In this essay we have chosen to study single mothers who in conjunction with their parental leave have chosen to change career direction. Through personal and previous experiences during our time at Malmö University we have come into contact with single mothers who had gone through a journey such as the one described which in form led us to question what influences this group and how guidance counsellors can guide them through these turning-points. To be able to identify the reasons for the change of career direction we have chosen to use the following questions: What factors have influenced single mothers'  who have decided to change career direction? Have single mothers' views on their career development changed in the context of parenthood? If so, how? How can career counsellors best guide single mothers in their career transitions? 

   We have carried out qualitative interviews with six informants who have decided to change career direction by studying or changing workplace. The theoretical framework this essay will be analysed through is based on Bourdieu's research regarding habitus, capital and fields and Hodkinson and Sparkes’ Careership Theory and its horizons of action, turning-points and periods of routine. 

   The results state that many single mothers, mainly those who have worked in the tourism-, restaurant- or event business previous to their parenthood find it difficult to combine those fields of work with the responsibility of being a single parent. As a result they have either tried to find jobs that fit with their new needs or they have chosen to study. The decision to study has been one with dual purposes; one being the possibility of a higher paying job, for which an education is quite important in Sweden, and the other being the freedom it gives you as the parent of a young child to shape your schedule to fit your current situation.