Contemporary Career Theories in the Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Critical Literature Review

This paper critically reviews and observes the nature of contemporary careers and the orientation in which careers research has advanced over the past decade. The contemporary concept of career refers to an individual’s pursuit of career advancement without being restricted to a single job in a single company. Specifically, career concepts that appeared in the 1990s, including the protean and boundaryless career frameworks, and the next generation of career concept, including integrative frameworks, hybrid careers, and the kaleidoscope career model, are discussed. These models and theories all focus on the change in the concept of career management for individuals. This change occurred because of the developments taking place in this era, including economic aspects, globalization, and technology. This review aims to improve our understanding of careers in today’s dynamic work environment, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid changes that Saudi Arabia is witnessing at all levels. The challenges facing individuals in career advancement during this period are different from previous ones, so researchers should study the effects of the pandemic on changing the behavior of individuals towards the concept of career management. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of current theories and offers major questions for future research.