Self-directed career management in sustainable remote career ecosystems

Abstract

Purpose The study examines how professionals sustain their careers in a context where remote work is common and digital technologies are central to daily work, using sustainable career ecosystems and self-directed career management as guiding lenses. It explores how remote workers maintain engagement, adaptability, and healthy work relationships while preserving health, happiness, and productivity over time.

Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative design featuring in-depth interviews with remote professionals across different industries and career stages. It examines how individuals navigate career transitions, manage their development, and sustain engagement and relationships amid ongoing technological and organizational change.

Findings Individual agency and proactive career management are crucial for sustaining careers in remote, digitally mediated work. Remote workers use strategies such as upskilling, job crafting, managing boundaries, and intentional networking, which, when supported by their organizations, foster employability, well-being, and enduring relationships. The study shows how external disruption and self-directed career management interact as a form of co-agency between individuals and organizations to support sustainable career outcomes in remote settings.

Originality/value The study integrates sustainable career ecosystems and self-directed career management to explain how careers remain sustainable in remote, technology-intensive environments. It offers new qualitative evidence on how self-directed strategies function within disrupted career ecosystems shaped by COVID-19 and AI, highlights shared responsibility between individuals and organizations for career sustainability, and provides practical guidance for remote workers, line managers, and HR practitioners designing sustainable remote work practices.