Exploring the Career Resilience Processes of Women in the Early Stages of Traditionally Male Careers

Although career resilience (CR) research has revealed insights about the conditions under which individuals overcome obstacles and achieve career success, it has not explicated the nature of CR processes or considered how CR processes may be unique to particular social groups. Based on interviews with 41 women who self-identified as being in the early stages of traditionally male careers (TMCs), this study integrates CR with the communication theory of resilience to elucidate how women persist in/ TMCs despite facing gender-based marginalization. Findings reveal three broad categories of CR processes that (a) engage gendered discourses (using stereotypes, defying stereotypes, justifying behavior, proving worth), (b) challenge gendered discourses (building confidence, direct confrontation, engaging with network) or (c) both engage and challenge gendered discourses (organizational belonging). These themes provide a more robust understanding of CR and suggest future research directions.