FACTORS AFFECTING

CAREER CHOICE AND

SUBMITTED BY:
ANDANAR, RAINALYN
BRUNO, BRIAN
DELA CRUZ, BENCHIE
FAJARDO, NAOMI
LABOR, KATRINA CHLOE ANN
LIM, CARLO ANDREW
ROSAL, AWIE ANGELO
TOMANIOG, CAMILLE
VILLAFLOR, FRANCES LOUISE
VILLANUEVA, MARY JUNE

SUBMITTED TO:
DR. GARY C. DY
 FACTORS AFFECTING CAREER CHOICE

When we think about career choice, several things immediately come to mind – job description,
training and education required, career outlook, and salary – but there are a number of other factors
that may influence one’s decisions.

1 Skills, Interests, Aptitude, Personality, and Values

Understanding one’s skills, interests, values, and personality is the first step toward choosing a
career path. Learning what one enjoys, what one is good at, and what one values most in his or her life
or work environment is necessary before one embarks on exploring possible careers. Considering your
skills, abilities and talents and how they may fit a particular occupation comes out of one of the earliest
career development fields, Trait-Factor theories, and is still used today. These theories recommend
creating occupational profiles for specific jobs as well as identifying individual differences, matching
individuals to occupations based on these differences. You can identify activities you enjoy and those in
which you have a level of competency though a formal assessment.

Interest

Interests will develop from one’s experiences and beliefs and continue to develop and changing
through life. One may be interested in taking a class but half way through the course one will realized
the class was not for him/her.

Skills

A skill is the learned ability to carry out a task with pre-determined results often within a given
amount of time, energy. One may be aware of skills one currently has or skills one wants to develop
while in college.

Aptitudes

Your inherent strengths, or aptitudes, are often part your biological heritage or the result of
early training. Each of us has aptitudes we can build on. Aptitudes show the type of person you are and
where you come from. Aptitudes may be physical or mental.

Personality

Your personality makes you who you are and can't be ignored when you make a career
decisions. The quiet, calm, detail oriented person probably will make a different work choice than the
aggressive, or outgoing person will. but at the end personality describes you and people will may or not
like your personality but if you got what it takes to become who you really wanna be than chase your
dreams. just remember that the best personality you can ever take or be is the working hard
personality. Understanding your Personality can assist your career development in a number of ways.
1) It can help you select a career field that is a 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 better manage Job Challenges that inevitably
rise their ugly heads during the course of our career. 4) Knowing your Personality Type, and 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.

Values

Today, more than ever, knowing one’s core values will be important in shaping career path.
Values play an integral role in career satisfaction. Values may vary in each individual such as risk or
stability, variety or routine, teamwork or autonomy, competition or collaboration.

2 Childhood Fantasies

What do you want to be when you grow-up? You may remember this question from your
childhood, and it may have helped shape how you thought about careers then, as well as later in life.
Career counseling theories are expanding as programs related to career choice are developed for all
ages, including the very young. Ginzberg proposed a theory that describes three life stages related to
career development. The first stage, fantasy, where early ideas about careers are formed, takes place
up to age 14.

3 Culture

Racial and ethnic background, as well as the culture of an individual's regional area, local
community, and extended family, may impact career decisions. Our culture often shapes our values
and expectations as they relate to many parts of our lives, including jobs and careers. Multicultural
career counseling has emerged as a specialized field to take these influences into consideration when
counseling clients and students. We can’t attribute the predominant characteristics of a culture to any
one of its individuals, but having an awareness of the values and expectations of our culture may help
us understand how we make our career choices.

4 Gender

Both men and women have experienced career-related stereotypes. Gender is a factor included
in multiple career development theories and approaches including, Social Learning and multicultural
career counseling. How we view ourselves as individuals may influence both the opportunities and
barriers we perceive as we make career decisions. Studies of gender and career development are
ongoing as roles of men and women in the workforce, and in higher education, evolve.
 5 Life Roles

Being a worker is just one of your life roles, in addition to others such as, student, parent, and
child. Super's Lifespan theory directly addresses the fact that we each play multiple roles in our lives
and that these roles change over the course of our lives. How we think about ourselves in these roles,
their requirements of them, and the external forces that affect them, may influence how we look at
careers in general and how we make choices for ourselves. For more information, read about Super's
Career Rainbow.

6 Previous Experiences

Krumboltz's Social Learning and Planned Happenstance theories address factors related to our
experiences with others and in previous work situations. Having positive experiences and role models working in
specific careers may influence the set of careers we consider as options for ourselves. One aspect of Social
Cognitive Career Theory addresses the fact that we are likely to consider continuing a particular task if we have
had a positive experience doing it. In this way, we focus on areas in which we have had proven success and
achieved positive self-esteem.

7 Social and Economic Conditions

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 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. Changes in the economy and resulting job market may also affect how our careers develop.

