The present study aimed to identify and explain the experience of lack of work volition among female secondary school students in Kermanshah. The study was applied in terms of its purpose and employed a mixed-methods approach with an explanatory design, in which a quantitative phase was first conducted to identify students experiencing lack of work volition, followed by a qualitative phenomenological phase to explore their lived experiences. The study population consisted of female secondary school students in Kermanshah during the 2023–2024 academic year. In the quantitative phase, 200 students completed the Student Version of the Work Volition Scale developed by Duffy, Diemer, and Jadidian (2012). Of these, 28 students who scored more than one standard deviation below the mean were identified, and 20 were selected for the qualitative phase through purposive sampling based on the inclusion criteria. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth, unstructured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. The findings resulted in 84 initial codes, 29 subthemes, and two main themes: individual factors and contextual-social factors. The findings indicated that lack of work volition is a multidimensional phenomenon experienced through the interaction of individual and contextual-social factors. Therefore, identifying these factors and designing targeted interventions in schools, educational settings, and career counseling services may help reduce uncertainty, strengthen personal agency, and facilitate informed and sustainable entry into the world of work.