Unpacking career aspirations: a critical scoping review of undergraduate women’s career development

Purpose This paper aims to critically examine how career aspirations have been conceptualized and studied, with a focus on undergraduate women. Drawing on a scoping review, the authors synthesize theoretical models, definitions, measures, predictors and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The authors reviewed 67 articles from 2001 to 2024 from ten databases, following the PRISMA-scr protocol. Findings Besides identifying conceptual and methodological gaps, this review shows that career aspirations are often studied through individualistic lenses, neglecting the relational, institutional and structural contexts in which they emerge. The authors propose a comprehensive multilevel model that integrates micro-, meso- and macrolevel factors; reflects on established career theories (e.g. Social Cognitive Career Theory, Gottfredson’s Theory of Circumscription and Compromise); and provides a foundation for developing interventions and policies. The authors also redefine career aspirations as context-sensitive, future-oriented goals related to one’s working life, shaped by personal values, cultural norms and structural conditions. Originality/value This review explores the epistemological validity of the career aspiration construct in light of precarization of work and the pluralism of values, while critically examining the underlying assumptions of dominant career theories. It also proposes a context-sensitive conceptualization of aspirations, as shaped by the interplay between agency and structural conditions, rather than a fixed indicator of ambition or linear career progression. Finally, it connects career development research to broader debates on gender inequality and social justice, supporting multilevel and contextually grounded approaches to research, interventions and policy in higher education and the workforce.