Trans individuals experience unique stressors related to their careers, such as discrimination, workplace harassment, navigating transition, and disclosure of their identity. The current study examined the experiences of 30 trans graduate students with regard to career decision-making. In total, 19 identified as at least one nonbinary identity and 11 were binary trans-identified (trans men and trans women). Thematic analysis of in-depth interview transcripts revealed the following major themes: (a) Role of Gender Minority Stress During Graduate School in Career Development, (b) Key Considerations Related to Future Jobs or Career Paths (e.g., whether fields or specific jobs are trans-friendly), (c) Outness as a Key Consideration in the Job Application Process, and (d) the Role of Resources and Supports in Career Development. Our findings highlight the unique stressors for trans individuals in the career decision-making and job application processes and the unique challenges faced by nonbinary job seekers.
American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people. The American Psychologist, 70(9), 832–864. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039906
BeemynG. (2019). Trans people in higher education. State University of New York Press.
4.
BoatwrightK. J.GilbertM. S.ForrestL.KetzenbergerK. (1996). Impact of identity development upon career trajectory: Listening to the voices of lesbian women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 48(2), 210–228. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1996.0019
5.
BogdanR. C.BiklenS. K. (2007). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theories and methods (5th ed.). Pearson.
6.
BowlingN. A.EschlemanK. J.WangQ. (2010). A meta-analytic examination of the relationship between job satisfaction and subjective well-being. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(4), 915–934. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317909X478557
BrewsterM. E.VelezB. L.MennickeA.TebbeE. (2014). Voices from beyond: A thematic content analysis of transgender employees' workplace experiences. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(2), 159–169. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000030
9.
BrownC.DashjianL. T.AcostaT. J.MuellerC. T.KizerB. E.TrangsrudH. B. (2012). The career experiences of male-to-female transsexuals. The Counseling Psychologist, 40(6), 868–894. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000011430098
10.
BrownM. L.RounsleyC. A. (1996). True selves: Understanding transsexualism—for families, friends, coworkers, and helping professionals. Jossey-Bass.
11.
BudgeS. L.TebbeE. N.HowardK. A. S. (2010). The work experiences of transgender individuals: Negotiating the transition and career decision-making processes. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57(4), 377–393. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020472
12.
CechE. A.WaidzunasT. J. (2011). Navigating the heteronormativity of engineering: The experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. Engineering Studies, 3(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2010.545065
13.
ChopeR. C.StromL. C. (2008). Critical considerations in career and employment counseling with transgender clients. In WalzG.BleuerJ.YepR. (Eds.), Compelling counseling interventions (pp. 125–135). American Counseling Association.
14.
ChungY. B. (2001). Work discrimination and coping strategies: Conceptual frameworks for counseling lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. The Career Development Quarterly, 50(1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2001.tb00887.x
15.
DattiP. A. (2009). Applying social learning theory of career decision making to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning young adults. The Career Development Quarterly, 58(1), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2009.tb00173.x
16.
DawisR. V. (2002). Person–environment correspondence theory. In BrownS. (Ed.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 427–464). Jossey-Bass.
17.
DawisR. V. (2005). The Minnesota theory of work adjustment. In BrownS. D.LentR. W. (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 3–23). John Wiley & Sons.
18.
DispenzaF.BrennamanC.HarperL. S.HarriganM. A.ChastainT. E.ProcterJ. E. (2019). Career development of sexual and gender minority persons living with disabilities. The Counseling Psychologist, 47(1), 98–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000018819425
19.
DispenzaF.WatsonL. B.ChungY. B.BrackG. (2012). Experience of career-related discrimination for female-to-male transgender persons: A qualitative study. The Career Development Quarterly, 60(1), 65–81. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2012.00006.x
20.
EgerE. K. (2018). Transgender jobseekers navigating closeting communication. Management Communication Quarterly, 32(2), 276–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318917740226
21.
ElmanB.ShimonovM. A.HalonH.BahriS.KupchickA. A. (2019). Transgender inclusion in online job application forms at Forbes 450 largest companies. Journal of Business Diversity, 19(3), 41–53. https://doi.org/10.33423/jbd.v19i3.2212
22.
FletcherJ.BernardC.FairtloughA.AhmetA. (2015). Beyond equal access to equal outcomes: The role of the institutional culture in promoting full participation, positive inter-group interaction and timely progression for minority social work students. British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), 120–137. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bct081
23.
García-AracilA.MonteiroS.AlmeidaL. S. (2021). Students’ perceptions of their preparedness for transition to work after graduation. Active Learning in Higher Education, 22(1), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418791026
24.
GoldbergA. E.AllenK. R. (2015). Communicating qualitative research: Some practical guideposts for scholars. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(1), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12153
25.
GoldbergA. E.KuvalankaK. A.BlackK. (2019). Trans students who leave college: An exploratory study of their experiences of gender minority stress. Journal of College Student Development, 60(4), 381–400. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2019.0036
26.
GoldbergA. E.KuvalankaK.dickeyI. (2019). Transgender graduate students' experiences in higher education: A mixed-methods exploratory study. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 12(1), 38–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000074
27.
GoldbergA. E.SmithJ. Z.BeemynG. (2019). Trans activism and advocacy among transgender students in higher education: A mixed methods study. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 13(1), 66–84. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000125
GreathouseM.BrckaLorenzA.HobanM.HuesmanR.RankinS.StolzenbergE. B. (2018). Queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum student experiences in American higher education: The analysis of national survey findings. Tyler Clementi Center, Rutgers University.
