and vocational studies. The authors meticulously distilled factors commonly associated with career longevity, including psychological resilience, skill adaptability, work-life integration, and value alignment. Leveraging both qualitative and quantitative methods, the researchers generated a comprehensive item pool catering to the nuanced realities of contemporary career development, particularly within the Turkish cultural and educational context. This hybrid approach ensured that the scale captured not just generic career attributes but also culturally embedded perceptions that influence sustainable employment.
Central to the study’s methodology was the validation phase involving a diverse cohort of Turkish university students across various academic disciplines. Through rigorous psychometric analyses—such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses—the researchers fine-tuned the scale, confirming its structural validity and internal consistency. The statistical robustness demonstrated by their results underscores the scale’s potential utility in both research and applied career development settings. Importantly, the scale’s psychometric properties suggest it can discern subtle variations in career sustainability components, allowing for personalized career guidance interventions.
A particularly compelling aspect of the research is its nuanced measurement of psychological constructs associated with career sustainability. Constructs such as career adaptability—the ability to anticipate and respond flexibly to changing work environments—and intrinsic motivation were quantified with precise items. Incorporating these psychological variables is a valuable departure from traditional economic or purely skill-based indicators of career success, reflecting an evolving understanding that emotional and cognitive resources are integral to long-term career maintenance. This paradigm shift is especially pertinent given increasing automation, gig economies, and the demand for lifelong learning in the modern workforce.
The Turkish university student sample, while specific, offers important insights given Turkey’s unique position as a cultural and economic bridge between Europe and Asia. The country’s labor market is characterized by a mix of traditional employment practices and rapid modernization, presenting a rich context for exploring how young adults conceptualize and prepare for career sustainability. Sociocultural factors, such as family influence, societal expectations, and emerging gender roles, also interplay with individual aspirations and resilience, which the scale addresses indirectly through its comprehensive item generation process.
Another innovative element of this research is its potential applicability beyond academia. Human resources professionals and career counselors can harness the Career Sustainability Scale to identify strengths and vulnerabilities in clients’ career development trajectories, paving the way for more targeted interventions. Organizations could also deploy it as part of employee development programs to cultivate sustainable workforces better equipped to navigate uncertainty and evolve continuously. By embedding such a scale into talent management processes, businesses could proactively mitigate risks related to turnover, burnout, and skill obsolescence.
The research also provides empirical evidence for integrating sustainability thinking into career counseling curricula within universities. Educators tasked with preparing students for future careers can use the scale’s insights to emphasize resilience-building, adaptability, and value-based career decision-making, ensuring graduates are not only employable but also prepared to thrive sustainably. This educational direction aligns with global shifts toward holistic student development, encompassing emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and proactive career management strategies.
Söner and Duru further discuss the broader implications of defining and measuring career sustainability as an interdisciplinary concern that transcends traditional career psychology boundaries. Linking sustainability discourse commonly associated with environmental and organizational studies to individual careers invites a conceptual synthesis that recognizes careers as living systems requiring periodic renewal and adaptation. This fresh framing holds potential for future research exploring the interplay between personal agency, organizational support, and socio-economic structures in sustaining meaningful work over time.
One particularly laudable aspect of the study is its transparent approach to instrument creation. The authors have made detailed methodological appendices and data available, encouraging replication and cross-cultural validation studies. Such openness is critical for advancing cumulative knowledge in career development research and for ensuring that the Career Sustainability Scale can be adapted for diverse populations under different labor market conditions. This framework could be especially beneficial in emerging economies or regions undergoing rapid socio-economic transformation.
Moreover, the researchers highlight how the COVID-19 pandemic—and the resulting upheavals in employment practices—underscore the urgent need for tools that can monitor and enhance career sustainability. The pandemic dramatically accelerated trends toward remote work, digital upskilling, and precarious employment, making sustainable career development both a challenge and a necessity. Tools like the Career Sustainability Scale facilitate timely assessments of individuals’ readiness and capacity to navigate such shifts, providing actionable data to stakeholders ranging from policymakers to educators and employers.
In conclusion, Söner and Duru’s contribution extends well beyond a simple questionnaire. Their Career Sustainability Scale represents a sophisticated, empirically validated construct that captures the multifaceted nature of sustaining careers over time. By illuminating key factors that enable individuals to remain resilient, adaptable, and engaged within their professional trajectories, this research lays the foundation for innovative approaches to career development suited for the twenty-first century’s volatility. As labor markets continue to evolve unpredictably, such instruments become indispensable in equipping individuals—and societies—to meet future career challenges proactively.
The study’s publication in BMC Psychology signals the growing recognition of career sustainability as an essential psychological and social construct, worthy of rigorous scientific inquiry. Its implications resonate across multiple domains—from theoretical research and education to human resources and policy-making. Ultimately, the Career Sustainability Scale offers a beacon of hope and a practical toolkit for fostering enduring career success in an uncertain world.
Subject of Research:
Career sustainability and its measurement through a validated scale developed with Turkish university students.
Article Title:
Developing and Validating Career Sustainability Scale: Sample of Turkish University Students
Article References:
Söner, O., Duru, H. Developing and validating career sustainability scale: sample of Turkish university students. BMC Psychol 13, 954 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03346-z
Image Credits:
AI Generated