MOST COMMON PROBLEMS OR ISSUES FACED BY TEENAGERS

1 Self-Esteem and Body Image

Teenagers undergo and have to cope with numerous body changes. Some teenagers feel too fat, too
skinny, too tall, too short, etc. This feeling leads them to spend time wishing they were not too skinny, too short,
their hair was not too curly or vice versa. The problem with this feeling is that it affects their self-image. As a
teenage boy or girl's body changes, so does the self. When they do not like something in themselves, they have
self-esteem and body image problems. They also perceive others, particularly schoolmates, to view them as they
view themselves. They can suffer more from these problems when they have trouble adjusting.

2 Bullying

Bullying is one of the worst teenage problems and affects millions of youths. Bullying causes fear in the
minds of kids, and makes them nervous going to school each day. The adults do not always witness the bullying
in their lives. The teenage children may be subject to heavy bullying as they may not understand how extreme it
can get. Any form of bullying is relentless, causing the affected teenagers to live in a state of constant fear. Two
of the prime reasons teens are bullied are their appearance and social status. Bullying has caused many serious
and life threatening problems for bullied teens. As they get bullied often in school, their academics, and mental
health suffer. The latest edition of bullying is cyberbullying. It can get as worse as it gets in the real life
experience of the teens. Cyberbullies use cruel instant messages, text messages, emails online, and voice
messages in many cases. Bullying is a very offensive behavior and crime. Bullying leads to more violent behavior
in the bullies in their adult years. They eventually get rejected by their peers, lose friendships and become
depressed as they age. Parents, teachers, and people in general should educate their teenagers about bullying
and tell them to report any act of bullying to them. Media can also educate the teenage children about bullying
when some teenagers are bullies.

3 Depression

Depression is one of the worst problems that some teenagers suffer from and it can lead to more
problems in the future. Depression may arise from poor self-esteem and body image problems. If that is the
reason of depression in a teen, then parents should talk to the teen, listen to their child, comfort him or her, and
accept their child for who they are. It is crucial that teens feel validated in their feelings and thoughts because
what they are going through is a real part of their lives. Parents and guardians should not judge or criticize their
feelings or thoughts. They should tell the teen how important it is to have high self-esteem and be comfortable
in their body.

Depression symptoms in teenagers may be exhibited in various ways. Changes in sleep patterns, eating
habits, declined interest in normal and healthy activities, dropping grades in school and college, and preferred
isolation are all signs of depression. When teenagers exhibit one or all of these symptoms parents should
intervene immediately. If teenagers begin talking about their depression, then they should be allowed to
express their feelings, and parents should validate their feelings by listening to them without interrupting the
conversation.

4 Drugs and Alcohol

Youths, particularly those who are in their early teens who drink, put themselves at risks for many
problems. For example, they face problems with the law, at school, with their parents, and peers. In the USA,
drug abuse is a major problem affecting millions of teenagers, along with their parents and families. It is an
imperative that parents, schools, media, etc, educate the young children about the dangers of drugs and
alcohol, and how drugs affect their bodies. If they are taught properly, then they will be able to make an
educated choice.

5 Cyber Addiction

The Internet offers undeniable benefits in developing a teen's ability to grow with modern technology,
technical ideas, knowledge and other skills. However, using the internet, particularly the social networking
websites, unsafely puts the teenagers at very high risk for many problems. When children spend more than
enough or agreeable time online they tend to be cyber addicts. As they spend more time on social networking,
gaming, and other websites, particularly adult sites, they suffer from cyber addiction.
 Cyber addiction can be just as harmful as addiction to drugs or drinking alcohol. Teenagers who spend
unhealthy amounts of time on the Internet or online suffer from a condition recognized as Internet Addiction
Disorder (IAD). Those who have IAD conditions may experience distress, withdrawal symptoms including
obsessive thoughts, tremors, and other mental and physical problems. Cyber addiction impairs the quality of
their lives. Parents should talk to their children and agree on a list of rules that clearly say when to use the
internet, which sites they should visit and what safety measures they should follow. Teachers can also ensure
safe browsing of the web at schools and colleges for teenage students.

Other concerns that complicate teen’s relationship in with internet and technology:

 Anxiety- Teenagers face a lot of anxiety when they go through puberty, the constant feeling of anxiety

over life and school may be putting too much pressure on Teenagers and thus make the internet more

comforting

 ADHD- Teenagers who have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder may find that the internet puts their

mind at ease and lessens the need to constantly look for something to focus on

 The Need to Escape - The internet may seem like a place to forget the real world and be entertained.. a

place to be away from the pressures of life

 The Need to explore a different Identity - The internet can be a place where you can be anybody and do

whatever you want, especially more like themselves if they don't feel accepted in the real world

 Co - Occuring Disorders - Other than addiction to the internet, it may also be caused by other disorders,

such as OCD, Depression, and Anxiety

6 Teen Pregnancy

Causes of Teenage Pregnancy

 Peer Pressure or Influence- those teenagers who get pregnant in their teens may be a friend’s influence.

