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Influences on Career Choices2

• Describe how variousinfluences can affectyour career decisions.

• Analyze how people in-fluence you and yourdecisions.

• Determine your pref-erences for a workenvironment.

• Identify the valuesthat influence you.

influence

work environment

social environment

values

motivation

culture

intrinsic

extrinsic

D oug’s passion was discussingpolitics. He loved to talk. The

conversation might be about apresidential election or the poli-tical correctness of the schoolmascot. When Doug wrote abouthis passions in his Career Port-folio Builder, he discussed hislove of politics. He liked talkingabout politics, but that did notmean that he wanted to be acareer politician. How wouldDoug be able to fulfill his strongpassion for politics without run-ning for office?

Mrs. Garden was Doug’sjournalism adviser. She showedDoug that by writing for theschool paper, he investigatedproblems, interviewed people,and wrote his opinions. In otherwords, wasn’t he really discuss-ing politics? Mrs. Garden alsoreminded Doug of his excellentEnglish and social studies grades.His classes in those subjects gavehim a solid basis fora career as apoliticalreporter.

Mrs. Garden suggested thatDoug work as a summer intern forthe weekly newspaper. The expe-rience would help him explorejournalism as a career. Doug fol-lowed his teacher’s suggestion. Heis now reporting on local politicsfor the Forestville Reporter. Dougfound that writing about localpolitics is a great starting point forpursuing his career.

Doug is finishing his bache-lor’s degree in journalism whileworking for the newspaper.Whenhe graduates, he will apply to citynewspapers on the East Coast. Hisdreamis tobepartof amajornews-paper in Washington D.C. or NewYork City. AndMs. Garden is en-couraging Doug to live his dream.

What do you know?

When you think about your futurecareer, whose opinions are importantto you—parents or other relatives?teachers? peers? employers?

counselors?

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Copyright 2008 Thomson Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.

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InfluenceEverything and everyone around you influ-ence you every day. Influence meansthe power of someone or something toaffect you directly or indirectly. You maynot think about how people, places, ideas,experiences, or things influence you. How-ever, the choices you make, which are aresult of those influences, will affect yourlife.

Influences may be positive or negative.For example, if you are allergic to cats andyou work as a veterinary technician in ananimal clinic, your environment probablyhas a negative influence on you.

Some influences may be stronger andhave a greater effect on your behavior anddecisions. For example, when you respectand admire someone, the advice and opin-ions of that person are likely to have astrong impact on you.

Influence is not usually manipulation ordirect persuasion. However, influence stillaffects you and your decisions. This chapterwill help you determine what influenceshave some impact on your career decisions—in other words, who or what influences you.As you travel along your career path, you candecide what advice or experiences you wantas influences on your career decisions.

To help you understand your personal

career influences, do Activity 2-1,

‘‘Things I Love to Do.’’

People Who InfluenceCareer DecisionsInformation about work comes from manysources. The people you know will have thegreatest influence on your career decisionmaking. Family members, teachers, peers,community members, and many othersgive advice, provide part-time jobs, andshare work experiences with you. Listeningto others talk about their work influencesyour perception of work and variouscareers.

Observing how work affects people cangive you information that may be positiveor negative. Sometimes when you talk withpeople about their careers, you can tell thatthey enjoy waking up each morning andheading off to work. On the other hand,people who come home at the end of theworkday exhausted and grouchy may notenjoy their careers.

Learning why people work at a particu-lar job and finding out what makes themhappy or unhappy with their careers canhelp you in your career discovery process.Listening to others talk about their workdayand watching their interactions on the jobare two ways you can research careers.Your observations can provide informationthat may help you make decisions aboutyour own career.

‘‘‘‘A closed mind is a good thing to lose.’’

—Anonymous,,Parents and Other Family MembersAccording to the Ohio Career Develop-ment Systems study, your family is thegreatest influence on your career decisionmaking. Your parents and/or other familymembers provide the starting place foryour initial ideas about various careers.The way they react to their work situationscan influence how you will feel about yourworking life.

Constanza enjoys her career as a cosme-tologist. Her knowledge of color and herskill help her create new hair and makeupdesigns to flatters a client’s appearance.She has a knack for bringing out hercustomers’ beauty. She delights in howpeople’s faces light up with pleasure aftershe completes her work on their hair orface. Constanza is one of the most popu-lar cosmetologists in town.

