Is Professional Identity Important?
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 26
- 4 min read
Written by Britt-Mari Sykes, Career Counsellor
Britt-Mari Sykes, Ph.D., CDP, is a career counsellor and founder of CANVAS Career Counselling, working remotely with clients across Canada.
What was your immediate reaction when you read this question? “Of course it is!” “Professional identity is everything.” “It’s how others see me, and that’s important to me.” “It’s hard to change professional identities.” “I am more than my professional identity.” “Professional identity can be a burden.”
At a time when we increasingly have, and will continue to have, multiple work and career experiences, and will be expected to constantly expand and adapt our skill sets to meet the demands of a changing job market, what will professional identity mean and come to represent? Will professional identity still hold the same importance? If we are building a career life rather than having a single career, how closely will our identity be tied to a particular job, role, or profession? How will we come to define ourselves professionally?
Identity is complex, and professional identity is equally so.
Client experiences
Several years ago, a client of mine described being invited to a networking event, the very thought of which made them dread the anticipated question: “So… what do you do?” At that time, my client was going through a significant career change, and they immediately associated this question with the importance of their professional identity. They then said, “How do I answer that question? I am so conflicted about a change in professional identity. In fact, I don’t have a professional identity right now. How will I be seen? I won’t be taken seriously.”
The dread this client felt is entirely understandable. Professional identities can carry both positive and negative connotations. They can hold personal meaning and societal significance, and they can include assumptions about an individual, their abilities, and their role in the world.
The impact of identity on career development
Add to the complex mix the idea that we can experience deep fulfillment and pride in our work, even though that same job or profession may carry stereotypes and assumptions quite opposite to the personal meaning the work holds.
Or consider a scenario where we strongly identify with parts of our lives that are separate from work and career, where work is just a means to an end, yet that same work carries perceptions and assumptions we find burdensome.
The extent to which we relate to our work and careers, and the different meanings of a professional identity, can significantly influence:
How we handle career changes.
The choices and decisions we make as we develop our professional lives.
Our self-esteem and the personal importance we assign to work experiences.
How we view and interpret career stability and success.
The fulfillment or purpose we find (or don’t find) in our work.
Our overall relationship with our career lives.
When identity is disrupted
When I work with clients facing career changes, such as starting new jobs, pursuing completely different career paths, taking on significantly different roles within their organization, going on maternity or paternity leave, experiencing unemployment, or taking time off due to burnout or illness, many feel a profound disruption in their professional identity.
This identity disruption can be complicated. I’ve worked with clients who feel intense fear or stubborn resistance to changing careers because they worry about losing their sense of self and how others perceive them. I often hear different versions of, “But this is who I am!” Others believe that a transition or change might cause them to lose touch with specific abilities and skills related to their professional identity. Some clients are concerned that a career change will disrupt their sense of purpose and meaning, which may be closely tied to the work they do. And some clients might even feel relief at the idea of freeing themselves from a professional identity and feel excited to become “someone new.” All these feelings and concerns are understandable, especially during significant life changes.
We are always more than
We should also remember that we are more than any single job. In reality, we are multi-layered and multi-storied.
Our career lives, viewed holistically, often include multiple work experiences, shifting interests, unexpected detours and opportunities, and changing roles and positions. All these experiences shape us and our careers in unique ways. We might ask once again: if a career life is increasingly defined by multiple work experiences, what role will professional identity play?
For reflection
Career changes and shifts in professional identity are not always easy or welcomed. Navigating these changes without feeling weighed down by perceptions of who you are requires reflection, perspective, and self-compassion.
I find discussions about professional identity and its different meanings useful when I work with clients who are navigating career changes. Gaining a deeper understanding of how identity influences us helps us apply this knowledge to any approach, strategy, or next steps.
What role does identity play in shaping the career choices you’ve made and how you navigate your career?
Do you strongly identify with your professional identity? What makes that identity meaningful?
If you’ve experienced a career change, how did you handle shifts in your professional identity?
Has your professional identity broadened your opportunities and growth in your career, or has it limited your career development?
Career counselling can help at any stage of your career life. Contact Britt-Mari Sykes for more information or to book a consultation.
Britt-Mari Sykes, Career Counsellor
Britt-Mari Sykes Ph.D. is a Career Counsellor and founder of CANVAS Career Counselling working remotely with clients across Canada. Britt-Mari offers a reflective and strategic process to clients, one that integrates their lived experiences, values, and aspirations. This experiential approach to career counselling helps clients gain greater clarity and perspective and design practical steps towards a more meaningful relationship with work and career.
