Career development, for most people, is a lifelong process of engaging the work world through choosing among

employment opportunities made available to them. Each individual undertaking the process is influenced by many
factors, including the context in which they live, their personal aptitudes, and educational attainment (Bandura,
Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 2001).A major turning point in adolescents' lives involves the career choice that
they make while in high school. Frequently, it is viewed by family and community as a mere start to workplace
readiness; however, this decision plays a major role in establishing youth in a career path that opens as well as closes
opportunities. Given the differences in the social and economic context of college-bound versus work-bound
adolescents (Bluestein, Phillips, Jobin-Davis, Finke berg, & Roarke, 1997), a study was designed to explore the
factors that influence rural young adults' selection of specific careers. Methodology Focus group process was
selected as the preferred research method because the study was seeking to uncover the nature and nuances that
operate in young adults' lives during their career choice decision-making process. Focus group process is a non-
directive means by which participants provide information without being directed to answer specific questions
(Krueger, 1994).Participants of the study's 12 focus groups were individuals from an 11-county rural area in Central
Pennsylvania. Of these groups, seven were conducted with 98 high school seniors, three were with 50 graduating
college seniors, and two with 24 employed young adults. The purposeful selection of the seven high school groups,
which ranged from 10 to 17 participants, was based upon the size of the school's enrollment, type of curriculum, and
the mean income level of the district's families (School Report Cards, 2002). The three college groups' selection,
which ranged from 14 to 22 participants, was based upon location within the area. Selection of the two employed
young adult groups, which included 12 participants each, was based upon type of employment and location within
the area.The high school groups were 44% male and 55% female, while the college groups were 42% male and 58%
female. The young working adult groups, ranging in age from 25 to 35 years old, were 59% male and 41% female.
The groups' racial and ethnic composition was 98% Caucasian, 1% Black, and 1% Hispanic. The groups' interviews
were conducted by an experienced moderator using opened-ended structured protocols that lasted an hour. The
interviews were recorded, transcribed into a written format, and coded so that the emerging themes could be
identified and summarized (Straus & Corbin, 1990). Participants were asked:
What are the career/job goals you now are considering?
Who or what helped you learn about your choices?
Who or what has had the greatest influence on your employment decisions?
What are the barriers to achieving your employment goals?
Where in the future do you plan to work
The following section reports the themes that emerged during the study. The themes are those most
frequently reported throughout all of the groups. The study's themes provided a basis for dialogue that
identified strategies area stakeholders used to increase assistance to youth in making career choices.
Findings
Throughout all of the groups, a consistent picture of the major influencers of young adult's career choices emerged.
The interrelated nature of the groups' perceptions highlighted the importance family and community play in shaping
young adult's career choices. The major emerging themes from the focus groups include the following.
Interdependence of Family, School, and Community Culture Young adults, through interaction with the context of
family, school, and community, learn about and explore careers that ultimately lead to career choice. The
interdependence of family, school, and community culture played a critical role in shaping the youth's occupational
choice. The economic and social circumstances of the broader community colored and influenced the youth's
perceptions of appropriate career choices. Youth in communities of more affluence appeared to have more family
and school support in career exploration, which resulted in consideration of a wider range of career options. Parents,
followed by other family members, provided valuable learning experiences through their own role models and
supporting activities that assisted in exploring career interests. Work-bound youth's parents frequently taught skills
that provided youth with a broader understanding of their own aptitudes contributing to career choice. "My Dad
works on big Caterpiller transmissions, and some my uncles do that kind of work. We would work together, and,
you know, I learned a lot from him, how to do anything. This is why I'm a Diesel-Teck major." Different Social and
Economic Contextual FactorsCollege-bound and work-bound young adults are influenced by vastly different social
and economic contextual factors in their pursuit of markedly different occupational paths while transitioning from
school to work. College-bound and work-bound youth exist side-by-side in high school, but face the transition to the
workplace in different time frames and with different expectations for career opportunities available to
them.College-bound youth had career trajectories that were future oriented, with the first step being college
participation. "College gives me a chance to test out what I want to do. I can always switch majors. It's most
important to graduate."Work-bound youth, high school and applied college, occupational goals were identified by a
specific type of employment that drove their skill development and educational attainment. "I had to know what I
was going to do when I get out to choose a major for training. I knew what I was good at, so I choose welding." The
transition for work-bound youth was more direct and dependent upon gaining employment that quickly shifted their
roles from adolescent to adult, binding them to adult career expectations.
"(Ideal Job)"(Barriers )(Out Migration)
Discussion
The study reported here confirms existing knowledge about the great impact that family, school, and community
have upon young adults' self identity and career choice. All come into play in providing input into the adolescents'
perception of self, educational efficacy, and vocational interests. The study adds to the understanding of the critical
role parents play in shaping career choice. Through educational expectations and perceptions of occupational
appropriateness, parents were found to have key roles in shaping career choices. The study's finding of the impact
that the broader context of the school and community environment has in supporting or delaying career decision-
making extends the understanding of the importance these entities have upon adolescents' identity and occupational
goals. Implications for PracticeThese findings have implications for Extension educators who are being challenged
to assume a more assertive role in providing programs to assist youth in career choice. Understanding the key role
that family and community play in the process requires educators to reach beyond traditional youth audiences.
Engaging parents in understanding the vital role they play in adolescents' occupational choice will challenge 4-H, as
it has schools. Developing collaborative programs with innovative strategies that engage youth, parents, and
community will require youth educators to become effective in managing collaborative partnerships that can help
change stakeholders perceptions of their role in adolescent's career selection.
Developing programs and strategies that assist both parents and youth in exploring a wide range of occupations can
open the door to emerging and non-traditional career choices. Providing adolescents with learning opportunities in
which they are challenged to make sense of situations that they will encounter in various types of employment can
provide them with a greater understanding of career options. Community-based learning that involves teens in
solving real-world workplace problems directly connects them to the reality of various occupations. Engaging
parents and community in active support of career exploration and choice provides the context that assists
adolescents in making successful transitions into adult workplace roles.
Holland's Theory of Career Choice and You
Choose a Career or Major that Fits Your Personality
Choosing a college major, training program, or a career that fits your Holland personality is a vital step toward
successgood grades, graduating on time, and job satisfaction.
The Holland theory is the best known and most widely researched theory on this topic. It is widely used by
professionals.
Understanding the theory will help you choose the careers, majors, or training programs that best fit your personality
(see our video series).
Holland's theory can be summarized in six statements:
1. In our culture, most people are one of six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social,
Enterprising, and Conventional. Some refer to these as Holland Codes or RIASEC.
2. People of the same personality type working together in a job create a work environment that fits their
type. For example, when Artistic persons are together on a job, they create a work environment that
rewards creative thinking and behavior -- an Artistic environment.
3. There are six basic types of work environments: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising,
Conventional.
4. People search for environments where they can use their skills and abilities and express their values and
attitudes. For example, Investigative types search for Investigative environments; Artistic types look for
Artistic environments, and so forth.
5. People who choose to work in an environment similar to their personality type are more likely to be
successful and satisfied. For example, Artistic persons are more likely to be successful and satisfied if they
choose a job that has an Artistic environment, like choosing to be a dance teacher in a dancing school --
an environment "dominated" by Artistic type people where creative abilities and expression are highly
valued.