Working with people and beauty isher passion. However, Constanza neverreveals her love of her career at home. Infact, Constanza comes home from workevery day complaining. She grumbles

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about her customers, her aching feet, thelong hours, and the shop owner. On theother hand, she spends several hoursof her free time each week researchingnew products. Constanza also volun-teers monthly at the local career centerand gives talks at area high schoolsabout her work.

Constanza’s daughter, Donna, hearsher mother’s daily complaints. However,she also sees her mother’s dedication toher profession.

Because of her mother’s behavior,Donna has mixed feelings about train-ing for a cosmetology career. Does hermother really hate her work, or is shejust complaining all of the time? Howcan Donna get a clear understandingof the profession?

You may get conflicting messages abouta particular career from the way yourparents or other family members react totheir work. Watching and listening to theirattitudes toward their own career maymake a positive—or negative—impact onyou toward work or a certain career. Evenif the messages you receive are conflicting,however, do not ignore family members’advice when you create your career plan.Family members know you well, and theirencouragement may help you make soundcareer decisions. If a family member dis-courages your career choice, ask why—heor she probably has a good reason.

‘‘‘‘You are in charge of your own attitude—

whatever others do or circumstances you

face. The only person you can control is

yourself.’’

—Marian Wright Edelman

Author and Children’s Activist,,ExpectationsYour family may have expectations for you.They may have hopes and dreams for yourfuture. Those expectations can influenceyour personality, passions, interests, andtalents. They also can affect your choiceof careers. Sometimes someone in yourfamily has a career dream that you areexpected to follow. That career may notexpress your own interests, talents, andpassions. Or you may be expected to jointhe family business. Your family may cau-tion you against pursuing a particularcareer.

Michael’s dad, Lou, has a small success-ful dental practice. Michael has helpedhis dad in the office since he was 12 yearsold. He has helped sterilize instruments,clean equipment, and run errands. Loualways hoped to work with his son andeventually turn the business over to him.Michael closely watched his father’s workas a dentist. However, his experienceshelped him decide that he did not want tobecome a dentist. Although Michael likesworking with people, he is more inter-ested in working as a stockbroker.

Lou had a difficult time accepting hisson’s decision. He wondered what wouldhappen to the dental practice that heworked so hard to build. When Michaeltalked to his father about his decision, heexplained how he wanted to follow hisfather’s example—to build a career of hisown.Hewanted toworkwith people in thebusiness world. Later he would like tobecome a financial adviser. Lou listenedcarefully. He sawmore clearly how he andMichael were alike in their passion fortheir work but different in their interests.

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A positive outlook about work conveys a strong work ethic.

Chapter 2 Influences on Career Choices 19


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Perhaps your family expects you to followa career path that does not really suit you.If so, take the lead and show them thesuccesses you have had in your courses,extracurricular activities, and part-timejobs. Use your successes as a starting pointfor introducing your family to a careerpath you would like to explore. That con-versation can help your family listen to youand support your dreams.

EncouragementBy supporting and guiding you, membersof your family can help you develop andpursue your career focus. Your family cansupport your search. They can encourageyou to take courses related to the field you areinterested in so you can explore your career

path. In those ways, your family can help youcreate plans and goals for the future. Yourfamily’s assistance in developing your talentsand supporting your passions will help youfind your P*A*T*H to Success.

Discuss your talents and passions withyour parents and with other family mem-bers. Talk openly about what you enjoynow and what your plans are. Tell themhow you want to research possible careers.They may be able to introduce you tosomeone in your career and help you withjob shadowing. Doing something you likeand doing it well—that is your passion.Your family’s encouragement can give youconfidence and help guide your educationand training.

Culinary Career

As a little girl, Cheryl Janz loved to helpher mother cook, especially at holidays.Cheryl’s mother would let Cheryl help in thekitchen but would say to her, ‘‘You have toget a real job.’’ Cheryl knew, though, thatshe wanted to create meals that wouldmake people—and herself—happy.

When Cheryl was deciding her careerpath, she listened to her mother. Cherylbecame an architect and designed build-ings. Her passion for food became a week-end hobby. She would cook and caterparties with her friends. After a career inarchitecture, Cheryl retired—but was soonbored. That is when she decided to enrollin culinary school, fulfilling her lifelongpassion.

Today cooking is considered to be a realcareer. The popularity of television food

shows has madefrequent viewers‘‘foodies.’’ Theshows create

enthusiasm not only in becoming a chef,butalso inchoosingothercareers in food,hospitality, and tourism.

