The Intelligent Careers Framework was first introduced as a response to popular ideas about the knowledge-driven company. Since that time, the framework has become a major focus for teaching and research, and a stimulus for employment practice. It builds on an individual’s own sensemaking about their career situation, and is equally applicable at any career stage. Michael will review his own engagement with the framework, and its emergent relevance in today’s world. He will excite the participant with its most current and meaningful application, in relation to lifelong development.

Michael will also describe the Intelligent Careers Method, calling for at least one day’s commitment from an individual client to reflect on, describe, derive key themes about and initiate a “moving picture” of action steps on their career. He will further describe the relevance of the method to career advisors,
clients, students, peer-coaches and focus group contributors. For each of these users, their participation is linked to specific digital “badges” issued by Credly, the leading skill certification company. The method is presently available in twelve languages.

He is a career scholar known for his introduction of both boundaryless careers and intelligent careers to the career development lexicon. He recently co-authored the book An Intelligent Career, Taking Ownership of Your Work and Your Life and writes on “career ownership” for Forbes.com. He also manages Intelligent Careers Group, founded to promote more effective career practices.

in answer to the question how his work relates to the theme ‘Lifelong development as a standard’ he answers: “I love that theme! Once you accept it, you get drawn into questions about “How well are we doing?” Static views of the person, or cross-sectional research applications, do not begin to appreciate lifelong development. I am also concerned about unidisciplinary researchers staying in their own comfort zones, rather than reaching out to people in other disciplines and developing wider perspectives. I’m concerned too, about the distinction between what is measurable and what is important.”

Publications

Premarajan, R. K.,Forrier, A., and Arthur, M. B. (2020) Career Dynamics in a Global World: Indian and Western Perspectives, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar.

Arthur, M. B., Khapova, S. N., Richardson, J. (2017/18). An Intelligent Career: Taking Ownership of Your Work and Your Life. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. 

Tams, S. Kennedy, J. C., Arthur, M. B., and Chan, K. Y. (2021) Careers in cities: An interdisciplinary space for advancing the contextual turn in career studies. Human Relations, 74,5, 635-655. 

Guan, Y., Arthur, M. B., Khapova, S. N., Hall, R. & Lord, R. G. (2019). Career Boundarylessness and Career Success: A Review, Integration and Guide to Future Research. Journal of Vocational Behavior 110 (Part B), 390-402. 

Beigi, M., Shirmohammed, M. and Arthur, M. B. (2018) Intelligent career success: The case of distinguished academics. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 107, 261-275.