ACTResearch|IssueBrief|February20251

HighSchoolStudents’ThoughtsontheImportanceofCareerPlanningforFutureSuccess

BeckyL.BobekandJoyceZ.Schnieders

Introduction

Ashighschoolstudentsplanfortheirfuturecareerpaths,manydiscoverthatlearningabout

theircareeroptions,makingcareerchoices,andfiguringouthowtoachievecareergoalscan

beexciting,unnerving,oroverwhelming.Somestudentsmaythinkexploringcareersis

overrated,andothersmayassumethathavingasuccessfulandsatisfyingcareerwilljust

happenbyitself.However,careerplanningisimportantinhelpingstudentsmakebetter-

informedcareerchoicesandprovidesafoundationfortheirfuturecareersuccess.Career

planninginvolvesdiscoveringcareersthatsuitthepersonalcharacteristics(e.g.,interests,skills,values)ofindividuals,whichguidecareergoalsandtheactionsthatshouldbetakenalong

one’scareerpathtoattainthem.Individualswhoengageindifferentaspectsofcareerplanningexpandtheiropportunities(Zikic&Klehe,2006),enhancetheirperceivedemployability(Kleineetal.,2021),enhancetheirreadinesstochooseacareerpath(Kleineetal.,2021),make

decisionsthatbetterfitthem(Hirschi,2011;Tsabarietal.,2005),andexperiencemorepositivecareeroutcomeslater,suchasjobperformanceandjobsatisfaction(Ohetal.,2014).Clearly,thepositiveconsequencesofcareerplanningmakeitanimportantpartofpreparingstudentsforsuccessinthefuture.

Thecontextsurroundingcareersinrecentyearshasalsomadeplanningforcareersmore

importantthanever.Forexample,technologicaladvancement(e.g.,generativeartificial

intelligence)ischangingthelandscapeofwork.Overall,ithasbeenestimatedthat“28percentofalltasksassociatedwithcurrentjobswillbeatriskofautomationby2031”(Strohletal.,

2024,p.20).Structuralshiftsinthelabormarketarealsocreatinganunknownfutureofjob

opportunities.AccordingtotheWorldEconomicForum(2023),employersareexpectinga

“marketchurnof23%ofjobsinthenextfiveyears,”whichisameasureofdisruptionthat

includes“emergingjobsaddedanddecliningjobseliminated”(p.6).Further,themajorityofjobsthatrequireamiddleskillcertificateandassociate’sdegree(52%)orabachelor’sdegree(66%)areexpectedtobegoodjobsby2031(basedonannualearningsofatleast$43,000for

workersages25–44and$55,000forworkersages45–64in2022dollars),up21%from2021(Strohletal.,2024).Additionally,therearegapsbetweenU.S.jobdemands(projectedto2029)andthesupplyofpeopleinterestedinthosejobs,withhigher-education-leveljobsexperiencingsmallerinterestgaps(Hoffetal.,2024).Thiscareercontextshowsalabormarketthatwill

continuetobeinflux,withgreateropportunitiesandinterestalignmentforthosewhopursueeducationortrainingbeyondhighschool.Itwillbeessentialforindividualsinthefuture

workforcetoacquireandretooltheirskillstomeetshiftingmarketneedsandtorecognizethatplanningforcareerswillbearecurringthemewhentheyarenavigatingtheircareerjourneys.

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Careerplanningisnecessaryforhighschoolstudents.Amongthe2020ACT-testedgraduatingclassofhighschoolstudentsrespondingtowhethertheyneedhelpwitheducationor

occupationplans,81%reportedneedinghelpwiththeseplans(M.Harmston,ACTpersonal

communication,August13,2024).BasedonaYouScience(2022)surveyofhighschool

graduatesbetween2019and2022,75%consideredthemselvesmoderately,slightly,ornot

preparedforcollegeandcareer,with37%notsurewheretheywantedtobeintheireducationorcareerpathwayand30%notfollowinganyeducationorcareerpathwayatall.Whilenearlytwothirdsofthesegraduates(62%)thoughthighschoolsshouldpreparethemfortheirfuture