Like those who love the food indus-try, Cheryl has a high level of careersatisfaction. She often spends longhours in hot kitchens. But she goeshome happy every day.

Does this descrip-tion sound likeyour taste incareers? Formore informa-tion about:

• types of culi-nary careers

• culinaryschools

• the American Culinary Federation

access www.thomsonedu.com/school/iycand click the appropriate links.

Source: www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/02/01/culinary

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TeachersAs a student, you are in contact with class-room teachers every school day. You candiscuss your future with teachers, coaches,and advisers. This talk is especially impor-tant if you are interested in a career relatedto a teacher’s class. Suppose you are takingSpanish and believe you have a talent forforeign languages. In this situation, yourSpanish teacher would be a natural resourcefor information about career opportunitiesfor Spanish majors.

Teachers influence your career decisionsalmost as much as your family does. YourEnglish teacher can have a major influenceon many career choices. You may thinkEnglish classes relate to only a few occupa-tions, such as being an author, a journalist,or an editor. However, every career requiresworkers to have effective communicationskills—the very skills developed in Englishclasses. Helpful communication skills in-clude the ability to give and follow instruc-tions accurately and to persuade people toa particular point of view. Useful Englishskills also include writing in an organizedstyle using correct spelling and grammar.Workers in every career must read materialrelated to job skills. Every employee needsto be able to explain problems to super-visors, other workers, and customers. Tokeep current in your field, you must beable to understand and use up-to-dateinformation. That is a big task because theamount of the world’s information doublesabout every 18 months.

Math teachers also can have a directinfluence on your career success. Somepeople use math in their careers daily, suchas engineers, web designers, and X-raytechnicians.

Career FactThe number one skill employers want

from their employees is the ability to

listen, write, and speak effectively. The

next most important skills are analytical

and computer literacy skills, according

to QuintCareers.com.7

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However, do you realize that mathematicsplays an important part in the careers offuneral directors, electricians, broadcast tech-nicians, and musicians? Musicians, especially,must know math. For example, standards,frequencies, and ratios are the basis for amusic scale. Few people would enjoy listeningto a melody that lacks musical ‘‘math.’’

Many behaviors used in the workforceare the same as those used in activitiesand courses in school. So teachers can beexcellent sources for learning about yourskills and behaviors. Teachers know, forinstance, if you are flexible and able toadapt to change. Observing you showsthem whether you can cooperate in teamsituations and whether you have leader-ship skills. Teachers know if you areorganized, punctual, and dependable.Teachers can be impartial and truthfulwith you when discussing your workqualities. The comments your teachersmake can help you identify behaviors thatyou may need to change.

To get this kind of information and toget the most help, choose teachers whoknow you well. First approach teachers whohave been pleased with your work. Beginby talking with them about what you haveenjoyed in their classes. Ask for suggestionsabout how skills you have learned fromthem can help you develop your careerfocus. Teachers enjoy offering insight andinformation about their own experiences tostudents. These discussions can help giveyou confidence to take charge of yourfuture and can provide you with a wealthof information.

What have been your favorite courses inschool? What are some possible careersyou might want to research that are relatedto those courses?

PeersYou and your friends and classmates influ-ence each other every day in many ways.That influence may include what clothes to



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wear, what movies to see, what classes totake, and what music to download. Yet howmuch influence should your friends have onyour future life and career? Youmay want tocontinue hanging out with your friends afteryou finish school, but do you want to buildyour future around their choices?

Kita’s classmates admired her creativeway of dressing. She used the most un-usual combinations of accessories in heroutfits and received many complimentson her style. Kita’s talents included aunique way with color and design thathelped her create eye-catching displays.With those qualities, Kita seemed to beperfect for a career in fashion design orinterior decorating.

Shauna, Kita’s best friend, wanted tomove to Chicago and work as a recep-tionist after graduation. Because Chi-cago has been home to many famousdesigners and decorators, Shauna askedKita to share an apartment with her there.Shauna’s plan was tempting to Kita.However, Kita’s move to Chicago wouldmean postponing her plans for fashiondesign school.

Kita called her close friend Carltonto discuss Shauna’s plans for Chicago.Carlton asked Kita if fashion design wasstill her career goal. Kita quickly saidyes. Carlton suggested that Kita sharean apartment with Shauna during thesummer. She could explore the fashionindustry through a summer job, butstill start school in the fall. Otherwise,Carlton advised Kita that she mightresent Shauna for encouraging her toput her education and career plans onhold.

