The Influence of the Parent-Offspring Relationship on Young People's Career Preferences

This study examined the connection between the interpersonal relationship between parents and their offspring and the career preferences of the younger generation. While earlier studies suggest that the family plays a major role in young people’s career choices, the specific dynamics of this influence have received very little research attention. We hypothesized that a high-quality parent-offspring relationship would be associated with a similarity between the parents’ careers and job characteristics and their son/daughter’s preferences for their future career. The sample consisted of 280 participants: 146 12th grade students and 134 university students. No significant correlation was found between the quality of the parent-offspring relationship and the similarity of careers. However, among participants reporting a high-quality relationship with their parents, a positive correlation was found between the parents’ job characteristics and their children’s desired job characteristics. The results therefore indicate that the parental influence on young people’s career preferences is mediated by the quality of the parent-offspring relationship.