Chapter 2: Influences on Career Decision Making

Selecting a career is one of the most important choices that is made during one’s lifetime. The career selection process is complex and dynamic (Behrend, Thompson, Meade, Grayson, & Newton, 2007). Scholars and practitioners today consider career exploration to be a lifelong endeavor that spans across many roles in life (Bluestein, 1997; Niles, Anderson, & Goodnough, 1998; Zikic & Hall, 2009). Planned career opportunities tend to provide positive career outcomes (Zikic & Hall, 2009).

People today have more freedom in choosing a career and are better able to design their careers. According to Brown and Associates (as cited in Vianen, De Pater, & Preenen, 2009), people tend to have higher career satisfaction when they have chosen their own careers. That’s why individuals need to have work volition in selecting their career choices. Work volition centers on “an individual’s ability to freely make career choices” (Duffy & Dik, 2009, p. 29). However, our personalized life experiences and circumstances can deeply impact the volition of our career decisions.