Table 4.

Illustrative quotes relating to different forms of identity construction.

Illustrative quotes

Theme 1: Doing model

I06: Someone we can observe and learn.

I09: Wouldn’t use role model for workplace, would use mentor. A mentor sets examples and tells you how you should be doing things.

I03: this person is a genuinely good person. (Pause) Doing good stuff and do no harm …profession and personal life

Theme 3: Guidance model

I05: Someone you can look up to. Someone who can be a guiding hand. Someone who can tell you when you are about to make a mistake and how to fix it.

I13: Someone who lives by their word and who shares those values. They then provide a road map for you to follow.

I21: Um, I think it’s their responsibility to be like you know almost like a guide and like they have to, you know they have a lot of experience, they’ve done this, um, for long time. Um, they’re the ones that have like (.) um you know, the knowledge and they’ve done a Ph.D. before so they know exactly what you know, it’s all about. I think they, it’s their responsibility to guide you through the process and like look out for things that you may not necessarily be aware of and like, point them out to you, um and to you know, um, be, be a link.

Theme 2: Being model

I04: I guess someone that you look up to, that you kind of think is a bit impressive in their respective field, or their personal life, or something that’s just a bit like, yeah I want to be like that…role modeling is a bit like patterning…

I02: Someone who does exemplify by their characteristics that I value like things that I want to be like and (.) and further in down the track in a place that I see myself potentially being in the future and then someone who sees me as well.

I07: Role model is something that we can learn about. Person has the qualities that I want to be like.