Cultivando a empregabilidade: três olhares sobre o fenômeno

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the cultivation of employability from three perspectives on the phenomenon. Initially, the focus was on understanding how people with higher education already in the job market (between 10 and 35 years of experience) maintain their employability in the face of internal and external factors (Study 1). The data collected in in-depth interviews with 11 professionals indicated that knowledge is considered an asset. The movement towards employability is anchored in personal factors and the improvement of adaptation capabilities, curiosity, and confidence. Study 2 aimed to identify the soft skills a federal public university seeks to develop in students and the strategies used in this attempt. It consists of a documentary analysis of the Institutional Development Plan of the Federal University of Tocantins (PDI) and the Pedagogical Course Plan (PPC) of three of its undergraduate courses. Such documents demonstrate the intention of offering students training that includes the development of soft skills, which, in this sense, aligns with contemporary demands. Those studies found that mobility in professional development is, to a certain extent, predictable, and shocks are inherent to careers, so they should not be ignored. Thus, Study 3 shows how the proposed theoretical model of the Career Shock Arc, whose design is inspired by the Marguerez Arc, can contribute to professionals dealing with these events. The studies highlighted ways for professionals to develop their employability capacity, even in the face of hindering and facilitating factors, contributing to career management from the point of view of both the individual and higher education institutions. Therefore, they bring practical contributions to professionals and even those still in training by highlighting personal factors and behaviors that affect their insertion and maintenance in the world of work. Furthermore, the studies also point out actions that higher education institutions can take to maximize their students' employability throughout a professional life cycle, including considering predictable setbacks from career shocks.