CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents a review of related literature and studies conducted which provided

the researchers insights and information relevant to the present study. Furthermore, this chapter

also provides further explanation regarding the topic.

Influencing Factors Affecting the Career Choice

Having a dream about potential future career is usual among grade schoolers. But as they

grow old, these dreams are slowly changing influenced by different factors in their environment

and the society they are in. Career choice is one of the biggest dilemma and challenge that a

student must face in order to move forward in life. It is not a straight forward task and involves a

difficult process of decision-making. There are a lot of factors to consider in the relatively new

field of career development. As you read through the factors below, you’ll see many of the

related studies that addresses some of the same issues.

FAMILY

Parents and primary guardians provide the greatest influence in directing the right career

and interest of a child; It is proven that it is an essential part of adolescent career development

(Joseph, 2012). It is understood that it is more dominant throughout the course of young people,

where young individuals bring together to form significance of self-individuation and elucidate

their vocational identity (Rodríguez, Inda, &Fernández, 2015).

1|Page
 Bollu-steve & Sanni (2013) as cited in Mtemeri (2017), implied that the first interactions

of a child with people takes place within its home among members of its famile who include

parents, siblings, relative. A child is affected by a number of family-related factors including: (a)

Marital relationship of the parents. (b) Socio-economic status of the family. (c) The atmosphere

of the home (whether parents are warm or hostile). (d) The environmental condition. (e)

Occupational status of the parents.

Family scheme align features symbolize certain family dynamic method, such as parental

assistance and family, individual interactions, that can influence the progress of career desire,

career development, and career exploration (Metheny&McWhirter, 2013; Rogers & Creed,

2011). Parents are also a main influence in persuading the youths to explore their interests and

goals about their career, they inherit their career-related values, at times indirectly, and shift gear

their children’s future to lead their path (Liu et al., 2015 as cited in Betz, 2007; Klassen& Chiu,

2010). In this study the following family factors must be considered: (a) Family’s beliefs and

expectation. (b) The family’s emotional connection. (c) The family’s organization style. (d) The

quality of family learning opportunities.

In other researches, it is shown that students are most influenced by family when

choosing a major; 22% chose family as the most important factor influencing ther choice of

career. However, 21% of the students chose “a career that is personally rewarding” and 20%

chose “FFA/4-H experience” as the most important factors affecting their career choice (Fizer,

2013).

LIFE ROLES

2|Page
 Having different life roles should also be taken into account when choosing future

careers. Super’s Lifespan theory directly addresses the fact that each of us play multiple roles in

our lives and that these roles change over the time that pass.

Donald E. Super’s career development theory is perhaps the most widely known life-span

view of career development. Developmental theories recognize the changes that people go

through as they mature, and they emphasize a life-span approach to career choice and adaptation.

He defined a career as a sequence of occupations, jobs, and positions held during the course of a

lifetime, including also prevocational and post vocational activities. Super asserted that what was

actually needed in vocational guidance was a career model, which takes into account the

sequence of positions that an individual occupies during her or his working life. Interest in

understanding careers led Super to look into peoples’ career patterns, which portray one aspect

of vocational development—the sequence of changes in occupational level and field over a

period of time. Although initially “set out” by the individual’s parental socioeconomic level,

patterns are also determined by individuals’ abilities, personality traits, and the opportunities to

which they are exposed. The analysis of career patterns supported the view that the life cycle

imposes different vocational tasks on people at various times of their lives. Drawing on the work

of developmental psychologists and sociologists who independently studied stages of life and

work, Super and his colleagues outlined five major stages of career development, with each one

characterized by three or four appropriate developmental tasks:

Growth (roughly age 4 to 13), the first life stage, the period when children develop their

capacities, attitudes, interests, socialize their needs, and form a general understanding of the

3|Page
world of work. This stage includes four major career developmental tasks: becoming concerned

about the future, increasing personal control over one’s own life, convincing oneself to achieve

in school and at work, and acquiring competent work habits and attitudes.

Exploration (Ages 14-24) is the period when individuals attempt to understand themselves and

find their place in the world of work. Through classes, work experience, and hobbies, they try to

identify their interests and capabilities and figure out how they fit with various occupations.

