Impact of sexual orientation on career management skills and career progression

LGB people are estimated to make up around 5% of the population of Scotland, which is approximately 250,000 people from across all parts of society[1]. Research suggests that LGB people in Scotland continue to come across discriminatory attitudes, and a recent report by Stonewall[2] found that: "Low self-esteem, anxiety and depression are common experiences for many LGB people with "problems associated with homophobia in early life, such as bullying and low self-esteem, can continue into adulthood". Compounding this is the fact that there are very few public figures that are openly lesbian, gay or bisexual in Scotland. Change is happening however; interviewees involved in this research aged over 30 years commented on how they had noticed the difference in social attitudes within their lifetime and the positive impact they had perceived this to have on younger individuals' experiences in both education and employment.

There are a wide range of factors that influence career decisions in young people, including their friends, culture, teachers/career adviser, the media, parents and extended family. For a lesbian, gay or bi-sexual person the findings from this research also demonstrate a complex web of additional factors around self-identity and societal stereotypes and perceptions that both consciously and sub-consciously impact on choices and decisions. Similarly, when progressing in one's career once in employment there are the 'common' influences on decisions, such as money, relationships and location, however this research also demonstrates the additional factors affecting LGB people's decisions that are often a result of their sexual orientation. 

Summary of main findings:

Analysis of the evidence from both the primary and secondary research identified three main factors that are taken into account by individuals when making decisions about both early career choices and career progression. These are:

A: Personal preferences: such as interests, motivations, and level of ambition

B: Personal experiences: what happens to a person through their life

C: External environment: wider societal and contextual factors

These factors impact differently depending on where the person is along their 'career pathway'. This research identified two main phases of the pathway - phase one is when the individual is making their 'early career choices', and phase two is later when they are concentrating on 'career progression'.

[1] Challenging Prejudice: changing attitudes to LGBT people in Scotland

[2] Towards a Healthier LGBT Scotland. NHS Inclusion Project, 2003.