Career Counseling & Low SES

Populations
AMY CLAWSON, BOBBY HELTON, KIRA GLYNN
BECCA VAN DRIMMELEN

Overview
Intro to Low SES Populations
Career Counseling Theories
Case Study
Techniques and Interventions
Assessment Tools
Wrap Up

What is Low Socioeconomic Status (SES)

Socioeconomic status, also known as social standing

or class, is measured through a combination of

income, education, and occupation
Poverty line for a family of four -- $23,050 46.2
million people -- or 15 percent of the US population
-- live in poverty When viewed from a social identity
lens, privilege, power, and control are emphasized

How SES Impacts Our Society

Low SES correlates to poverty, lower access to education,

and poor health

Children from Low SES households develop academic skills
more slowly than children from High SES households
Inadequate education and increased dropout rates affect
academic achievement, perpetuating a cycle of poverty
Students who identify as Low SES have higher feelings of
not belonging in school
Personal finance constraints and stress affect emotional
distress and depression in students and their academic
performance

Theories
Cochrans Narrative Career Counseling
Social Cognitive Theory
Savickass Career Construction Theory
Yossos Community Cultural Wealth

Case Study
You try it!
Processing questions

How was this activity for folks?

What was helpful when utilizing your particular theory? What
worked?
What was more challenging?
Were there other theories or frameworks that would be beneficial
to incorporate moving forward?

Community Cultural Wealth in the Counseling Session

Allows client to feel empowered and valued

Can promote discussion on transferrable skills
Can be combined effectively with Narrative Career Counseling
Challenges the dominant discourse present in some career
techniques

Local Community Resources

University of Washington Dream Project

Dress for Success

Helps students with resume building/editing, filling out college

applications, developing application essays, and major exploration
Mission statement: to promote the economic independence of
disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network
of support and the career development tools to help women thrive
in work and in life (Dress for Success, 2014)

Work Source Seattle

Resource for local jobs, applications, workshops, and training

services

Additional Resources

Assist client in developing a LinkedIn profile

Allows client to network and connect with individuals who have a

career that matches their interest

Alumni network for individuals who are currently attending

college, or who have graduated from a higher education
institution

Ex: Redhawk Network

Assessment Tools
Personality over interests
Clients/students do not know what they do not know

Low SES clients are less likely to be exposed to different

occupational choices or attitudes

MBTI
Potentially Hollands codes
Assessment tools should be used to help low SES

populations widen their view of what

careers/occupations/opportunities exist and what
they themselves are capable of achieving

Wrap Up
Impact of SES
Counseling Theories
Assessment Tools

Questions?

References
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs,

NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bandura, A. (2002). Social cognitive theory in cultural context. Applied Psychology: An International
Review, 51, 269-290.
Cochran, L. (1997). Career counseling: A narrative approach. newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Education & Socioeconomic Status Fact Sheet. Retrieved November 12, 2014, from
http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-education.aspx
Savickas, M. L. (2002). Career construction: A developmental theory of vocational behavior. In D. Brown &
Associates (Eds.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 149-205). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Savickas, M. L. (2005). The theory and practice of career construction. In S. D. Brown & R.W. Lent (Eds.),
Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 42-70). Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley.
Yosso, T.J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race discussion of community cultural wealth. Race
Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 6991.
Where Do You Fall in the American Economic Class System? - US News. Retrieved
November 12,
2014, from http://money.usnews.com/money/personal finance/articles/2012/09/13/where-do-you-fallin-the-american-economic-class-system
Dress For Success (2014). What we do: mission statement. Retrieved from: http://www.dressforsuccess.org