Patterns of Career Choice and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

Abstract

This investigation examined the relationship between four patterns of career choice development during later adolescence/early adulthood and career decision-making self-efficacy. As predicted, persons whose career choice development reflected a stable or multiple trial pattern reported significantly greater levels of career decision-making self-efficacy than did persons whose career choice development reflected a conventional or unstable pattern. Further, persons in the stable pattern group were significantly more likely to nominate professionals in their chosen fields as important career role models than were persons with conventional and unstable career patterns. Implications for future research and career guidance are discussed.