Career choice perceptions of undergraduate event, sport and recreation management students: Australian case study

Abstract

Career choice in traditional disciplines has been well documented. The tourism and hospitality industries have also gained some attention, however, career choice research in the event, sport and recreation does not seem to have been addressed to any great extent. Knowing what students are looking for in a career is central to their attraction and recruitment into university degrees and, thus, these industries. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the factors undergraduate university students (n = 62) studying event, sport and recreation management find important when looking for a career. The results indicated that having enjoyable work in the areas they were interested in (most notably, sport and events), and having good and a variety of career opportunities, and pleasant working conditions were the most significant. Working with, and helping and influencing others, and having opportunities for creativity and originality were also important. In contrast, factors such as professional prestige/high status, hours of work and salary did not rate as highly.