“I’m a chameleon”: The protean career raveled

Abstract Purpose: To analyze how protean tendencies shape the career trajectories of information technology (IT) professionals. Originality: The study highlights the need for organizations to develop protean profiles to attract and retain key personnel. Design/methodology/approach: We used Gubler et al.’s (2014) model to conduct 16 semi-structured interviews with IT professionals in different areas. Findings: Value orientation was evident in engagement, job satisfaction, and attraction to dynamic employment. Participants-versatile, determined, self-directed, and open to change-sought high-quality and purposeful work they could balance with their personal lives. The study has several limitations. For example, it focuses solely on the protean dimensions of the participants’ career trajectories at the expense of other influencing factors. In practical terms, the study indicates the importance of implementing managerial interventions that meet the needs of chameleonic individuals, thereby increasing retention rates. In the Brazilian context, a lack of work standardization legislation has adverse social consequences; this is an issue that policymakers might address.