Career counselor's assessment of client problems: toward the development of a career development problem taxonomy for women

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study examined the career development problems of women between the ages 23 to 54 and older who reported for career counseling between the year 2000 and 2001. Consensual Qualitative Research methods were used to analyze data from the counseling records of (n=27) women. The data indicated that women in this study who presented to career counseling had problems that did not always meet traditional perceptions of what are career problems. Common problems included a lack of knowledge about themselves and the world of work, relationship problems, lack of support, and a lack of career self-efficacy. Previous career problem taxonomies focused on the use of career information in the decision-making process which appeared incongruent with problems faced by the women selected in this study. A career problem taxonomy emerged from the analysis that focused on these women's concerns and was compared with previous taxonomies of career problems. This taxonomy gives more weight to relational, self-esteem, and financial problems than previous taxonomies. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research in this area are discussed.