careers,only25%reportedthattheirschoolsprovidedexposuretocareeroptionstheymight

pursue,and42%lackedconfidenceorwereonlyslightlyconfidentintheircareeroreducationchoices(YouScience,2022).Further,arecentACTsurveyfoundthat42%ofsurveyedstudentsfromthegraduatingclassof2023reportedthatthepandemichadaffectedtheirthoughtsaboutcollegeorcareerchoice,and31%changedtheirthoughtsspecificallyaboutfuturecareer

choices(Bobek&Schnieders,2023).Theseresultsemphasizetheneedforstudentstostart

planningtheircareersbeforegraduatingfromhighschool.Whiletheneedforcareerplanningisapparent,itisnotentirelyclearhowhighschoolstudentsthinkaboutcareerplanning.

Tobetterunderstandstudents’careerplanningperspectivesandtogaininsightsaboutwaysinwhichtosupportstudents’careerplanning,wesurveyedarandomsampleofhighschool

studentsinGrades11and12whoregisteredfortheDecember2023ACTnationaltest(seethetechnicalappendixformoredetailsonthesample).Inthisonlinesurvey,weaskedstudentstosharetheirthoughtsoncareerplanning,includingwhetheritisimportant,whatitmeans,howitmayinfluencethem,andhowimportantitistocompletevariousplanningtasksbyhighschoolgraduation.Wealsoaskedwhethertheyengagedindifferentcareerplanningactivitiesand

whatcareerplanningchallengestheyhadexperienced.Inthisbrief,wesharewhatwelearnedfrom4,157highschoolstudentsonthesetopics.

CareerPlanningIsClearlyImportanttoHighSchoolStudents

Nearlyallthesurveyedstudents(94%)reportedthattheythoughtitwasveryimportantorimportanttoplanfortheircareers(Figure1).

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Figure1.PercentagesofStudentsReportingtheImportanceofCareerPlanning(n=4,154)

Veryimportant62

Important32

Moderatelyimportant6

Slightlyimportant/Notimportant1

020406080100

Percentage

Note.Percentagesdonotaddupto100%duetorounding.Thencountisanunweightedsamplesize,whilethepercentageswerecalculatedafterweighting.

Inthewordsofonestudentwhodescribedcareerplanning,

1

“[careerplanning]isanimportantdecision-makingprocessinmylife.Iamverycareer-oriented,soplanningmyfutureissecondnaturetome.PlanningmyfuturegivesmetheopportunitytodecidewhatIwanttodoafterhighschoolgraduationandhowIwill

accomplishthethingsIwanttopursue.”

Inadditiontoreportingtheoverallimportanceofcareerplanning,thesurveyedstudents

weighedinonhowimportanttheythoughtitwastocompletevariouscareerplanningtasksbythetimetheygraduatedfromhighschool.Anoverwhelmingpercentageofstudents(rangingfrom87%to93%)considereditveryimportantorimportanttocompletethetasksshownin

Figure2.

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Figure2.PercentagesofStudentsReportingImportanceofCompletingCareerPlanningTasksPriortoHighSchoolGraduation

Identifyapotentialcareergoalorgoals(n=

4,135)

Identifyeducation/trainingneededforcareer

goal(s)(n=4,137)

Evaluatehowyourcareergoal(s)matchupwithyourpersonalcharacteristics(e.g., interests,abilities,values)(n=4,063)

Gatherinformationonhowtoachieveyour

careergoals(n=4,032)

Identifyanygapbetweenyourcurrent

knowledgeandskillsandthoseneededfor

futurecareergoal(s)(n=4,100)

Createarealisticpathwayforachievingyour

careergoals(n=4,117)

49

59

53

55

50

59

38

11

37

11

36

9

37

6

33

7

34

6

3

1

3

1

2

1

0%20%40%60%80%100%

VeryimportantImportantModeratelyimportantSlightlyimportant/Notimportant

Note.Percentagesmightnotaddupto100%duetorounding.Thencountsareunweightedsamplesizes,whilethepercentageswerecalculatedafterweighting.

