The Protean Career: Exemplified by First World foreign residents in Western Europe?

This article presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the career-related motivations and experiences of a sample of 20 expatriates living and working on a permanent basis in the South of France (Sophia Antipolis) and in Germany (Munich). By virtue of their having established local links in the host country, either in having local working contracts or being installed in the area on a permanent basis (home owners; children born/being schooled in the host country), these expatriates could also be termed foreign residents in the host country. The study’s sample of highly educated workers originating from the United States of America or Western Europe that have chosen to remain in the host country on an indefinite basis differs from contemporary research samples in international careers. This article argues that this particular sample of the locally hired expatriate also warrants attention in the literature and in career research. The findings highlight the relevance of the subjective career and the life-style anchor to the career direction chosen by this sample within the context of both the traditional and boundaryless career. Indeed a marked inclination toward the protean career concept is underlined in the empirical research.