Interactions Into Opportunities: Career Management for Low-Income, First-Generation African American College Students

This study explores how low-income, African American college students obtain social capital resources from university contacts to set and achieve career goals. Students knew little about career options available to future college graduates beyond jobs that were related to their current jobs. Few students utilized the information, influence, and opportunity resources of their university contacts that could increase their career ambitions because they were unaware that informal interactions with these individuals could be helpful. Thus, students had more constrained career plans than they could have had. Strategies to enhance the career expectations of this student population are proposed.