Thecareerplanningtasksstudentsconsideredmostimportanttocompleteinvolvedidentifyingtheeducationortrainingneededforcareergoalsandcreatingarealisticpathwayforachievingcareergoals(59%ratedasveryimportant).Thispathwayperspectivewasreflectedinthe

followingstudentremark:

“[Careerplanninginvolves]thinkingrealisticallyaboutwhatcareerpaththatwouldbestfitmypersonalinterestsandalsohelpmesustainasuccessfullife.Planningforacareerisaveryimportantandchallengingconcepttothinkaboutforastudent.”

Amajorityofthestudentsputapremiumongatheringinformationrelatedtohowtoachieve

careergoals(55%ratedasveryimportant)andevaluatinghowtheircareergoalsmatchupwiththeirpersonalcharacteristics(53%ratedasveryimportant).Thislattertaskisillustratedbyonestudent:

“[Careerplanningis]knowinghowmyskills,talents,values,andintereststranslateintopossiblejobsorcareers.Matchingmyskills,etc.toexistingjobsorcareers.Matchingmycareergoalstomyfinancialandeducationalneeds”

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Identifyingcareergoalsandidentifyinggapsintheknowledgeandskillsneededtoreachthosegoalswerealsoveryimportantforhalfofthestudents(49%and50%,respectively).Further,onethirdoraslightlyhigherpercentageofstudents(rangingfrom33%to38%)considered

thesevariouscareerplanningtasksimportanttocompletepriortohighschoolgraduation.Thishighschoolstudenthighlightedarangeoftheseimportantcareerplanningtasks:

“‘Planningforyourcareer’involvessettinggoals,acquiringrelevantskills,andmakingstrategicdecisionstoprogressprofessionally.Itincludesself-assessment,identifyingaspirations,andtakingstepstoachieveafulfillingandsuccessfulcareerpath.”

StudentsHighlightedDifferentThingsAboutCareerPlanning

Studentswereaskedwhat“planningforyourcareer”meanttotheminanopen-endedquestion(seethesurveyquestioninthetechnicalappendix).Byanalyzing

2

3,590responses,we

identifiedthetopcareerplanningcategories(Table1).Eachofthesecategoriesisfurtherdescribedbelow.

Table1.Top6CategoriesDescribingWhatCareerPlanningMeanstoStudents

Category

Count(n)

Takingstepstoachievegoals

691

Acquiringrelevantcareerskillsandknowledge

677

Connectingeducationtocareer

618

Choosingacareer

584

Learningaboutcareeroptions

389

Gainingcareer-relatedexperiences

336

Note.Astudentcouldhavereferencedmorethanonecategory.

TakingStepstoAchieveGoals

Manystudentsindicatedthatcareerplanninginvolvedmappingoutthespecificstepsneededtoachievetheirgoals.Insettingouttheircareerpaths,studentswerehighlycognizantofthe

importanceoftakingstepsthatwouldleadthemclosertoattainingtheirgoals,asreflectedinthecommentsofthefollowingstudents:

“Planningwhatyouwanttodo,howyouaregoingtogetthere,when,where,andwhy”

“Knowingeverystepyou’regoingtotaketogetyoutoyourcareer,fromknowingwhatcollegeyou’regoingto,totheclassesyou’regoingtotake,howyou’regoingtopayforit,andmakingsureyoupassyourclasses”

“KnowingwhatIwanttogointo,andworkingbackwardsfromtheresothatIknowallthestepstoachievethat”

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Otherstudentsmadeapointofhavingbackupplansiftheoriginalplansdidnotworkoutasexpected.Thesestudentshadtheforesighttoconsideralternativesbeforethecircumstanceswarrantedthem,asindicatedbythewordsoftwostudents:

“HavingagameplanandknowingthatnoteverythingwillworkoutexactlyhowIwantitto.KnowingwhereIwanttoendup,butbeingflexibleonhowIgetthereandhavingabackupplanforeverystepalongtheway”

“Takethestepsneededtobuildasuccessfulfutureandcreatebackupplansincasethingsdon’tgoasplanned.”

