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High School Students Graduating This Month Are Anxious to Hit the Career Path |
SourceMassachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.
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SPRINGFIELD, Mass., June 2, 1997-- As graduation nears, high school students are anxious to hit the career path, according to a Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. survey. Fueled by their perception of strong competition for good jobs in the American workplace, the majority of 15- to 17-year-olds (70 percent) say career goals should be set by age 16 or younger, and most (66 percent) believe they will need four years of college, or more, to reach their goals. The majority of these teen-age respondents (70 percent) have held at least one job and almost two-thirds (64 percent) of those currently employed work more than 10 hours a week. Most are doing the kinds of work traditionally associated with teens, said Dr. Rebecca Shahmoon Shanok, a program director at the Child Development Center in New York City, and a MassMutual consultant. For example, over one-fourth (26%) of those surveyed have held a job in the fast-food industry. "Despite the improving economy and job market, young people believe that they have to focus very early on their career goals in order to get a good job," says Dr. Shanok. "Most teen-agers think the best way to begin a satisfying career is to figure out what they want to do first, get the education they need, and then look for a job in that area only. "The good news is that the new generation appears to be highly goal directed," Dr. Shanok added. "The bad news is that some young people may tend to shut down their options too early." The survey results indicate that when it comes to choosing a profession, careers in healthcare and education still hold the most appeal for young women. In fact, one-third (33 percent) of young women have set their sights on a career in healthcare. However, the results suggest that while few teen-agers aspire to careers in law, young women are far more likely than young men to say they plan to pursue this profession. The vocational goals of young men vary, but it is notable that their No. 1 career choice is in the field of computer science. Both sexes are drawn to careers in the arts, but this interest declines as young people enter college, the survey found. The results are based on telephone interviews with a nationally random and representative sample of 801 young adults, ages 15 to 31. The survey was conducted from November 21 to December 4, 1996, by Michaels Opinion Research, Inc. The margin of error for the total sample results is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The margin is greater for results by smaller subgroups of the sample. Established in 1851, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company is one of the nation's premier life insurance companies and among the 100 largest U.S. corporations in terms of assets. With more than $130 billion in assets under management, MassMutual and its subsidiaries are a leading provider of insurance, asset accumulation and money management products and services for millions of families and businesses. World Wide Web Site - http://www.massmutual.com. CONTACT: Joe Mondy of MassMutual, 413-744-2365; or Michele Vana of Fleishman-Hillard, 212-265-9150 |
