This study aims to identify the client factors that predict working alliance in career construction counselling. The sample included 49 Portuguese participants (34 females). A demographic questionnaire collected information about clients' gender, age and educational level. Distress was assessed using the Outcome Questionnaire-45. The strength of working alliance was measured by the Work Alliance Inventory-Short and Revised at the end of both the first and the last career counselling sessions. Multiple regression analyses were computed to test whether client characteristics (gender, age, educational level and distress) predicted the strength of the working alliance. Client distress and low educational level were found to be significant predictors of working alliance strength in both the first and last counselling sessions.