Women in the Employment Labyrinth: A Qualitative Study of Women's Strategies for Achieving Job Opportunities (Case of study: working women of Mashhad in 2018-2019)

Employment is a key area for growth and self-fulfillment. Women have always faced many challenges since long ago, especially in developing countries, to achieve this goal under the influence of various historical, social and cultural contexts. Employment of women in Iran has an unequal position compared to men. These gender differences in the labor market can be identified both through the statistics and figures published about the level of economic participation of women in the Iranian society and through the discriminations in the work environment, such as taking low and less advantageous organizational positions by women compared to men. Despite the national development programs as well as the development of women's skills, abilities and education in recent years, the challenges facing them in the labor market still remain. Therefore, the present research aims to identify and achieve a coherent understanding of women's strategies to achieve employment with a qualitative and in-depth approach. In this regard, the conditions governing the adoption of any strategy by working women in medium job positions should be determined in terms of income and status.

Literature review:

Recent studies have confirmed the fact that the process of finding employment for women is influenced by some macro-demographic, cultural-social, individual, psychological and economic factors. In general, the findings of these studies, which are often carried out with a quantitative approach, indicate that women based on several variables such as age, education, capabilities, self-confidence, self-belief, having family support and access to financial resources, have different experiences in the job search process. The results of some other sociological researches show that a major part of women's bad luck in obtaining favorable job opportunities is due to the lack of attention of government and public institutions and inappropriate policies in order to ensure women have balanced privileges in the workplace. It should be noted that the findings of some other studies show that the media and social networks facilitate the job search process, especially in the field of controlling and adjusting traditional structures.

The present research, with a qualitative approach and based on interpretive methodology (grounded theory), has investigated the experiences and identification of women's strategies in obtaining job opportunities. The statistical population of this research consists of working women with average job positions in terms of income and status in Mashhad. In order to determine the sample size, two methods of targeted sampling and snowball were used, thus 19 working women were interviewed. In order to achieve theoretical saturation, the researchers implemented and analyzed the data after conducting each interview in order to identify the hidden aspects of the data and non-transparent data. In the continuation, the existing findings were completed by taking new interviews until reaching a clear picture of the phenomenon under study. Based on this, the data collection process continued until reaching the saturation stage.
Validity and reliability in the present research were measured using Guba and Lincoln's four-step approach. Based on this, numerous referrals and long-term presence in job search centers and continuous observation of the behavior of the main actors of the labor market on both sides of job seekers and suppliers were made. Also, the diversity of the respondents in terms of having multiple career records and experiences and different socio-economic bases was emphasized during sampling and data collection. Finally, the use of open-ended questions during interviews and the systematic coding of interviews at an open, axial and selective level during data analysis was one of the other strategies of researchers to fulfill the criteria of validity, transferability, reliability and verifiability in this research.

The analysis of the data of the present research led to the formulation of the central phenomenon under the title "Women's job search: balance between identity search, security seeking and independence seeking". This phenomenon has been affected by a set of causal conditions such as "unmet economic needs", "concentration of working women in peripheral social networks" and "role-identity challenges". Also, the background conditions include "increasing expansion of unstable job opportunities in the labor market" and "evolution in the criteria for validating women in Iranian society" and intervening conditions such as "education", "marriage and economic experiences related to it" and "lived experience of women in Father's house" have had an effect on the identified central phenomenon. To face the central phenomenon, the studied women use strategies such as "wandering in the labor market", "entrepreneurial experiences", "job search based on previous experiences", and "relying on peripheral social networks "," utilizing sexual capital and appeal to official organizations. Also, they have reported consequences such as "prioritization of income over job security", "redefinition of women's identity based on employment", "relative economic independence of women" and "gradual feminization of the labor market".

The results of the research show that women, under the influence of positive or motivational factors, tend to get a job outside their place of residence. It can be said that women who have pursued the job search process at least once in a serious and goal-oriented manner have been affected by factors such as unmet economic needs, the density of working women in social networks, role and identity challenges, as well as having professional skills and qualifications.
 Finally, the results of this research confirm the findings of some previous studies that women's individual characteristics are more effective than social, cultural and structural factors in their job search process. In this effort to enter the labor market by women, two main elements under the title of job security and identification are given priority over economic independence. An important part of middle-class women's efforts for employment can be seen in the light of this prioritization. In fact, being in job positions attracts women's interest more than to achieve economic benefits, because of its identity and dignity creation. Finally, in the shadow of employment and in the process of searching for desirable job opportunities, women learn about independent and effective lifestyles in society.
Therefore, in the policy making of the employment field, emphasis should be placed on creating a platform for flexible career experiences for women, taking into account the requirements of their personal and family life. Also, the optimization of the legal protection system for women in the workplace should be considered.