Even though career development can and should be understood as a lifelong process, young people and young adults in particular face a far-reaching decision: choosing a course of study or career (for the first time). But how is this important decision made?
How does the decision-making process work?
Put simply, decision-theory approaches assume that prospective students and career seekers must first become aware of their situation and recognise the need to make a decision: after graduating from school, they are confronted with a constantly changing (professional) world and want to make a study or career choice that is right for them.
Based on self-awareness of their own interests and abilities, they gather information about degree programmes or (vocational) careers during an exploration phase. The advantages and disadvantages of the various alternatives are evaluated, leading to a more or less rational decision to pursue a particular course of study or career.
Different strategies can be used (e.g. optimisation calculations, choosing the option that best takes into account individual interests and abilities based on one’s own knowledge). Finally, the choice made must be realised in a timely manner, starting with the application process.
What factors influence the decision-making process?
The decision-making process outlined above is influenced by endogenous (internal) factors (e.g. age, gender, intelligence, aptitude) and exogenous (external, i.e. beyond the individual’s sphere of influence) factors, which contribute to the high degree of complexity involved in the decision: For example, it is often expected that the choice of study or career will follow immediately after school, which results in a certain amount of time pressure.
Unclear or competing goals on the part of the person making the choice, but also the dynamic world of work and careers, make it difficult to find one’s way through the ‘information jungle’ and to classify the available options for action. External requirements and goals of universities and training companies (e.g. admission requirements, limited study places) must be taken into account and may limit the scope for decision-making.
The significance and complexity of the decision also increases the likelihood of feedback loops, meaning that the decision-making process should be understood as non-linear and that certain steps in the process may be reversible.
Last but not least, decision-making is subject to random influences and the influence of several people, such as peer groups, family and teachers. These individuals contribute their own ideas, opinions and informational resources to the choice of study programme or career.
Overall, this is a multi-layered problem situation characterised by various decision-making options in a complex environment, combined with a lack of or limited experience on the part of the person making the choice.
This raises the question of what support is available when choosing a course of study or career. Read on to find out what resources are available to teenagers and young adults and how universities can help prospective students choose a course of study or career:
