Nos últimos anos, a rápida expansão do Ensino Superior em Portugal tem impulsionado a sua democratização e promovido uma maior diversificação do perfil social dos estudantes, trazendo novos desafios ao nível da formação e da transição para o mercado de trabalho. Partindo de uma amostra de estudantes universitários (n=2095) e com base num inquérito por questionário, este artigo procura compreender a relação entre a diversificação sociocultural dos estudantes, os percursos académicos e o desenvolvimento dos recursos de carreira, numa lógica de democratização do Ensino Superior. Os resultados indicam que a realização de uma atividade profissional no decorrer do curso tem um impacto significativo na perceção dos estudantes em relação aos recursos de carreira, sobretudo ao nível dos conhecimento e competências. É também possível verificar a influencia das origens sociais nas trajetórias académicas destes estudantes ao nível das escolhas das áreas formativas e da participação diferenciada em atividades culturais e de lazer.

This study was grounded on a theoretical framework that integrates Bourdieu’s concept of sociocultural capital with Blustein’s Relational Theory of Working, which recognizes that social structures and interpersonal connections shape career trajectories. The main objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between students’ sociocultural backgrounds and their career resources, as well as the role of grit in this relationship. To accomplish this, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 2353 Portuguese Higher Education students. Multiple Correspondence Analysis was applied to define students’ sociocultural profiles and structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypothesis. The results evidenced that students’ sociocultural profiles did not present a direct effect on the environment factor of career resources, however an indirect effect — via grit — was found. For the other three career resources (knowledge and skills, motivation, and career management behaviors) students’ sociocultural profiles presented both direct and indirect effects (via grit). This interaction underscores that, while students’ backgrounds shape career resources, grit can help bridge disparities. This study expands the existing literature by incorporating the impact of sociocultural factors and grit, advocating for higher education institutions to recognize diverse backgrounds and promote grit-enhancing initiatives. Such an approach could help mitigate socioeconomic disparities in higher education, offering insights into educational policies that foster equitable career development.