Therewerealsostudentswhothoughtcareerplanningshouldtakeintoaccountpotential

obstaclesthatmightoccurastheypursuedtheircareergoals.Bypreparingtofacethese

challengesaheadoftime,studentsthoughttheywouldbebetterabletoreachtheirgoals,asreflectedintwostudentsremarks:

“PlanningformycareermeanstoprepareforalltheobstaclesbeforeIamabletogetmypreferredcareer.”

“Tome,planningoutmycareerwouldmeanIwouldbereadytofacethechallengesthatcomeswithfindingacareerwithinmyinterestsandskillset;knowingwhatImustdotogetthejobIwant.”

AcquiringRelevantCareerSkillsandKnowledge

Anotheraspectofcareerplanningforsomestudentswasacquiringtheknowledgeandskillsthatwouldbeimportantfortheircareers.Thiscombinationofknowledgeandskillswouldallowthestudentstoentertheirdesiredcareersandtosucceedinthem,asillustratedinthe

commentsoftwostudents:

“GettingtheskillsandknowledgethatIneedtogointoacareerpath”

“Gainingallessentialskills,knowledge,andexperiencestobeabletosucceedinmyfuturecareer”

Otherstudentsreferredtochoosingclassesthatweretailoredtothecareerstheywantedtopursueasonewayfordevelopingnecessarycareer-relevantknowledgeandskills.Studentsthoughttakingthesetypesofclasseswouldbeparticularlyhelpfulforcareerpreparation,asshowninthefollowingstudentscomments:

“Iwouldbelearningsomeskillsthatwouldbeusefulforthatcareer.Iwouldbetakingclassesthatareimportantforthecareer.”

“Takingclassesthathelpyoubestprepareforyourcareer.Forme,Ihavechosenacareerinstem,soIvebeentakingalotofmath,science,andtechclasses.”

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ConnectingEducationtoCareer

Therewerestudentswhoindicatedthatcareerplanninginvolvedchoosinganeducationpath

thatwouldconnecttotheircareers.Theybelieveddoingsowouldgivethemanadvantageandprovidetheknowledgeandskillsneededintheirchosencareers,asconveyedbytwostudents:

“Gettingtheproperhighschooleducationandthenusingthattogetintothecollegethatwillputmeatthebestadvantageinthecareerpaththatiwant”

“Applyingforcertaincollegesoruniversitiesbasedonyourchoiceofmajorthatfitsyourcareergoal.Whichalsomeansgettingtheneedededucationforthatspecializedfield,suchasgoingtomedicalschool.”

Otherstudentsreferredtochoosingschoolsthatmighthavecareer-relateddegreeprogramsoropportunitiessuchasinternshipsrelatedtotheircareergoals.Studentsalsomentionedschoolsthatfocusedspecificallyontheircareersorofferedacurriculumthatallowedforpursuingtheircareers.Thiswashighlightedbythreestudents:

“Goingtoagoodschoolformyspecificdegreeanddoinginternshipsforthecareerwhileincollege”

“Knowingwhatcollegeyouwanttogetintotohelpyouwithyourcareerandhavingeverythingorganizedforthatcareer”

“Decidingonacollegethathasaplanformyoccupation”

ChoosingaCareer

Therewerealsostudentswhospecifiedthatcareerplanningwasaboutfiguringoutwhatyouwantedtodo,whetheritwasacareeroracollegemajorandacollegeleadingtoacareer.

Thesestudentsthoughtabouthowtheirpersonalcharacteristics(e.g.,interests,abilities)relatedtocareers.Theyconsideredwhattheywantedlifetolooklikeaftertheirschooling.Theyalso

consideredhowtheirpreferencesmightinformtheircareerchoices.Thisisclearlyillustratedincommentsfromthreestudents:

“FindingastablejobthatinterestsmeandthatIamskilledat”

“Findingwhatcareerworksbestformegivenmystrengthsandtalents”

“Findingtherighteducationpath,finding/choosingacareerthatIlovebutwillalsotakeseriously.Takingintoaccountallthedifferentfactorssuchasmoney,howmuch

schoolingIneed,etc.”

