Career Choice: Shaping the Future Path

Parental Attitudes on Career Decision

One of the most significant decisions in life is career planning since a lot of students encounter their first crucial career decision in high school. That’s when the majority has to decide which path they should take: which department, which university, which program, etc. A career decision means choosing a lifestyle. This decision is a factor that determines whom students will interact with and what will occupy them in their lifespan. Additionally, a person’s worldview, moral values, and ideals are shaped by career decision-making and what the chosen career path brings on.

When correct career decisions are taken in life, the young adult can have satisfaction and fulfillment in life (Alika, 2009). Therefore, the adult who has career satisfaction possesses creativity, productivity, and happiness. Unsuccess for making a true career choice could result in difficulty in handling life tasks (Alika, 2009). When career decision is such an important topic, the deep impact that parents have on children regarding this decision appears as a matter that requires attention.

Poole et al. (1991, as cited in Alika, 2009) found that "children are influenced by their families’ work values, attitudes and behaviors, and as a result, parents are often the primary source of children’s work values and attitudes."

The Role of Parents in Decision Making

According to career theorists (e.g., Gottfredson, 1981; Roe, 1957; Super, 1957, as cited in Koumoundourou et al., 2011), parents' role in the career decision period has long been accepted. These studies continue to be sought. Many children are influenced by their parents because of still living together (Koumoundourou et al., 2011).

The different views of parents about the career decision are reflected on the three basic parental attitudes:

1. Authoritarian Attitude

One of the parental attitude styles is authoritarian. Parents who have an authoritarian style reject their children’s individualistic identification. These parents do not show love to their children. If the children do not obey the rules, the family gives punishments.

Impact: Trusty (1998, as cited in Koumoundourou et al., 2011) claimed that students' career decisions and educational attainment are discouraged by their families because the family wants extreme control over their children.

2. Irrelevant Attitude

This parental style is apparent in parents who do not have close relationships with their children. Young adults are often given free rein by their families. Also, parents who have irrelevant attitudes fulfill only basic needs.

Impact: Irrelevant parents do not set up rules for their children, and they pay no attention to their children’s success. Therefore, parents do not play a role in their children’s career decisions. Moreover, parents who assume an irrelevant attitude have a lack of discipline, and thus, the reflections of indiscipline on children can be irresponsibility and indifference towards career.

3. Autonomous Attitude

The final attitude style is the autonomous attitude. Autonomous style is found in parents who do not apply strict obedience over their children’s behavior, and they support their children’s self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-control.

Impact: Parents show respect for their children’s career decision-making. Parents have significant effects on their children’s vocations and educational plans. (2005, as cited in Koumoundourou et al., 2011), family interaction could perform a slight yet powerful role in the career decision-making process.

Social Expectations and Gender Roles

As it is clarified, parents have an undeniable influence on their children when the career route is initiated. At times, they tend to canalize them, regardless of their interests and talents they tend to canalize them, regardless of their interests and talents. Sometimes it is expected to choose a job that is ongoing through generations in a family lineage. However, there is no specific educational program that can inform parents about the negative consequences of their false interference. So, consulting with a school counselor or a career counselor can provide helpful psychological support.

Additionally, in some cases, parents want to make the child prefer a department in university because of gender roles:

Boys are seen as arithmetically intelligent.
Girls are seen as verbal brains.

According to research at Stanford University, 70% of first-grade students and 80% of third-grade students stated that their families are the ultimate effect on their career choices (Stanford University News Service, 1980).

To Sum Up

The influence of parents’ approaches on the career path is a significant topic in a young adult’s world. Therefore, not only does a young adult need to identify their abilities and interests for a compatible vocation, but also the parents need to raise their self-awareness as to how much negative influence they have on their children regarding career, and to convert that influence into a healthier support.

References

Alika, H. I. (2009). Parental and peer group influence as correlates of career choice in humanities among secondary school students in Edo State, Nigeria. Journal of Research in National Development, 7(1).
Koumoundourou, G., Tsaousis, I., & Kounenou, K. (2011). Parental influences on Greek adolescents' career decision-making difficulties: The mediating role of core self-evaluations. Journal of Career Assessment, 19(2), 165–182. [DOI: 10.1177/1069072710385547]
Stanford University News Service. (1980). Stanford students' career choices influenced by family. Stanford University.