They make tentative occupational choices and eventually obtain an occupation. This stage

involves three career development tasks. The first one, the crystallization of a career preference,

is to develop and plan a tentative vocational goal. The next task, the specification of a career

preference, is to convert generalized preferences into a specific choice, a firm vocational goal.

The third vocational task is implementation of a career preference by completing appropriate

training and securing a position in the chosen occupation.

Establishment stage (25-44 years) is the period when the individual, having gained an

appropriate position in the chosen field of work, strives to secure the initial position and pursue

chances for further advancement. This stage involves three developmental tasks. The first task is

stabilizing or securing one place in the organization by adapting to the organization’s

requirements and performing job duties satisfactorily. The next task is the consolidation of one’s

position by manifesting positive work attitudes and productive habits along with building

favorable coworker relations. The third task is to obtain advancement to new levels of

responsibility.

Maintenance (45-65) is the period of continual adjustment, which includes the career

development tasks of holding on, keeping up, and innovating. The individuals strive to maintain

4|Page
what they have achieved, and for this reason they update their competencies and find innovative

ways of performing their job routines. They try also to find new challenges, but usually little new

ground is broken in this period.

Disengagement (over 65) is the final stage, the period of transition out of the workforce. In this

stage, individuals encounter the developmental tasks of deceleration, retirement planning, and

retirement living. With a declined energy and interest in an occupation, people gradually

disengage from their occupational activities and concentrate on retirement planning. In due

course, they make a transition to retirement living by facing the challenges of organizing new life

patterns.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Gender is viewed as the division of people in two categories, men and women, based on

their biological differences (Mtemeri, 2017). Men and women experience stereotypes that are

career-related. Social Learning, as well as multicultural career counseling are approached based

on factors of gender. How we individually view ourselves can influence both the barriers and

opportunities we believe as we choose our career (Which Factors Influences A Career Choice?,

2019). Several Studies, for example, in the Philippines (Morales, Avila, & Espinosa, 2016) , and

the different parts of the world, have shown the influence of gender decision making.

Griffin et al. (2011:177) as cited in Mtemeri (2017), established that, in America, when

gender beliefs are salient they shape behavior most powerfully by affecting people’s sense of

what others expect of them. Eyo et al. (2010:96) as cited in Mtemeri (2017) further revealed that

5|Page
gender has a significant influence on the attitudes of the students towards guidance and

counselling services.

Although many studies have highlighted the influence of gender on career choices, there

are other studies that have different perspectives, such as Malubay, Mercado, and Emeliza

(2015:37) in the Philippines and Uka (2015:12) in Albania as cited in Mtemeri (2017), found out

that gender has no influence on career choices. Similarly, studies carried out in Nigeria (Ottu &

Nkenchor, 2010:3008) and in Kenya (Migunde et al., 2012:235) as cited in Mtemeri (2017)

showed that there was no significant differences in the choice of boys and girls in professions

such as teaching, trading or business, law and judicial services as both sexes made virtually equal

choices.

ABILITIES AND SKILLS

Abilities represent an individual’s capacity to perform a wide range of tasks. They are

believed to be somewhat stable traits or attributes but can be developed or refined over time.

There are numerous types of abilities, which can be classified into four categories. Reasoning,

judging, reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, and related capabilities reflect mental

capacity or cognitive ability (Which Factors Influences A Career Choice?, 2019).

When making career decisions, people should consider their abilities and values as

factors in determining life plans. Values provide self-motivation that enables an individual to put

into perspective important aspects in life (Sukienik, Bendat, & Raufman; 2010 as cited in Joseph,

2012). Therefore, a chosen path may reflect one’s values and may cause conflict if they do not

6|Page
match. A similar experience takes place as our skills reflect specific attributes, talents, and

personal qualities.

In one of the earliest fields of career development, Trait Factor Theory, considering your

abilities and skills, as well as how they will fit a certain occupation often comes out and is still

used today. It is recommended by these theories to create occupational profiles for specific jobs,

as well as identifying the difference among individuals and based on these differences, matching

them to occupations.