After talking with Carlton, Kita wasconfused. Living in Chicago with Shaunasounded so exciting. Was delaying hercareer dream what she wanted to do?No, fashion design was Kita’s passion.She was eager to begin her education.Kita informed Shauna of her decision.Kita also promised to help Shauna finda roommate before leaving for school inthe fall.

Talking to your friends allows you toconsider other people’s viewpoints. Theiradvice may help you consider new possi-bilities when making decisions. Keep inmind that your friends’ influences can beeither positive or negative. Use your judg-ment when considering your friends’ adviceabout your career decisions. Your friendsmay have good intentions. However, theymay not understand what is best for yourfuture. While your friends’ opinions areimportant to you, analyze their advice interms of your interests. Remember, theseare your goals and passions.

EmployersParents, other family members, teachers,and peers are not the only people who caninfluence your career choice. A part-time jobalso can influence your career decisions.

Manuel was eager to decide if firefight-ing was the career for him. So he wiselydecided to join an Explorer firefightingpost. Manuel works at the Anderson FireDepartment, where he can watch thedaily work of a firefighter. His Explorertraining offers experience in variousaspects of a career in firefighting, and hiswork helps the fire department. Manuellikes working with the equipment andteaching children about fire safety. Onweekends, he cleans the station. He can-not go on fire calls because he is not 18,

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Friends can have an influence on your decisions.



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but he participates in Explorer fire train-ing and competitions.

During his interview with the fire de-partment, Manuel spoke with Ms. Farrell,the supervisor. He told her that sincehe was little, whenever he heard a firetruck, he would stop whatever he wasdoing and watch the truck pass. Manuelwanted Ms. Farrell to know that he wasseriously considering a firefightingcareer. So to help Manuel with hiscareer decision, Ms. Farrell is teachinghim scheduling and other routine sta-tion work. Manuel is a good employee,and Ms. Farrell hopes he will continueto work at the station while he is inschool.

Manuel finds firefighting work enjoy-able and challenging, but he is not surehe is ready to face the hazards of such acareer. If he decides to pursue it, how-ever, he hopes to work full-time for theAnderson Fire Department after histraining and Emergency Medicalcertification.

An employer can influence your careerchoice and help you make career decisionsin several ways. Part-time jobs provide youwith experience. You can observe employeesat your workplace to see if you like a certaintype of career. On a break or before or afterwork, you can interview someone whoworks in the career field you are exploring.

Working as a volunteer can help youunderstand the skills that are necessary fora successful career. Chapter 3 discussesthose options in detail.

‘‘‘‘The future belongs to those who believe

in the beauty of their dreams.’’

—Eleanor Roosevelt

Human Rights Activist and First Lady,,CounselorsSchool counselors have several responsi-bilities. One is to help you work through theprocess of developing your career. Coun-selors can provide information to guide youas you make decisions about your future.They can suggest courses that relate to youractivities, talents, grades, and abilities.They can suggest resources, such as websites, for researching educational options.They can provide business contacts forgaining career experiences.

What a counselor does best is help youdiscover your options. For example, supposeyou go to the counselor’s office to learnabout a career in medicine. Your counselormay ask what particular career you arethinking about—for example, working as adoctor, nurse, dental hygienist, pharmacist,or physical therapist. The two of you thenmight talk about the courses you should takein high school to prepare for that career.You and your counselor also might discussother careers in medicine you had notconsidered—perhaps music therapy, sportsmedicine, or nutrition.

After you narrow your career focus towhere you can choose your educationand training pathway, counselors can helpyou toward your goal. Counselors can pro-vide planning checklists, information oncourses, suggestions for getting careerexperience, and tips for taking control ofyour homework. In short, counselors areinvaluable resources who have many waysto help you on your P*A*T*H to Success.Make an appointment with your schoolcounselor soon.

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Working with an employer can help you decide your careerinterests.



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Activity 2-2, ‘‘Learning from Others,’’

helps you discover the career success of

someone you know.

Environmental Influenceson Career DecisionsEnvironment has an impact on your careerdecisions in many ways. The followingquestions are related to your environment—either your work environment or your socialenvironment. Your work environment isthe surroundings and conditions of yourworkplace. Your social environmentincludes the community where you liveand work and your lifestyle choices.

• Do you want to stay where you live now?

• Do you prefer a rural, urban, or subur-ban setting?

• How important is the outdoors in influ-encing your choice of career? For example,is being able to gomountain biking impor-tant to you? Or are you an avid surfer?

