Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore issues pertaining to monolingual ideology in the United States and the challenges in terms of career identity and development for multilingual individuals. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper provides a discussion of the relevant literature pertaining to linguistic diversity, language ideologies, career identity and career development, and offers a critical conceptual framework for understanding career development in linguistically diverse, multilingual contexts. Findings Based on a critical review of literature, this paper proposes a conceptual framework which can be used to address linguistic issues that may otherwise encourage discrimination and inequity in the workplace. Originality/value This paper addresses the gap in career development literature by proposing a critical conceptual framework that integrates language as an important element of one’s career identity.