Stability Of Vocational Interests Among High School Students

Adolescence, Fall, 1998 by Ronald L. Mullis, Ann K. Mullis, Deborah Gerwels

Not only counselors, but also parents and other family members should assist adolescents with career exploration. Parents can be made aware of the influence they have on their children's vocational interests. Professionals and parents can together expose adolescents to a variety of career options. This is especially important for those families who reside in rural areas, where exposure to, and experience with, different occupations may be more limited.

Although the career interests of adolescents appear to be stable, it is important to bear in mind that their occupational awareness is strongly influenced by sociocultural experiences. Future research should investigate whether a broader set of social and contextual variables may provide greater insight into how and when adolescents clarify vocational choices and eventually commit to a career.

Ann K. Mullis, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Florida State University. Deborah Gerwels, M.S., Florida State University. Reprint requests to Ronald L. Mullis, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Family and Child Sciences, College of Human Sciences, 216 WJB, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306.

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