| Abstract: | The phenomenon of occupational floundering occurs when a person enters the labor market in search of full-time work without a chosen commitment to an occupational goal. It is a period of effort in which job seekers experience varying degrees of need deprivation and frustration. Floundering can be divided into three stages: the period of initial entry into the labor market; the shopping period; and the mid-career stage. Floundering is not necessarily as destructive a phenomenon as current vocational theories tend to imply, since it sometimes provides experiences that facilitate personal growth and self-acceptance as well as providing a means by which a significant portion of the labor force eventually becomes stabilized. |