6. How you act and feel at work depends to a large extent on your workplace (or school) environment. If you
are working with people who have a personality type like yours, you will be able to do many of the things
they can do, and you will feel most comfortable with them. How is this related to the scores you receive
on the Career Key?
How is this related to the scores you receive on the Career Key test? You want to choose an occupation or college
majors, training programs that matches, or is similar to, your personality. This is most likely to lead to satisfaction
and success.(Learn how this applies to Career Clusters, Fields, and Pathways).
A good match-up is called "Congruent" (meaning "compatible, in agreement or harmony"). For example, imagine
that your highest score on the Career Key is for the Realistic type. Looking at the table below, you can see that the
most compatible job environment is Realistic. It is a congruent match. This suggests that you choose a job in the
Realistic group. Or, you might choose from the jobs that fall in the Investigative or Conventional category.
Most people, in reality, are a combination of types -- like Realistic-Investigative, or Artistic-Social. Therefore, you
will probably want to consider occupations in more than one category.
In summary, you are most likely to choose a satisfying job if you choose one that fits your personality type.
If your two strongest personality types are "inconsistent"-Realistic and Social, Investigative and Enterprising, or
Artistic and Conventional-be sure to read the next section, below, and this article.
Holland's Hexagon
John Holland created a hexagonal model that shows the relationship between the personality types and
environments.

Notice that the personality types closest to each other are more alike than those farther away. You can see this most
clearly when you compare the personalities opposite each other, on the hexagon. For example, read the description
of the types for Realistic and Social. You will see that they are virtually the opposite of each other. On the other
hand, Social and Artistic are not that far apart.
The same holds true for the work environments. Read their descriptions and you will see.
Inconsistent Personality Patterns
If your two strongest personality types are Realistic and Social, Investigative and Enterprising, or Artistic and
Conventional, read about inconsistent personality patterns and how they can work to your advantage.
Two Essentials
To use Holland's theory, it is vital that you use a,
1. Valid (true) measure of Holland's personality types, one that is supported by studies published in scientific
journals, and
2. List of occupations or majors scientifically classified