• Do you want to be close to a place whereyou can continue your education?

• Is climate important to you? Do youprefer a change of seasons or a consis-tent climate?

• Will there be a future for people in yourcareer field in the community where youwant to live?

• Do you want to work around people orby yourself?

Some of those questions may seem strangeto you. For example, why would climateinfluence your career path? Climate can bea factor in making a career choice becausesome people focus on work better whenthey are in a climate that suits them. So ifyou enjoy the changing seasons, you willbe happier and work more effectively whenyou live in a place where the weather isseasonal rather than a place where it isconsistent.

What might your life be like in 10 or15 years? Answering that questionby using the information on this web

site will allow you to dream about your idealfuture lifestyle.

Access www.thomsonedu.com/school/

iyc and click the link for Chapter 2. Take theLifestyle Inventory. Include as much detail aspossible, including details about your co-workers, leisure time, responsibilities, andfamily. Use the results to dream about yourfuture.

After identifying the environment whereyou want to work and live, you will bebetter able to narrow your career focus.Some careers must be near certain naturalresources. For example, to study marinebiology, you may need to live near a coastalcommunity, a large body of water, or anaquarium or a zoo. If you are a heavy equip-ment operator, you may want a warmclimate so you can work year-round insteadof just part of the year. Other careers, suchas conference planner or computer networktroubleshooter, require frequent travel.For those careers, you may be able to livewherever you want. However, you may notbe home much of the time. A desktoppublisher, an editor, and an e-marketeroften can work from home.

Your work environment involves morethan just the climate and the geographicarea in which you live. Workplace atmo-sphere, including whether you want tointeract with other people, is an importantwork environment factor to consider. Yourcareer success will depend partly on know-ing the type of workplace you prefer.

Activity 2-3, ‘‘Community and Climate

Preferences,’’ determines some impor-

tant environmental influences for your career

choice.



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Influence of Valueson Career DecisionsWhat does career success mean to you—earning a large income? having an impor-tant title? being famous? being respected byothers? being independent? being a trend-setter? providing service to others? Yourvalues influence your answers. Your valuesare the qualities that are important to you.Your values also are the motivation behindyour goals and decisions—why you setspecific goals and make certain decisions.

You are the only one who knows yourvalues. Only you can determine what moti-vates you to achieve success. If you baseyour career on your values, you will be hap-pier with your life and career. Your view ofsuccess depends on your personal values, thevalues of your family and culture, and youreconomic values. Only you can define whatcareer success means to you.

Personal and Family ValuesYour family began instilling its values inyou when you were born. Those valuesare the beliefs that your family membersemphasize. Each family has its own set ofvalues. However, the way individual familymembers interpret the values may vary.

Elizabeth’s family believes in the impor-tance of serving others. Since she was achild, her parents have included her inchurch activities to benefit their com-munity. In addition, Elizabeth’s motherhas always volunteered at the votingbooths on Election Day. One ofElizabeth’s earliest memories is helpingher mother pass out the ‘‘I Voted Today’’stickers. Elizabeth also has worked ina kitchen for the homeless. She set upboxes in the teacher’s lounge to savehotel soaps and shampoos for the localwomen’s shelter.

The result of all of these familyactivities is that Elizabeth believes thathelping others should be part of her life.

She is exploring careers in teaching,social work, and health care.

What personal values will influenceyour career journey? Reviewing yourvalues through a self-assessment

will help you begin to answer that question.Access www.thomsonedu.com/school/

iyc and click the link for Chapter 2. Aftertaking the assessment, write down any othervalues that are important to you.

Review the assessment and any additionalvalues you have listed. List the five that aremost important to you. Give reasons for yourchoices.

Your family’s values offer guidanceuntil you can determine your own uniquevalues. As you develop your own setof values, you may take part of yourfamily’s values. For example, you beginwith your father’s independence and yourmother’s trust in people. Over time,you add your grandmother’s thriftiness,your grandfather’s love of land, and yourcousin’s passion for justice. Finally, youdevelop more beliefs that may differ fromthose of your family members—and youhave formed your personal value system.You are an original—your values are amixture of your relatives’ and the ones youdeveloped for yourself.

Zoltan believes in his work. He prideshimself on being different. He applies hiscreativity to produce award-winning websites. His use of stimulating colors, boldgraphics, and unique photos result ineye-catching sites. Customer e-mailsprove that he does well.

