Career Preferences among Degree College Adolescents in Kanpur City

Abstract Present study was conducted in Kanpur city on 300 adolescents (137 boys and 163 girls) randomly selected from 6 degree colleges to assess their carrier preferences (science and technology, commerce and management, tourism and hospitality, mass media and journalism, art and designing, medical, agriculture, defense, law and order and education) using standard carrier test. Data revealed that adolescents were in age group between 16-19 years and in the sample 45.33 % were male and remaining 54.33 % were female. Higher number of respondents belonged to business (23.66%) and service class (24.00%) families, while lowest number of adolescents belonged to families working in factories (16.33%). Data on carrier preferences revealed that education and science and technology were the most preferred carrier of adolescents and agriculture as least preferred carrier. Girls preferred medical, mass media and journalism and art and designing than boys while later had more preference to science and technology and commerce and management than former. Over time, preferences of adolescents changed more for art and design, science and technology and medical in 1month to 6 month. It is evident from the results that science and technology and education are the most preferred carriers, while agriculture and defense are the least preferred carriers among adolescents. Preference of adolescents for carrier also changes with time.