“Allt det här jag lärt mig, hur ska jag kunna applicera det på ett jobb?” : En kvalitativ studie om tidigare personalvetarstudenters rollföreställningar

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study is to examine how the role perceptions of former Human Resource students, who are working within HR, have varied between how they were during their time in education and now in the profession. The study also aims to examine what part organizational socialization plays on the similarities and differences between the role perceptions created during the time in education and the ones in the profession. The empirical data is based on seven semistructured interviews. To analyze the empirical data we put together a theoretical framework, using Goffman's (2020) theory of self, role and trinket and Ng and Feldman's notion of organizational socialization. The results show that the Human Resources program is thoroughly theoretical and contributes with knowledge within several subjects. This seems to make the former Human Resources students believe that they are fully learned after graduation, whilst the Human Resource role is characterized by a constant commitment to learning and development. This causes confusion in what the Human Resource role is about, which creates a “gap”. This “gap” is about differences between the role perception from education and the ones at work. Work experience within HR during the time in education seems to contribute with a better understanding of what a HR practitioner does, which contributes to a better match between the role perceptions. This match can be understood as similarities between the role perceptions. The first period after graduation is generally characterized by high expectations and demands on oneself but low from the employer. A formal introduction to the HR occupation also seems to compensate for the differences between the role perceptions created during the time in university and the ones in the profession, which reduce the “gap”.