Zoltan knows that he has his familyto thank for his values. Zoltan’s familytaught him honesty, so his designs do notattempt to deceive those who view them.



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His mother’s artistic sense is part ofZoltan’s character. His father’s thorough-ness guides him in studying computerlanguage. His grandparents taught himabout honor. Zoltan will not give up hisstandards of what he believes is rightand true. In his work, Zoltan preservesthe values of his family.

‘‘‘‘Some people are your relatives, but

others are your ancestors. And you choose

the ones you want to have as ancestors.

You create yourself out of those values.’’

—Ralph Ellison

Writer,,Cultural Expectations and ValuesThe expectations and values of your culturemay influence your work values. Yourculture—your social, ethnic, or religiousbackground and perhaps the communitywhere you live—has certain beliefs andbehaviors. Your answers to the questionsbelow will help you begin to identify yourcultural values and expectations. You alsomay learn whether these values can affectyour work values.

• Is helping others important in yourculture?

• Do your traditions consider religion themost important part of your life?

• Is caring for the environment somethingthat is important to you and yourculture?

• How is money viewed in your culture?

• In your culture, do people avoid workingoutside the community, as, for example,the Amish people do?

• Will the businesses and other culturesyou interact with affect your choice ofcareers?

The Navajo nation has expectations forChenoa and the other members of her

tribe. Her Native American upbringinghas helped form her values. Whether shecontinues to live on the reservation orleaves to work in the big city nearby,Chenoa will have the core values that herfamily and tribe have instilled in her.One of those values is respect for herelders.

Cultural traditions also affectChenoa’s career choice. She knows thatworking in front of a television or stillcamera is discouraged in her culture.Therefore, Chenoa will avoid careersthat involve film and photographs ofher. Chenoa’s heritage is important toher. She always will respect the Navajocustoms and will never abandon herbeliefs.

You may be unaware of all of the culturalexpectations that can influence yourcareer decisions. Their influence may notbe obvious. Analyze the issues that areimportant in your culture. You canidentify how your culture influences yourdecision.

How does your cultural heritage imposeexpectations that influence your decisions?

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Your culture often influences your values.



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Economic ValuesWhat kind of lifestyle do you want? Do youwant to acquire the latest technology, aluxury car, and designer clothes? Do youwant to buy a home, marry, and raise afamily? No matter what your answers, alllifestyles involve money. For most people,having money means they must earn anincome.

Your values relate to your economicgoals. In making career decisions, you needto determine how important money is toyou. How would you rank the followingstatements in importance when you imag-ine your future?

• A career that fulfills your passions andtalents

• A career that allows you to pay the billsand have money for extras and savings

• A career that provides you with a largeincome

• A career that provides you with status

• A career that helps others but does nothave a large paycheck

• A career that requires you to live ina foreign country under primitiveconditions

Some careers have intrinsic , or built-in,rewards. The feelings those careers provideare more important than the money youreceive. Other careers offer extrinsic , orexternal, rewards. The money and benefitsmean more to you than the work you do.

You may choose to work at a nursinghome for the extrinsic rewards you receive.With the paycheck you receive, you can buyconcert tickets, music downloads, clothes,food—whatever way you choose to spendyour money. Or you may choose to volun-teer at a nursing home for the intrinsicrewards that activity offers. You receive nopay for your efforts, but you enjoy makingelderly people’s lives less lonely.

Career FactIncome has an effect on people’s health.

Studies have shown that the more money

people make, the healthier they are.7

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Another factor influencing income iseducation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) reports that the more you learn, themore you earn—and the less likely you areto be unemployed. That fact does not meanthat you need to have a bachelor’s degreeto earn a high wage. However, you mustcontinue to improve your education overyour lifetime to earn a high wage. In reality,more years of education often pay offbecause employers believe that educatedworkers learn tasks more easily. That beliefmay not be true, but many people assume itanyway. Anyone with a college degree canenter a career that requires less education ifhe or she meets the other job requirements.

The amount of income you earn is onlyone factor in your career choice. Althougheveryone needs money, few people choose acareer based solely on income. Other workenvironment factors include the possibilityof career advancement and working con-ditions. But what is most important is thatyou base your career on your values. Onlyyou can determine which factors will havethe most influence on your career choice.

Activity 2-4, ‘‘ValuesThatMotivateYou,’’

helps you pinpoint those values that

motivate you.

The Case Challenges give you the oppor-

tunity to analyze some of the influences

on career decisions.



