Career perceptions and strategies in the new market‐oriented Bulgaria: an exploratory study

This article offers an exploratory first look at the career‐related perceptions and strategies of young careerists in today’s democratic and market‐oriented Bulgaria. It identifies major social, political and economic developments that have shaped the Bulgarian nation and presents and discusses survey data which reveal factors influencing careerists’ thoughts and decisions, levels of (and reasons for) career optimism‐pessimism, and strategies used in the pursuit of career advancement. Where appropriate, comparative data are employed from two previous studies – one focusing on UK careerists, the other on Ethiopian careerists. The young Bulgarian careerists of the current study are relatively pessimistic about their career prospects and, while they report that they utilise the same seven career strategies that are common in the USA and the UK, they also suggest that “corruption” is an important additional career strategy in modern Bulgaria.