Career Advising in a VUCA Environment

Recent developments in the knowledge-driven, postindustrial economy have radically affected college students' prospects for entering and completing successful careers. In this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, fewer organizations find profitability in hiring, training, and retaining workers. Over the last 20 years, traditional careers, with lifelong security and opportunities for financial success, have been systematically replaced by a contract with workers who maintain their own employability. In addition, college degrees no longer assure graduates of having marketable knowledge and skills, and so traditional career advising yields limited results in a VUCA environment. This is the first in a series of articles outlining a human capital approach to career advising that addresses the challenges of a VUCA environment.