Most people prefer to choose a career that will benefit them groundwork and to make a

better average of life (Cavus, Geri and Turgunbayeva; 2015). Individual Career decision making

will help itself to plan and treasure his or her profession. The organizational rank talks about the

promotion order joined in the flesh of development quadrant. In short self-career decision

making will improve the person’s organization that will assist in pursuing his or her growth or

objective in approval with their experience, capabilities and goal (Bayraktaroğlu, 2011).

PERSONALITY AND INTEREST

Career decision making offers a framework that creates innovation, effective, and

sustainable solutions to the career development challenge among youth (Savickas, 2012).

Besides, Carter, et al (2009) suggest that career counselling assist students in the career decision

making process while McMahon & Watson (2007) point out that the information given to a

student about the available careers have a lifetime consequence of the students’ career choices.

7|Page
 The term interests refers to what an individual likes and dislikes, as associated with

specific tasks, activities, or objects. Interests are a function of factors such as values, family

background and experiences, social class, culture, and environment.

The career interest is a common expression that has been used in relevance about career

appraisal. Career assessments are trial or inventory that will tell you what you like to do or if

your skills are falsehood, this assessment also subaltern your entire event of your life. This will

serve as a method of learning, exploring and discussing your true wants, career interest or future

dream. At times, your career may lead you know the connection about your interest career or

wants that will bring you to better choice than your current career.

Understanding your personality can assist your career development in many ways:

1. It can help you select a career field that is good fit for your personality make-up.

2. It can increase your awareness of your learning style so you can better benefit from

career related education.

3. Understanding your personality preferences can help you manage Job Challenges that

inevitably raise their ugly heads during the course of our career.

4. Knowing your personality type, especially knowing the specific details of your individual

type can provide, will aid you in a job search, both in marketing yourself and in

evaluating opportunities that arise.

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Peers are one of the greatest number who can influence and affect the adolescence, career

choice, friends can help career choice in a greater extent that will encourage them to do better

8|Page
and together to reach their goals, peers have the power that gives energy to explore and cheer

up to each other to reach their goal. They affect their own friends by only showing their true

motif that will support them and awaken them to real battle.

Peer influence career choicer through peer interactions (Mtemeri, 2017). As the students

interact, they share information and common interests which stimulate reflection. Likewise,

Kiuru (2009) as cited in Mtemeri (2017) implied that, in Finland, peer group members who are

closely related are likely to end up in similar educational trajectories.

This is in line with Krumboltz’ Social Learning Theory which emphasises the importance

of learners interacting with one another in their environment.

Peers has a important part on influencing career choice, their influence is a tool to form

career decision making and opportunities of the youth’s career (Naz, Saeed&Waseem, 2014).

Palo and Drobot(2010) as cited in Bett (2013), pointed out that peer influenced figure individual

perception and behaviour through decision making. Other researchers propose that peer

encourages one another to take more trials as a contrast with the other friends that focus on

making career choices (Naz et al., 2014; Falk &Ichino, 2006). Hence, peer pressure plays a

significant part in career choice among youths.

On the contrary, It has been observed in several studies in America that there were no

significant relationship between peer group influence and career choices in humanities among

secondary adolescents (Aika, 2010:183 as cited in Mtemeri, 2017).

SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS

All of our career choices take place within the context of society and the economy.

Several career theories, such as Social Cognitive Career Theory and Social Learning, address

9|Page
this context in addition to other factors. Events that take place in our lives may affect the choices

available to us and even dictate our choices to a certain degree. Different situations and

conditions which take place in our economic and social lives that we should take into account

(Pascual, 2014). Employability, i.e., the realistic feasibility of being employed in a stable job,

then becomes an important factor in career decision making.

CULTURAL NORMS

Culture and ethnic and racial background of the person’s regional area, extended family

and local community are factors that may impact decisions of career.The value that we hold and

the community that we live is our culture, this culture affect our financial priorities and it plays a

big part of our career choices. Many researchers studied and understand how does culture factors

influence and affect the career choice of all individuals. Great number of people career look for

works oversees than to work or find a job to their native counterpart.

