Exploring the influence of culture on career through the career-in-culture interview

Abstract

This study sought to understand how culture in general affects career development. Using an adapted version of the Career-in-Culture Interview (Ponterotto, Rivera, & Sueyoshi,), the authors interviewed 14 adults from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Through a qualitative analysis of the interviews, themes were identified based on 4 of the interview questions and were reported based on occupations the participants were aware of while growing up, their cultural and ethnic backgrounds, religious/spiritual backgrounds, and family influence. These themes promote a developmental consideration of career-related issues in counseling. The findings can help counselors better work with clients by focusing not just on the individual but also on cultural influences on career development.