Professional identity as the key to career change intention

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate career change intention and its predictors among career change seekers interested in a career opportunity in the information technology (IT) industry. Design/methodology/approach Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to predict career change intention in this group. In addition, we examined the role of professional identity in predicting career change intention. Data were collected in a sample of 225 aspiring IT professionals from four European countries: Austria, Greece, Italy and The Netherlands. Findings The findings showed that among four variables assumed to predict career change intention, only professional identity appeared to be a significant predictor. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by the use of career change seekers registered in one web‐based recruiting system. Originality/value The paper suggests a higher importance of professional identity in prediction of career change intention compared to other factors that constitute Ajzen's theory of planned behavior.