Chapter 1. Setting the context on young people’s career development and wellbeing (Belgin Okay-Somerville) -- Chapter 2. Reimagining the relationship between career transitions and well-being: an insight into graduate higher education journeys in the UK (Daria Luchinskaya) -- Chapter 3. Analysing the gap between job, earning and career satisfaction among young graduates. Evidence from Italy (Valentina Conti) -- Chapter 4. Secondary students’ subjective wellbeing in Barcelona: from school to future careers (Marta Garcia-Molsosa) -- Chapter 5. The occupational aspirations and wellbeing of young people in the UK (Jennifer Craik Nicoll) -- Chapter 6. Career activities and the wellbeing of young people in Australia (Shuyan Huo) -- Chapter 7. Significant others as environmental resources: Towards a sociological refinement of social cognitive career theory (Jannick Demanet) -- Chapter 8. Preparing for career-related wellness: Understanding the determinants of occupational and financial wellbeing in the United States (Jay Plasman) -- Chapter 9. Policy reflections on young people’s career resources and wellbeing (Elizabeth Knight).

This book explores how career development experiences during education are relevant for wellbeing in youth career transitions from an interdisciplinary lens, using longitudinal data from different national educational contexts. Seven empirical chapters culminate in a conceptual model and recommendations for careers and wellbeing-oriented prevention and intervention programs to assist young people as they transition into the world of work. Following a foreword by Professor Stephen Lamb (the Springer International Study of City Youth series editor) and introduction by the editors, the book consists of empirical chapters based in six national and educational contexts, focusing specifically on schooling, higher education and transitions between compulsory schooling and young adulthood. Each national context chapter generates insights based on a longitudinal cohort study with at least two data points concerning information on young people’s career development and wellbeing. The empirical chapters are followed by discussion and conclusion chapters by the editors. The editors reflect on the evidence generated in this book and question what we know about the relevance of career development experiences on young people’s wellbeing during education-to-work transitions. Implications of these empirical findings on career interventions and policy making across the educational systems are discussed. The contributions in this book show that career development experiences while in education matters, not only for employment outcomes, but also for our subjective wellbeing in early careers. Key conclusions point towards a need for theoretically integrating: (i) the sensemaking role of time; (ii) resource-based approaches to careers; as well as (iii) the efficacy of career development experiences to overcome structural inequalities. Methodologically, this book shows the value of nationally representative longitudinal datasets that focus on young people’s educational and labour market experiences.