Career choices, aspirations and interests of college women at Montana State University

Abstract

The problem of this study was to survey career choices and career aspirations of sophomore and senior women at Montana State University, and to compare those career choices and aspirations to John L. Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory high point scales. A survey was designed to discover expressed career choices and career aspirations. Subjects also completed the Vocational Preference Inventory and high point scales were determined. The career choices, career aspirations and Vocational Preference high point scales were scored on a match, non-match basis. Chi-square tests were used to test for significance. The data indicated that there was a significant difference between career choice, career aspiration and interests for the sampled sophomore and senior women. Women are not choosing careers that correspond to their interest, nor do their career aspirations correspond to their interests. The investigator recommends that more research be done with women in the area of career choices, and that a systematic approach to vocational counseling for women be presented in the public school system.