Using consensual qualitative research (C. Hill, B. Thompson, & E. Williams, 1997), the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of domestic violence on the working lives of women currently in shelter. Several emergent categories suggested that domestic violence has a profound effect on women's working lives, including their ability to maintain work and their ability to concentrate on the job. Contextual factors such as children, external barriers, and community resources also facilitated (or impeded) battered women's ability to obtain or maintain meaningful employment. The relationship between domains suggested a model in which physical and psychological violence act as moderating influences on a woman's vocational self-concept and actual ability to work. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.