Otherstudentspointedtosettingcareergoalsasanimportantpartofcareerplanning.Studentsconsideredthisaprocessthatrequiredbeingthoughtfulandintentional,assettinggoalsand

followingthroughwiththemwouldshapetheircareerpathsovertime.Studentswere

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forecastingtheirfuturesbysettinggoals,andtheywantedgoalstobeachievableandtimely,asthiswouldhelpthemalongtheway.Thiswasreflectedintheremarksofthreestudents:

“Tome‘planningforyourcareer’meansthinkingaheadandsettinggoalsformyfuturejob.”

“Settingachievablegoalsforthenearanddistantfuturewhichwhenaccomplishedwillfurthermycareerinanimpactfulway”

“Settingtimelygoalstoattainexpertiseoreducationpriortoapplyingforthejob”

LearningAboutCareerOptions

Whendescribingcareerplanning,somestudentsreferredtodoingcareerresearchandlearningaboutcareeroptions.Thesestudentswantedtofindoutwhatcareerslooklikeintermsoftheirtypicaldailyresponsibilitiesandthechallengespeopleencounterdoingthework.Theywere

interestedinlearningaboutjobrequirements,degreerequirements,andpathwaystoattainingcareers.Theyalsowantedtobetterunderstandthecontextrelatedtodifferentjobs(e.g.,

outlook,location).Inaddition,somestudentsthoughtitimportanttotalkwithothersincareerfieldsofinteresttogatheradditionalinformation.Thiscareerinformationwouldhelpstudentsweightheprosandconsofdifferentcareersandnarrowtheircareeroptionstowhatwouldbettersuitthem.Studentshighlightedthesepoints:

“Learningmoreaboutthejobbytalkingwithpeopleinthecurrentfield,takingHS classesthatgavemesomeexposuretothesubject,andgettinganideaofwhattheeverydayresponsibilitywouldbe,long-termcareergrowth,andpay”

“KnowinghowmuchschoolingIneed,knowingwhatcoursesIneedtotakeincollege,knowingwhatdegreeI’mgoingfor,andknowingthegapsbetweenmyknowledgenowandtheknowledgeneededforthejob”

“Narrowyourcareeroptionsbyreviewingcareerinformation,researchingcompanies,andtalkingtoprofessionalsinthefield.”

GainingCareer-RelatedExperiences

Somestudentsdescribedexperienceasanessentialpartofcareerplanning.Studentsviewedcareer-relatedexperiences(e.g.,internships,jobshadowing,extracurricularactivities,volunteeractivities)asameanstodeterminewhattheydidordidnotwantinacareer,toverifycontinuedinterestinacareer,tonetwork,andtofurtherunderstandwhatacareerentailed.These

studentsthoughtexperiencesprovideduniqueopportunitiestogaincareerinsightsthrough

hands-onlearningandhelpedtosetthemupforcareersuccess.Studentstoldusthefollowing:

“Experienceit,getafirsthandtakeonwhatactuallyhappensinyourcareerfieldtoseeifyouactuallyenjoyit.”

“Hands-onexperienceisimportantbecauseitoffersmoreinsightthanmerereading.”

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“Settingyourselfupforsuccess;Gettingtheeducationandexperienceinyourworkfieldneededtomakeyouasuccessfulemployee”

Whilestudentsemphasizeddifferentthingswhendefiningwhatcareerplanningmeanttothem,theyhighlightedimportantpartsoftheplanningprocessthatinformeddecisionsabouttheir

futuresandsupportedtheircareersuccess.

MostStudentsEngagedinExplorationActivitiestoIdentifyGood-FitCareersandSearchforCareerInformation

Thesurveyedstudentsreportedbeingactivelyengagedincareerexplorationactivities.Over

threequartersofthestudents(rangingfrom79%to87%)hadalreadyidentifiedcareersrelatedtotheirinterests,abilities,andvalues,astepthatsupportsfindingcareersthatwillbetterfit

them(Figure3).

