Career Mobility of Planning Alumni in the United States: Evidence from Professional Profile Data Using Large Language Models

Source abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings Planning professions in the United States navigate complex and dynamic career landscapes under rapid urban changes, yet comprehensive evidence regarding their career trajectories, advancement patterns, and the influence of social, spatial, organizational, and educational factors remains limited. For this study we drew on boundaryless career theory, social capital theory, and spatial opportunity models to analyze career mobility among more than 130,000 planning alumni. Using large language models to extract structured information from LinkedIn profiles, our results reveal that planning alumni who adopt boundaryless career patterns, specifically multisector experience or lateral and industry-switching trajectories, achieve significantly higher upward mobility. Technical competencies provide a foundational entry-level signal, but soft skills leveraged through strategic lateral moves become increasingly decisive as planners reach senior stages. Geographic mobility and employment in larger, diverse metropolitan labor markets are both associated with advancement, although the latter provides modest benefits. Larger professional networks and greater organizational engagement are consistently associated with upward career transitions, whereas artificial intelligence–related skills, now commonplace, present limited additional advantage. Limitations of the study include reliance on LinkedIn data, which might underrepresent alumni without online profiles, and an individual-level focus that omits organizational factors.Takeaway for practice For planning alumni, cultivating broad sector experiences, expanding professional networks, seeking geographic mobility, and prioritizing ongoing technical and organizational learning are key advancement strategies. These results have direct implications for planning educators, employers, and policymakers designing programs to support an adaptive, well-connected, and effective workforce.