By Ronald Hallett and Joseph Kitchen

A key reason why students enroll in college is to prepare for their future careers. Students’ support networks, connections, and relationships can shape how their career development unfolds during college. As part of the Promoting At-promise Student Success (PASS) project, we have found that low-income students’ major and career development during college is increased when faculty, staff and administrators provide support that is proactive, ecological, validating, coordinated and tailored. 

Building upon this work, we have explored who low-income students turn to for career guidance — and why — as they prepare for and transition into the workforce. We believe this is critical to informing efforts to support low-income students in asset-oriented ways and to adjust existing career supports accordingly.

During the 2024-2025 academic year, we interviewed more than 200 low-income students who were in their 3rd, 4th or 5th year of college to understand their experiences preparing for their careers post-graduation. We asked questions about where they went for information and support (e.g., “Where have you typically turned for information and advice about planning for your future career?” and “Are there people or places you wouldn’t feel comfortable going to for career support?”). 

Most low-income students who participated in this study discussed having limited connections to the formal campus-level career services and supports. Low-income students were most likely to seek out career advice and guidance from individuals with whom they had frequent contact and trusting relationships. A few key themes about key connections and relationships in low-income students’ career support networks are emerging: 

• Trusted Relationships as Primary Support. Similar to previous PASS research, students often received multiple forms of guidance and support from their family. In terms of asking for career guidance and advice, low-income students stated that they went to their family members (e.g., parents, extended family) most often because they felt they knew who the student was best given their longstanding, trusting relationships. Similarly, students spoke about frequently relying on the advice of peers (both on and off campus), which included learning from their peers’ experiences as they also prepared for future careers. This extends prior PASS research that suggests the important role of peer mentors in supporting students’ career development. The relational trust, emotional safety and close proximity of these relationships were key drivers that led low-income students to rely on these individuals for career development support. Like with our prior research, affirming support delivered as part of these relationships was often key to students coming away with confidence that they had the resources and capabilities to pursue their career pathways.
• Selective Use of Institutional Support. Students who had developed trusting relationships with instructors and support program directors or staff often spoke about going to these individuals for career development advice. In particular, students appreciated when classroom curriculum and support program activities integrated career guidance and support throughout their academic careers. Students in colleges that had embedded career development were more likely to speak about using on-campus career support. Generally, students rarely spoke about using university-level career services unless they were assigned to go to those spaces. Many students assumed that the university career services office would not understand their personal or professional goals. In addition, they felt uncomfortable going into an office where they did not know people or what to expect. The students who did use these spaces tended to have a program director or faculty member who facilitated the connection. And, students were most likely to return to the university career services when they perceived that the resources and guidance they received were tailored to their specific career goals.

Campus-based services and activities play a role in supporting low-income students’ career development. Moss-Pech (2025) found that campus career services were key to linking students with internship opportunities that lead to full-time positions after graduation. He also found that students who did not leverage campus-based career services were more likely to have a gap between graduation and full-time employment as well as earning lower incomes in their entry-level positions.

Our research demonstrates that low-income students are less likely to know about or access campus-based career services, resources and supports, which means they may be missing out on the opportunity to fully benefit from these tools that could ease their career transition and promote desirable long-term outcomes (e.g., graduation; obtaining a job). However, our research also points to promising pathways to supporting low-income students’ career development by adjusting how educators and practitioners are approaching career guidance. This includes taking the time to build connections and rapport with students when engaging in career guidance, seeking to understand students’ career-related assets, needs and goals, and appropriately tailoring support to fit those. Additional promising approaches include affirming student capabilities for success, and intentionally and proactively coordinating and embedding career support into the college experience as an integral aspect of the college-journey, rather than cafeteria-style optional opportunities for students.