Many of us have been asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” From a young age, we start to develop career interests and aspirations based on the information we gain from different sources, like family, friends, and teachers. Much research has focused on how traditional mass media, such as television and film, can inform people’s knowledge of careers and their occupational aspirations. Social media platforms have become a large part of everyday life, especially for young adults, and may also contribute to how people perceive the working world, make sense of different career paths, and plan and achieve a career.

Broadly, my research focuses on how social media may shape and be used for people’s career development processes in a changing world of work. I mainly take an interpretivist approach to qualitative data collected through qualitative methods, including interviews, qualitative surveys, and content analyses. Thus far, I investigated what social media content people encounter that affects their career identity development, specifically their possible selves–anticipated, desired, and dreaded future selves. I’ve also examined social media influencers as a case for inspiration for aspiring independent creatives. Currently, I’m working on my dissertation proposal milestone.