Parental Encouragement and Career Decision Self-Efficacy: Empowering Young Adults in Career Decision-Making

Abstract

Career decision-making (CDM) refers to selecting a profession or vocation out of confident choices to evaluate one’s interests, potential, capabilities, values, expertise, and qualifications and to select a career based on these. Young adults may face several difficulties and lack confidence while making a vocational choice, causing them to choose a disadvantageous path. To effectively make career decisions, youth must undergo a career exploration process with support and guidance. Several studies highlight the role of parents and their support in fostering a high sense of self-efficacy and decision-making skills, especially in vocational choice. This study analyzed the correlation between Parental Encouragement and Self-Efficacy in Career Decision-Making among young adults using a sample of 200 individuals aged 18 to 25. The p-value was 0.000 (or p = < 0.01), suggesting a significant relationship between the two variables. Using Spearman’s rho correlation method, the correlation coefficient was found to be .471, depicting a positive significant correlation. On conducting a t-test, it was observed that although males have higher levels of Career Decision Self-Efficacy and Parental Encouragement than females, it is not statistically significant. Understanding how parental influence shapes an individual’s career allows us to explore further counseling strategies and interventions to strengthen the bond between parents and their children.