| Summary: | The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the career patterns of early career professionals living in Aiken County, South Carolina. Two theoretical frameworks were selected for this study; Patton and McMahon's (1999) Career Development Systems Theory and Higgins and Kram's (2001) Developmental Network Theory. The researcher conducted an in-depth literature review of peer reviewed journals from disciplines including, adult learning, career counseling,
education, human resource development, and psychology. A qualitative general inductive analysis approach was selected to support the collection and analysis of data. Twelve early career professionals were recruited to participate in the study. Based on the qualitative data collected, 16 categories and 12 themes emerged. The findings support the concept that human beings are complex open living systems impacted by individual dynamics and external forces. The findings also demonstrate
that career patterns are aligned with the human development process.
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