Gender Differences in College Students' Career Maturity and Perceived Barriers in Career Development

TLDR

The study examined gender differences in career maturity among 401 college students. Researchers assessed career maturity with quantitative scales and conducted interviews with roughly a third of the sample. Female students outperformed males on all maturity measures, and perceived barriers were found to motivate career development, suggesting current theories may not fully capture today’s students. Future research directions on perceived barriers to career attainment are proposed.

Abstract

Gender differences in 401 college students' career maturity were investigated. Quantitative measures included career‐mature attitudes, career decision‐making skills, and vocational congruence. Analyses revealed that female students scored significantly higher than did male students on each of the career maturity measures ( p < .005). Nearly one third of the students (n = 128) were also interviewed. Qualitative analyses of the interviews revealed that the perception of barriers may serve as a motivating force in many students' career development. Findings suggest that current theories of career development may be lacking in their application to many of today's college students. Ideas for future research on the perception of barriers to career attainment are discussed.