Aims: This paper presents a critically discursive analysis of young people's talk and drawings about mothers' roles in their support network, contrasted with careers advisors, prior to the school to work transition. Method: Thirteen young people aged 16--19 years, opting to go into work or apprenticeships following completion of compulsory education, were interviewed up to one year prior to the school to work transition. Participants were from two educational institutions in England (one further education college; one secondary school sixth form). Participants drew support networks and discussed these during semi-structured interviews. Transcripts and drawings were analysed using a critical discursive psychological (CDP) approach. Findings: Young people's construction of 'support' is an active and discursive process. Mothers were the source of support young people drew first and talked about the most. Conversely, careers advisors were absent from support network drawings and discussed ambivalently, outside the notion of 'support'. Positioning mothers as 'helpers' is discussed and contrasted with careers advisors as 'hinderers'. Limitations: Talk collected from semi-structured interviews rather than naturalistic talk could have shaped participants' talk. All perspectives on support were from the young person's perspective and others, such as those of family members or teachers, were not directly included in the study. Conclusions and applications: Mothers are positioned in various ways by young people in this study, overall as 'helpers'. Careers advisors are positioned as irrelevant or 'hinderers'. Mapping networks is suggested as a tool to support young people's school to work transition, along with suggestions to bring practitioner psychologists from school and work domains closer together.