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Chapter 2 Assessment

* Summary• I can describe how the power

of influences affects my careerdecisions.Everything and everyone around meinfluences my decisions and me. Theseinfluences may be positive or negative.Some influences are stronger thanothers. The strong influences are likelyto have an impact on my career deci-sions. If I can determine who and whatinfluences me, I can explore the adviceand experiences that will affect mycareer decisions.

• I have analyzed how people influencemy decisions and me.My family is the basis for my initialideas and beliefs about work. Teachersalso may have a strong influence on mycareer decisions. My peers’ opinions areimportant to me, but I must analyzetheir advice in terms of my interests andpassions. An employer can help memake career decisions by allowing meto observe an employee or by providingme with experience in a field that inter-ests me. My counselor can provideinformation and options that help memake my career decisions.

• I have determined my work and socialenvironment preferences.My work environment consists of thesurroundings and conditions of myworkplace. Work environment includesthe atmosphere of my workplace and myinteractions with others, as well as thegeographic area where I work and itsclimate. My social environment includesthe community where I live and workand my lifestyle choices.

• I have identified the values thatinfluence me.My values are the things that areimportant to me. They are the motiva-tion behind my goals and decisions.The values from my family will influ-ence my choice of career and will affectmy personal value system. My culturalheritage also may create expectationsand values that influence my workvalues and career choices. My economicvalues will determine the balance ofintrinsic and extrinsic rewards I choosefor my career.



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* Vocabulary BuilderChoose the term that best fits thedefinition.

a. culture

b. extrinsic

c. influence

d. intrinsic

e. motivation

f. social environment

g. values

h. work environment

1. Built-in career rewards

2. External career rewards

3. The community where you live andwork, along with your lifestyle choices

4. The surroundings and conditionsof your workplace

5. Your social, ethnic, or religiousbackground and community influ-ence that have certain beliefs andbehaviors

6. The important qualities that are themotivation behind your goals anddecisions

7. Why you set specific goals and makecertain decisions

8. The power of someone or somethingto affect you directly or indirectly

* Review What You Have Learned1. Why do the influences in your life have

so much effect on your P*A*T*H toSuccess?

2. How do your parents and familymembers influence your careerdecision?

3. What effect do teachers have on yourcareer choice?

4. What do math and English classes haveto do with your career success?

5. What are two ways that an employercan help you with your career decision?

6. What are some ways your schoolcounselor can help you with yourcareer planning?

7. What environmental influences havean effect on your career decisionmaking?

8. How do your values, including thoseof your family, influence your careerdecisions?

9. Discuss how cultural expectationsaffect career decisions. Give anexample.

10. What is the difference betweenintrinsic and extrinsic rewardsin a career?

11. Why should intrinsic and extrinsicrewards have an impact on yourcareer decision?



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* ActivitiesActivity 2-1 Things I Love to Do

Analyze the things you like to do.This activity will help you beginto understand some things that

may influence your career decisions.

1. On a separate sheet of paper, list20 things you love to do.

2. Code your responses using the follow-ing symbols. (An item may have morethan one symbol.)

• Place a $ before any item that costsmoney to do.

• Put an R in front of any item thatinvolves some risk. (Risk may bephysical, intellectual, or emotional.)

• Place an F before the items you thinka family member might have had ona list at your age.

• Place a P before items you preferdoing with people.

• Put an A before items you preferdoing alone.

• Place a5by the items thatwould prob-ably not be on your list in five years.

3. Which of the categories in Item 2influences you most? Why?

Activity 2-2 Learning from OthersHowmuch do you know about thecareers of people who influenceyou? Interview one of your

parents or a relative about his or hercurrent career. Use the following ques-tions as interview guidelines.

1. Where do you work now?

2. How long have you been with yourcurrent employer?

3. What is your specific job title? What isyour job description?

4. What products or services does youremployer provide? Who are thecustomers?

5. What specific education or trainingdoes this career require?

6. What communication skills does thiscareer require? What math skills areneeded? What technology skills areneeded?

7. How has this career changed over theyears? How has technology affected it?

8. What is the best thing about thiscareer? Why?

9. What is the worst thing about thiscareer? Why?

10. What was your first paying job? Howdid it help with your current career?

11. Why did you choose your currentcareer?

12. What is your advice for preparing forcareer success?

How did the results of the interview influ-ence your thinking about career choices?