JamesS.HermanJ.RankinS.KeislingM.MottetL.AnafM. (2016). The report of the 2015 US transgender survey. National Center for Transgender Equality. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11990/1299
32.
JourianT. J.SimmonsS. L. (2017). Trans* leadership. Directions for Student Leadership, 2017(154), 59–69. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20240
33.
LevittH. M.BambergM.CreswellJ. W.FrostD. M.JosselsonR.Suárez-OrozcoC. (2018). Journal article reporting standards for qualitative primary, qualitative meta-analytic, and mixed methods research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board Task Force report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 26–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000151
34.
LevittH. M.IppolitoM. R. (2014). Being transgender: Navigating minority stressors and developing authentic self-presentation. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 38(1), 46–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684313501644
35.
LyonsH. Z.BrennerB. R.FassingerR. E. (2005). A multicultural test of the theory of work adjustment: Investigating the role of heterosexism and fit perceptions in the job satisfaction of lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(4), 537–548. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.4.537
MatsunoE.DominguezS.WaagenT.RobertsN.HashtpariH. (2020). The importance of empowering nonbinary psychology trainees and guidelines on how to do so. The Behavior Therapist, 43(4), 137–143.
38.
MilesM. B.HubermanA. M.SaldañaJ. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. Sage.
39.
Moss-RacusinC. A.PhelanJ. E.RudmanL. A. (2010). When men break the gender rules: Status incongruity and backlash against modest men. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 11(2), 140–151. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018093
MulcahyM.DaltonS.KolbertJ.CrothersL. (2016). Informal mentoring for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. The Journal of Educational Research, 109(4), 405–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.979907
42.
NicolazzoZ.PitcherE. N.RennK. A.WoodfordM. (2017). An exploration of trans* kinship as a strategy for student success. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 30(3), 305–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2016.1254300
43.
NoyS.ReayR. (2012). Graduate students’ perceptions of their advisors: Is there systematicdisadvantage in mentorship?The Journal of Higher Education, 83(6), 876–914. https://doi.org/10.1353/jh e.2012.0036
44.
OzturkM. B.TatliA. (2016). Gender identity inclusion in the workplace: Broadening diversity management research and practice through the case of transgender employees in the UK. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(8), 781–802. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1042902
45.
PepperS. M.LorahP. (2008). Career issues and workplace considerations for the transsexual community: bridging a gap of knowledge for career counselors and mental heath care providers. The Career Development Quarterly, 56(4), 330–343. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2008.tb00098.x
46.
PrinceJ. P. (2013). Career development of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. In BrownS.LentR. (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (2nd ed., pp. 275–298). Wiley.
RoodB. A.ReisnerS. L.SuraceF. I.PuckettJ. A.MaroneyM. R.Pant aloneD. W. (2016). Expecting rejection: Understanding the minority stress experiences of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. Transgender Health, 1(1), 151–164. https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2016.0012
49.
SangganjanavanichV. F. (2009). Career development practitioners as advocates for transgender individuals: Understanding gender transition. Journal of Employment Counseling, 46(3), 128–135. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2009.tb00075.x
50.
SangganjanavanichV. F.HeadleyJ. A. (2013). Facilitating career development concerns of gender transitioning individuals: Professional standards and competencies. The Career Development Quarterly, 61(4), 354–366. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2013.00061.x
SchmidtC. K.NilssonJ. E. (2006). The effects of simultaneous developmental processes: Factors relating to the career development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. The Career Development Quarterly, 55(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2006.tb00002.x
53.
SchneiderJ.PageJ.van NesF. (2019). “Now I feel much better than in my previous life”: Narratives of occupational transitions in young transgender adults. Journal of Occupational Science, 26(2), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2018.1550726
54.
ScottD. A.BelkeS. L.BarfieldH. G. (2011). Career development with transgender college students: Implications for career and employment counselors. Journal of Employment Counseling, 48(3), 105–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2011.tb01116.x
55.
SinnardM. T.RainesC. R.BudgeS. L. (2016). The association between geographic location and anxiety and depression in transgender individuals: An exploratory study of an online sample. Transgender Health, 1(1), 181–186. https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2016.0020
TebbeE. A.AllanB. A.BellH. L. (2019). Work and well-being in TGNC adults: The moderating effect of workplace protections. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000308
58.
TestaR. J.HabarthJ.PetaJ.BalsamK.BocktingW. (2015). Development of the Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Measure. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2(1), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000081
VelezB. L.MoradiB.BrewsterM. E. (2013). Testing the tenets of minority stress theory in workplace contexts. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60(4), 532–542. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033346
61.
VillicanaA. J.DelucioK.BiernatM. (2016). “Coming out” among gay Latino and gay White men: implications of verbal disclosure for well-being. Self and Identity, 15(4), 468–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2016.1156568
62.
WarrenJ. R.HoonakkerP.CarayonP.BrandJ. (2004). Job characteristics as mediators in SES—health relationships. Social Science & Medicine, 59(7), 1367–1378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.01.035
63.
YoderJ. B.MattheisA. (2016). Queer in STEM: Workplace experiences reported in a national survey of LGBTQA individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. Journal of Homosexuality, 63(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2015.1078632
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