The manner or the passion of the population in the past or previous ancestors was inherit

to generation to generation until individual person brought up and carry the culture, that makes

the you to be obedience and conformance to their parents dominion that usually connected with

the surface of dependent cognitive style or culture.

A researcher named Wei concluded that the individual-oriented culture is general in Us

that leads the American students to overestimate their self about their capacity, that make

students be confident more and more about their career decision.” In other words, the culture that

is individual is more conducive to fostering self-efficacy, while the collective-oriented culture

may have inhibited the development of self-efficacy” writes Wei. The study was completed by

10 | P a g e
amplifying the relationship between the independence and confidence that utilized despite the

prevailing circumstances of cultural context.

Interests, personality, abilities and values, and career development play an essential role

in how practitioners assist clients in determining the career path that is best fit for them. A

number of things must be considered since people are complex individuals bringing up their past,

present, culture, beliefs, and values into decision process. Hence, It is crucial that the person in

the appropriate positions give guidance and information needed to increase the like hood of an

appropriate match.

EFFECTS OF THE CHOSEN CAREER

Having or simply imagining the job you have chosen and will become soon, gives you

the excitement and energy of working extra hard to pursue your dreams. You wake up with the

smile on your face ready for the day ahead, that’s because you have the inspiration to urge for

the dream job you want to have. Being happy on the career you have, leads to a better future.

Once you have a steady job, living on your own becomes a realistic goal. Whether this means

finally moving out of your parents' home or leaving your three roommates for the one-bedroom

apartment of your dreams, you'll finally taste the sweet flavour of freedom. Your work gives all

the fundamental establishments for fellowship (Thill, 2016).

Comparable interface? Check.

Parcels of time together? Double check.

11 | P a g e
Having the money of your own? Check.

Having a freedom? Check.

Doing the things you love is very essential in our daily life. We do things that could

entertain ourselves in order for us to be happy and be active of something. We choice a career

that’s not only could give us money but also can be happy and enjoy what we are doing plus

appreciate the things around us.

Because of this research, there’s a lot of questions, confusions and mostly choices that went

through our minds and thought of want we are going to be in the future. There’s a very easy

answer for such a difficult question that is “if it’s mean to be, it’s up to me” by William Johnson.

The quote means that want destined to be yours will be yours, you hold back your destiny but

you can never escape it.

While some of us are following their destiny, some of us just keep on avoiding them.

Some of us are lethargic of waking up in the morning and going to school, doing endless school

work. That’s because we know our future will continue to be boring anyways, due to the

imposed career choice of our parents. We all love our parents, and will do anything for them to

be happy even if it leads us to a risky situation. Some of us also believe in the phrase “mother

knows best” by Alan Menken (2016). It is a way of how our mother is giving advice due to her

longer experience. Because we love our parents, we obey their decisions for us which sometimes

leads on having the career you never really wanted. Nowadays, plenty of employees are life less

when it comes to working, because what they dreamed to be is way beyond what they are doing

right now. They made a risk, now they have to endure it.(tungaraza, 2018)

12 | P a g e
FINANCIAL IMPACTS

The career that you have chosen can have numerous amount of impact on your finances.

Firstly, you will need to make funds to support the college course you want to study. It is

valuable to check thoroughly the financing options such as monthly instalments, which it will

make the costs of your studies accessible to take.In the event that you’re seeking after your

considers on a full-time premise, at that point there won’t be much save time accessible to create

an wage. Part-time thinks about are in this manner a useful option for those who have to be gain

compensation to finance considered finances or cover other costs, such as lease, food, and

transport. If you're at the arrange of employing for a modern work, you may moreover got to

consider potential movement costs, and whether the compensation you’ll be gaining will be

adequate to cover all your living costs.

MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL EFFECTS

Considering the fact that your career will take up a critical parcel of each day of your life,

it is characteristic that your career choices will have an effect on your mental and enthusiastic

wellbeing. On the off chance that you’ve chosen a career with tall push levels, at that point you

would like to memorize how to oversee or adapt with this stress. In the event that you discover

yourself working in a work merely don’t appreciate, at that point there's a capable chance of

creating work-related discouragement, which can amplify into your individual life. On the other

hand, making the correct career choice that you ever wanted and dreamed of can be exceedingly

advantageous for your overall wellbeing. In case you're passionate around your career and

13 | P a g e
energized approximately progressing to work every day, then you’ve taken care of one of the

foremost critical components affecting your individual joy. This is often why it is continuously

shrewd to take after a career way that suits your individual characteristics and interface.

