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Career Counseling, Latinos

Latinos are a diverse group of individuals with ancestry in Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America as well in the Caribbean. Currently Latinos are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States; government projections estimate that in 2050 almost 25% of the total U.S. population will be Latinos.

Career counseling with Latinos requires counselors to move from traditional frameworks of career counseling, for there are unique issues that arise from Latinos' experiences that may influence career development. When providing career counseling services to Latinos, counselors must embrace a broader perspective that takes into account personal and social contexts.

Knowledge is a key component to culturally competent practice, and understanding issues that are central to Latinos' career development process can facilitate effective career counseling. Historical (discriminatory policies), sociological (immigration factors, networks, socioeconomic status), sociocultural (acculturation, ethnic identity), and psychological (self-efficacy) factors may interact to influence the differential social, educational, and occupational experiences of Latinos. Competent career counselors should be informed about the roles these factors play in shaping the career opportunities and decisions of Latinos, while incorporating this information with appropriate theoretical frameworks to develop a plan for effective career counseling.

Latino Issues in Career Development

Many factors are important to the career development of Latinos; this entry highlights a few salient factors that may either influence or impede Latinos' career development, focusing particularly on the role of culture.

Career-Related Self-Beliefs

Among the self-beliefs that are important to evaluate in career counseling with Latinos are aspirations, expectations, and self-efficacy or confidence in their abilities. Research indicates that Latinos have high career aspirations, but are less likely to believe that they will achieve these goals. Some have conjectured that the discrepancy between aspirations and expectations may be attributed to the presence of real or perceived career barriers. In addition, a limited exposure to a wide range of activities may restrict their development of career-related self-efficacy beliefs, likely to influence interests and goals in particular career fields. A lack of confidence in abilities can hinder career achievements, for some may aspire to specific career fields but not pursue them due to low self-efficacy beliefs for related activities. Conversely, some Latinos may not even consider certain careers (particularly high-status, high-paying careers in which other Latinos may be underrepresented) simply because they have had limited exposure to learning activities that can give rise to their self-efficacy beliefs in specific career activities.

Career counselors have the opportunity to intervene with Latinos to optimize their career potential. Professionals should assess Latinos' aspirations and goals, as well as explore career expectations to ensure that lowered expectations for success are not inhibiting potential. It is also important to provide access to information about the world of work, to increase clients' self-awareness of interests, values, and skills, and to help clients identify opportunities for increasing their confidence in their abilities to succeed in the world of work.

Family

Family is a core value for Latinos and thus influences every aspect of their life, including careers. For Latinos, being part of the family unit may be far more important than individual needs (i.e., seeking careers that match personal interests); thus their career decisions may take into consideration how their choices may affect their family. Latinos may also make major life decisions, such as career choices, in consultation with family members and may sacrifice personal needs for the family's welfare. It is important not to judge this Latino cultural value as negative or deviant, but to simply be aware and recognize the role of the family in career decisions. Furthermore, the support of the family for career endeavors and decisions is invaluable and provides encouragement in the face of adversity. Numerous recommendations emphasize the need to incorporate the family, including supporting Latino clients' discussions about careers and career-related decisions and possibly inviting family to counseling sessions.

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