Factors Influencing Career Choices of People : Theoretical Framework

Factors Influencing Career Choices of People : Theoretical Framework

Theoretical Framework

We want to research and learn the factors influencing career choices of people. Today, there are so much career opportunities and pathways for people to choose and this selection processes are widely affected by many factors.

Our variable of primary interest which is the dependent variable is “career choices of people”. The variance of the choosing procedure can be generally explained by 6 independent variables which are official resources (1), unofficial resources (2), current and potential abilities (3), current trends & opportunities (4), character & interests (5), and gender (6).

The official and unofficial resources are major variables. Experts explain official resources as career consultants, guidance teachers, scientific resources etc. Although official resources have significant effect on people’s choice for their careers, studies show that in England 74% of the children are influenced by their families in choosing their careers, while this proportion in Turkey goes up to almost 100%. That gives us the clue that still, many people are mostly affected by their families and friends etc. which form the unofficial resources. This interference forms pressure on the person and may distract his academic selections which lead to different career selections. Another clue is that the family interference may vary from culture to culture such as “unlike in the UK or in the US, in Germany an important decision about which educational track to follow is made at a relatively early stage: after primary school, at the age of ten.” (Dustmann C., 2006, Parental background, secondary school track choice, and wages).

Another major