Expanding Career-Focused Advising: Findings from Two Qualitative Studies

• In Event: Advising Around Postsecondary Pathways

Abstract

Objectives. This paper explores how high schools support students’ postsecondary and career planning through career-focused advising. Drawing on two qualitative studies, we examine both a career coaching program and school-embedded advising practices to answer the following questions:
1. How do career coaches and advisors support students’ career and postsecondary planning?
2. In what ways do advising structures and expectations differ across comprehensive, CTE-focused, and P-TECH high schools?
3. What are the implications for integrating career-focused advising into school practice, particularly for students underrepresented in postsecondary pathways?
Perspective. This paper is grounded in theories of how institutional structures and relationships shape access to information and support (McDonough, 2005; Lareau, 2011). We conceptualize advising as both a relational and institutional practice shaped by school priorities, staff roles, and resource allocation. We draw on literature on the role of advisors in promoting equitable access to college and career opportunities (Sattin-Bajaj et al., 2018; Mulhern, 2023), especially for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Data Sources and Method. This paper draws from two studies:
1. Study 1: Career Coaching Program – Focus groups were conducted with 14 community college career coaches serving in North Carolina high schools. Coaches described their activities, collaborations, and advising approaches. Data were coded to identify themes on advising structures, student engagement, and institutional context.
2. Study 2: Career-Focused Advising Across High Schools – This study involved site visits to 17 high schools across North Carolina and New York City, including P-TECH, CTE-focused, and comprehensive schools. Researchers conducted staff interviews and student focus groups. Transcripts were analyzed using a cross-case thematic approach, comparing how school type, structure, and expectations shaped advising.
Results. Across studies, advising structures were found to vary based on school context. Career coaches filled gaps in postsecondary and career planning, particularly in schools with high counselor caseloads. They offered individualized support and partnered with CTE instructors, counselors, and others, often becoming key figures in raising awareness of career pathways and dual enrollment options.
In the multi-state study, CTE-focused and P-TECH schools integrated career advising into the school’s core mission, typically offering more structured and proactive supports. In contrast, comprehensive schools varied: some embedded career advising into advisory classes or other formal structures, while others focused more on academic or college advising over career preparation. Students in schools with robust and personalized career advising reported greater clarity about postsecondary options and connections between high school courses and future goals. However, disparities remained in advising access and depth, particularly for students not already on a clear academic or career track.
Significance. These studies highlight the promise and limitations of efforts to provide career-focused advising in high schools. Career coaches offer a scalable model to enhance advising capacity, particularly when embedded in collaborative contexts. At the same time, school-wide structures, staffing, and expectations remain important to ensuring that all students, not just proactive or the highest-achieving, receive substantive career guidance. This work contributes to ongoing policy conversations about structuring advising systems to support equitable postsecondary transitions.

Authors

• Bryan C. Hutchins, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Julie A. Edmunds, University of North Carolina - Greensboro