Moments that Matter: Experiences, Commitment and Career Decisions of Young Professionals in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector

Abstract

The dissertation investigates the career decision-making processes of young professionals in the tourism and hospitality sector, focusing on the factors that strengthen commitment or lead to career exit. While most career studies emphasize individual psychological or social dimensions, this research highlights the significance of organizational and sectoral factors and the role of professional communities and mentoring. The goal is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how career motivations, early work experiences, and community embeddedness shape long-term career trajectories in a sector facing persistent labor shortages. Methodology The study employed a mixed-method, multi-stage design comprising five consecutive research stages. The empirical process combined grounded theory-based narrative interviews, content analysis, focus groups, and expert interviews, complemented by action research cycles that ensured continuous reflection and iterative refinement. This comprehensive design captured the dynamics of career choice, early career entry, and career decision-making from multiple angles, linking individual motivations with sectoral and organizational contexts. Findings Results show that a complex structure of motivations, including personal interests, social and family background, prior experiences, and the perceived image of the sector, shapes career choice. Early career experiences were decisive: positive feedback, mentoring support, and a sense of professional identity fostered commitment, whereas negative experiences, lack of recognition, and poor working conditions often triggered early exits. Community experiences, mentoring, and sectoral networks proved critical in reinforcing identity, resilience, and long-term attachment, especially during times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Theoretical contribution The dissertation proposes an integrated interpretive model that synthesizes three pillars: career theories (Super, Savickas, SCCT, Kulcsár et al.), sectoral organizational theories (attractiveness, embeddedness, commitment), and experience design (learning, employee, and professional experiences). This model reframes career choice, early career entry, and long-term commitment as a continuous experiential pathway shaped by social connections, learning opportunities, and reflexive narratives. The model offers a novel theoretical lens to understand how professional identity, sectoral attachment, and career direction evolve by combining developmental, contextual, and experiential logics. Practical implications The findings underline the importance of experience design and collaboration between industry stakeholders and educational institutions in strengthening the sector’s attractiveness. Supporting young professionals through structured career experiences and community engagement is essential for sustaining the future tourism and hospitality workforce.