Career Experiences of Women With Major Financial Barriers

Women comprise 47% of the U.S. workforce, yet women's weekly wages are only 81% of men's wages (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). This wage inequality reflects macro- and microlevel concerns for working women. Effective career development interventions, theories, and assessments have been shown to support the career development of women, but the career counseling literature lacks depth in both demographic areas of socioeconomic status (SES) and gender (Coogan & Chen, 2007; Lee et al., 2010). Also, the intersecting factors of gender and SES affect an individual's career development (Guerrero & Singh, 2013).Effective career and mental health services are not easily accessible to women experiencing financial barriers (Smith, 2005) despite the fact that such career counseling services act as a protective factor for mental health conditions and other psychosocial concerns (World Health Organization [WHO], 2007). The American Counseling Association (ACA; 2104) mandates that counselors advocate to ensure all populations have equal access to effective services. Additionally, counselors are ethically obligated to provide career services to all clients in ways that are multiculturally appropriate (ACA, 2014). Given limited attention to the career needs of marginalized women, especially those with major financial barriers, research exploring the lived experiences and career needs of this intersecting marginalized group must be conducted. The present study examined the career experiences of these women, focusing on how they understand careers, barriers to successful work engagement, and work-related strengths. The study aimed to increase knowledge about these marginalized women in relation to their career development; to support future research in the domains of career theory, assessment, and intervention; and to suggest practical interventions for career counselors.Poverty, Work, and Mental HealthWorking, individual career engagement, income, and SES are complicated and interactional (WHO, 2007). Levels of engagement, satisfaction, and success in the world of work are related to individual SES and experiences of poverty. Poverty rates are highest for minority groups, including women and children. In 2012, 5 million more women lived in poverty than men, and households headed by single women experienced poverty at a rate nearly double that of households headed by single men (National Poverty Center, n.d.). A family of three would experience poverty at an income of approximately $18,000, a threshold higher than yearly full-time work at minimum wage in many areas (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [USDHHS], 2013). Because women experience poverty at higher rates than men, specific considerations with regard to career theory and intervention should be made for women who have experienced poverty and other financial barriers. These considerations would provide for the most effective career counseling services; however, little literature outlines best practices for working with this marginalized population (Smith, 2005).Mental health concerns are related with individual SES. Poverty has a negative effect on individual psychological wellness (Dearing, Taylor, & McCartney, 2004; Evans, 2004). Poverty affects a variety of psychosocial developmental domains, including mental health and career engagement (WHO, 2007). In the United States, adults living below the poverty line (~$11,000 per year) are three times as likely to suffer from a mental health disorder than are adults living at twice ($22,000) the poverty line or above (USDHHS, 2013). Stressful living conditions associated with poverty, including experiencing hunger or having debt, increase the likelihood of mental health disorders and career disengagement (WHO, 2007).Furthermore, the connection between individual mental health status and career engagement has been explored in various studies (e.g., Booker & Sacker, 2012; McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg, & Kinicki, 2005; Strauser, Lustig, Cogdal, & Uruk, 2006). …