Activity 2-3 Community andClimate Preferences

The climate, location, and type ofcommunity in which you live andwork are environmental factors

that affect career satisfaction. Describewhere you would prefer to live in 10 to15 years. Then list the benefits of yourchoices.

• Examples of climate: humid or dryand changing seasons or consistentweather

• Examples of location: small town or bigcity, rural or suburban area, and nearhills/mountains or flat land

• Examples of benefits: close to masstransit, family oriented, health careavailability, cost of living, educationavailability, and neighborhood safety



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Activity 2-4 Values ThatMotivate You

From the following list, select sixitems that motivate you to do yourbest work in school. Write them

on a separate sheet of paper. Remember,school is your current job—grades andknowledge are your pay, classmates areyour coworkers, and so on.

1. Good pay

2. Career advancement/promotion tonext grade

3. Respect of others

4. Chance to be the top performer

5. A nice work space

6. Freedom to do projects my own way

7. Bonuses or other rewards

8. Job security

9. Ability to do a good job

10. Approval of the boss

11. Nice coworkers

12. More money

13. The chance to do my own planning

14. Feelings of importance

15. Nice working conditions

16. Giving support to others

17. Recognition from others

18. Opportunity to do new things

19. The chance to talk to other people

20. Being interested in what I am doing

If you selecteditems:

Then you may bemotivated by:

1, 2, 7, 8, 12 security

5, 11, 15, 16, 19 opportunities to workwith other people innice surroundings

3, 4, 10, 14, 17 prestige andachievement

6, 9, 13, 18, 20 independence andpersonal satisfaction

Do you see a pattern? Which of your valuesinfluence your motivations?

* Case ChallengesAfter reading each scenariobelow, discuss the case witha small group of fellow stu-

dents. Use the following questions to getthe conversation started. Decide whatadvice your group would give to theperson involved.

• What is the person’s motivation in thesituation?

• What personal values might motivatethe career choice?

• What is the work environment choice?

• What other influences play a role in thecase?

1. Charles teaches social studies andenjoys working with students. Hisschool and his students are proud ofCharles’s teaching. Stephanie, his wife,is a certified public accountant (CPA)with a large company. She works longhours, including many Saturdays.Their first baby is due in two months.Both Stephanie and Charles believethat one parent should stay home withthe new baby while the other parentworks. Both can take three months offfrom their jobs when the baby is born.

• Who in this family should stayhome, and who should work?



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• Should Stephanie return to her well-paying job as a CPA?

• Should they find a child care pro-vider for their baby?

2. Alana likes her job as a carpenter. Sheworks for a company that producesBroadway shows that tour major U.S.cities. She is in charge of the team thatscouts the tour theaters. She works withthe set designer to customize the shows’sets to each location. Alana also travelsto each city and stays with her teamuntil the play begins. Looking to thefuture, Alana is thinking about startingher own set design company in NewYork City.

• Should she begin taking collegecourses in business management?

• Should she retrain for anotherposition?

• Should she look for a way to cutback on her travel to prepare for herbusiness?

3. Bobek is fascinated by how restaurantkitchens are run. He is the pastry chefat Ginseng, a trendy vegetarian restau-rant in Atlanta. However, he is notentirely happy because he has not beenpromoted to kitchen manager, theperson who makes the decisions aboutthe menus, supplies, and kitchen staff.One of Bobek’s customers has offeredhim the opportunity to manage thekitchen of a new restaurant on thePacific Ocean in Washington State.

Bobek now has a problem. He knowshe can be successful anywhere. Hejust is not sure where he wants to be.

• Should he leave the busy atmosphereof his hometown, Atlanta, to becomethe kitchen manager of a restaurantthousands of miles away?

• Should he wait until he finds akitchen manager position in Atlanta?

4. Marguerite received her associatedegree as a registered nurse (RN) fromthe local community college. She enjoysmany outdoor activities, including bik-ing and running. Because of her inter-ests, Marguerite prefers working theflexible hours of a homecare nurse.Although she enjoys nursing, the hoursfor home-based nursing care are notalways steady. Sometimes her pay doesnot cover her expenses. Marguerite’sfriend told her about job openings atthe post office. So Marguerite took therequired test, passed it, and became aletter carrier. She now works regularhours. However, she wonders if shemade the right decision. She missesmedicine and her contact withpatients.

• Should Marguerite go back to schoolto become a surgical nurse, a skilledposition with regular hours?

• Should she take a job at a hospitalwith regular, but less flexible, hours?

• Should she continue her job as aletter carrier?



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