Career transition involves navigating shifts in roles, career orientations, and professional identities and is often accompanied by lifelong learning. Career setbacks can act as catalysts for individuals to reevaluate their career choices and explore new possibilities, fostering personal and professional growth. Career transition into the IT industry in China is characterized by uncertainty and unpredictability. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore how individuals in a Chinese online community make sense of their experiences of career transitions and setbacks through the lens of transformative learning. Using narrative inquiry, we analyzed threads from the Douban group “Community of IT Career Transition Failures,” a peer-led online community in China. Findings showed how individuals navigated emotional complexity during career transition, reframed setbacks, and engaged in critical reflection in response to challenges. This study advances the application of transformative learning theory in a Chinese online context.
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