All the things that we are regretting now might continue until the future, but if we just

start on going through the right path and leave our worries behind, we could become the better

version of our self and have the life that we ever wanted.

IMPORTANCE OF CAREER DECISION-MAKING

Career choice is a lifelong decision-making process for those seeking substantial

satisfaction with their work. Choosing a career has lately Become a very complicated part of

life, since it determines the kind of profession that a student intends to pursue in life considering

that the influenced by numerous factors. There are factors that will influence an individual so

it’s sensible to contemplate these factors from multiple views. Like interests, life roles,

skills, abilities, talents, social and economic conditions. Nevertheless, it is important to

choose the right career to ensure that individuals lead fulfilling lives, are empowered in their

strands and for success and sustainability in the organization. Given the importance of making

the correct career choice, it is imperative that individuals are aware of and from a knowledge

point of view of the factors influencing such weighty decisions.

If someone has a positive role model in a career, orperhaps someone has a positive work experie

nce, they can definitely influence the future choice of work.Students are often presented with a

list of professions before making career choices from which to make choices. Many adolescents,

14 | P a g e
however, lack adequate knowledge about different careers, so the choices they make are rooted

in their understanding of the ideal careers and the topics they research in junior high school.

Choosing a profession is not a simple and straightforward undertaking because of the need for

specialization at the workplace. It is a difficult and challenging process because different factors

– extrinsic, intrinsic or a mixture of both – affect the decision (Hewitt, 2010).

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This section provides a review of the Career Construction theory as the basis for this

study. Career Construction theory provides a comprehensive theoretical background that

illustrates the importance of career development and how it will contribute to one’s career

choice. The Theory of Career Construction explains the mechanisms of perception and

interpersonality through which individuals place meaning and direction on their occupational

actions (Staunton, 2015). Holland’s Theory, also known as the theory of career choice explains

the importance of decision making. This theory explains the correlation of several factors

affecting the career decision of an individual. Furthermore, the Career Construction approach

addresses how the career world is designed through personal constructivism and social

constructionism. John L. Holland claims that both people and work environments can be

classified and compatible with each other (Staunton, 2015). Holland’s theory aims to classify

people according to the type of work they are most interested in and then categories occupation

under the same scheme to measure their congruence. Moreover, Holland emphasized that this

theory is neither focusing on the person nor the environment in the P-E symbol. However, it does

focuses on asserting that building a career is a psychosocial activity that synthesize one’s self

and society (Staunton, 2015). Holland’s actual scheme is focused on a sis point hexagon which

15 | P a g e
addresses six types of person such as Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and

Conventional (RIASEC):

Realistic. They are realistic person who like specific jobs, they tend to work alone or with other

realistic people.

Investigative. They are the thinkers who use abstract or analytical skills to figure things out.

Artistic. They are the members of our society who want to create things, the imaginative one’s.

Social. It refers to a person who interacts with people; they are the one who are interested in

social issues and has sympathy with their fellow.

Enterprising. Those are the participants who depend or lean toward leadership; they are

prepared to take challenges and new adventures and might also be bold.

Conventional. They are customary person who preferred structed works. They often appear to

be consecutive.

Nauta (2010) as cited in (Joseph, 2012) said that Holland conceptualized the RIASEC

types as broad expressions of personality, encompassing associated abilities, self-views,

preferences, and characteristics.

16 | P a g e
CONCEPTUAL PARADIGM

FAMILY

LIFE ROLES

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS

CAREER CHOICE

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

ABILITIES AND SKILLS

PERSONALITY AND INTEREST

CULTURAL NORMS
OROR

Figure 1.1
The conceptual paradigm of the study showing the relationship
of the independent and dependent variables.

17 | P a g e
18 | P a g e