Most young teenagers who are in boy-girl relationship laugh at their peers who are not. At the end they also get

into it and may get pregnant.

 Absent parents- Teen girls are more likely to get pregnant if they have limited or no guidance from their

parents. Many parents have busy lives that prevent them from providing the guidance and support that their

young teenagers need to make good decisions on issues such as sex, according to the website Parent Dish.
When a teen does not feel that she can talk to her parents about sex either because they forbid sex talk or

because they are not around, she will more than likely turn to friends for direction on whether or not to have

sex, resulting in misinformation and possible teen pregnancy.

• Pornography- pornography videos and photos available on the internet, magazines, newspapers, books,
and other media house lure teenagers into indiscriminate sex and may leads to teenage pregnancy

• Lack of knowledge or ignorance- many young girls lack knowledge of pregnancy. The uneducated are the
most victims. They just enter into relationships without any caution.

• Sexual abuse or rape- some teenagers get pregnant as a result of rape or may be sexually abuse by some
of their teachers, or an elderly person

• Teenage drinking and drug abuse- some teenagers get pregnant as a result of rape or may be sexually
abuse by some of theirs, or an elderly person.

• Lust- some teenagers get into sexual relationships because of lust. In adolescent stages both males and
females go through some psychological and physical sexual feelings and may put into reality or act on it. This
often results in teenage pregnancy.

7 Underage Sex

Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 it is an offense to engage in any sexual activity with a child under
the age of 16, and the prosecution need not prove lack of consent. It is a defense if the perpetrator reasonably
believed that the child was 16 or over (but only if the child was in fact 13 or over). For some offences specifically
relating to sexual activity with under-13s, the maximum sentence for a person who was under 18 at the time of
the offence is five years’ imprisonment, whereas for over 18s the maximum terms range between 10 years and
life imprisonment. The effect of the law is that if two 15-year-olds engage in consensual sexual activity and each
knows that the other is under 16, they will both be guilty of an offence carrying a maximum penalty of five
years’ imprisonment.

8 Defiant Behaviors

When your main goal is to get control over a defiant teenager’s behavior, learning to pay attention,
spending some positive time together, ignoring minor misbehavior, and offering praise may seem like
digressions. But these are essential elements to putting your relationship with your teen on positive footing.
Praise and quality one-on-one time are critical to breaking the logjam of negativity between you and your teen.
Don’t skip over or minimize these, however difficult or trivial they may seem to you.
 9 Peer Pressure and Competition

Positive Effects of Peer Pressure

It can help you analyze yourself and contemplate on your ways of life. Some of the practices that the
masses follow may actually teach you the way of living. You may be able to change yourself for the better.
Looking at what others do, can help you bring about a positive change in your way of thinking. If you can pick
selectively, peer pressure can actually result in a positive change in your way of life.

Knowing what the masses follow exposes you to the world outside your home. You understand the
things going on around you. You are exposed to a wide variety in human behavior. Exposure to peer pressure
gives you an opportunity to think about their tastes and their outlooks towards life. It gives you a chance to
choose the best from what the masses do.

If you are fortunate to get a good peer group, your peers can play a vital role in the shaping of your
personality. Their way of looking at life may influence you to change for betterment. Some of your peers are
your close friends, who do not pressurize you to do things but rather inspire you to change yourself. Your peer
group may actually persuade you to bring about a constructive change in your personality. Peer pressure can
lead you to make the right choices in life.

Negative Effects of Peer Pressure

There are chances that you won't do well in those things. Things you do not enjoy doing cannot fetch
you success. You cannot emerge successful in something you have never liked doing. So, it is important that you
do not lose happiness of your life by succumbing to peer pressure.

Many time which we are forced to lead a certain kind of lifestyle due to peer pressure. You may not like
partying on every weekend, you may not like night outs with friends, you may hate drinking or smoking, but
peer pressure may make you do all that you had never wished to. There are many teenagers who experience
great pressure from their peer group that forces them to take to drinking. You may take to something as grave
as drug use, and that too, only because of peer pressure. In such cases, being overly pressurized by your peers
can be detrimental to your living. Some teenagers literally spoil their lives by giving in to peer pressure.

Peer pressure can lead to a loss of individuality. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what
your peers feel right. Their pressure may compel you to go by everything they think right. You tend to blindly
imitate the masses; you adopt their tastes of fashion, clothing, hair, music and general living. Peer pressure can
actually lead you to lose your tastes of life and force yourself to begin liking what they like. Peer pressure is the
human tendency to join the bandwagon, in which, the person loses his/her original way of looking at life.