Perceived Occupational Barriers Among Mexican-American College Students

AbstractMexican-American college students completed a questionnaire about their perceptions of occupational barriers. Participants cited barriers associated with study skills, financial needs, and employment-related competition as most problematic in their pursuit of educational goals and career aspirations. Results also revealed a significant, negative relationship between the number of occupational barriers perceived by participants and their sense of control over the career decision-making process. Implications of the results are discussed, and methods for integrating Mexican-American clients' perceptions of occupational barriers into the career counseling process are presented.