Figure3.PercentagesofStudentsReportingEngagementinCareerExplorationActivities

Identifycareersthatrelatetomyinterests

(n=4,141)

Identifycareersthatrelatetomyabilities

andskills(n=4,118)

Identifycareersthatrelatetomyvalues(whatisimportanttome)(n=4,105)

Searchforinformationaboutdifferentoccupations(e.g.,worktasks,jobgrowth)

(n=4,128)

Searchforinformationabouteducationand

trainingrequirementsforoneormore

careers(n=4,100)

Talkwithpeoplewhoworkincareersthat

interestme(n=4,120)

Volunteerwherepeoplehaveacareerthat

interestsme(n=4,126)

Doajobshadowinacareerthatinterests

me(n=4,096)

Participateinasummerworkexperienceinacareertolearnmoreaboutit(n=4,124)

87

12

82

17

79

19

72

26

72

26

58

40

33

53

14

31

60

10

31

51

18

0%20%40%60%80%100%

1

1

2

3

3

3

YesNo,butplantoNo,anddonotplanto

Note.Percentagesmightnotaddupto100%duetorounding.Thencountsareunweightedsamplesizes,whilethepercentageswerecalculatedafterweighting.

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Nearlythreequarters(72%)soughtinformationaboutdifferentoccupationsandtheeducationandtrainingneededforcareers,andanother26%plannedtodoso.Morethanhalf(58%)

talkedwithpeopleworkingincareersthatinterestedthem,withmostoftheremainingstudents(40%)intendingtodoso.Onestudentremarkedasfollows:

“Planningformycareermeansexploringdifferentcareeroptionsonlineorthrough

books.Tome,italsomeansconsultingwithadultsandadvisorsaboutgoodpossiblecareeroptionsforme,orhearingtheirowncareerstoriestogetabetterunderstandingofwhatjobsareavailablethatImaynotevenknowabout.”

Itisnotablethatthelowestpercentageofstudentshadengagedinexperientialcareer-relatedactivities,withoneoutofthreestudentshavinggainedcareer-relatedexperiencesbythistime.However,amajorityofstudentsdidplantodoaninterest-relatedjobshadow(60%),gain

volunteerexperience(53%),orparticipateinasummerworkexperiencetolearnmoreaboutacareer(51%).Twostudentshighlightedbenefitsfromengagingincareer-relatedexperiences:

“IneedtodosomemorejobshadowingtohelpmedecidewhatcareerpathIwanttotake.Ihavedonesomealreadythatreallyhelpedmenarrowdownmydecision.”

“Ihavetakenvariousscienceandhealthcarecoursesthroughouthighschoolandvolunteeratalocalhospitaltopreparemyselfformyfuturecareer.”

Comparingstudentcareerexplorationtaskengagementwithimportanttaskscompletedbyhighschoolgraduation(Figure2),weseethatalargemajorityofstudentsengagedinthecareer

explorationtasksthattheyconsideredveryimportantorimportanttodopriortograduation.

Theseincludedtasksrelatedtosearchingforinformationandevaluatingthematchbetweencareersandpersonalcharacteristicssuchasinterests,abilities,andvalues.

CareerExplorationOverratedforSomeStudents

Manystudentsengagedinimportantactivitiesthatrelatedtoexploringcareers(asshown

above).Whenthesurveyedhighschoolstudents(n=4,138)wereaskedspecificallywhethertheywantedtofurtherexplore(orhadexplored)differentcareers,nearlytwothirds(61%)

stronglyormoderatelyagreed.Twothirds(66%)alsothoughtthevalueofexploringcareersbeforechoosingacareerwasnotoverrated(Figure4).Atthesametime,approximatelyonethirdofthesurveyedstudents(34%)strongly,moderately,orslightlyagreedthatthevalueofexploringcareerspriortomakingcareerchoiceswasoverrated.

Ithinkthevalueofexploringdifferent

careersbeforechoosingacareeris

overrated(n=4,063)

Figure4.PercentagesofStudentsReportingLevelofAgreementontheValueofCareerExplorationBeingOverrated

21

26

19

11

10

13

0%20%40%60%80%100%

StronglydisagreeModeratelydisagreeSlightlydisagree

SlightlyagreeModeratelyagreeStronglyagree

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Weinvestigatedsubgroupdifferencesinbeliefsaboutthevalueofcareerexplorationbeing

overratedandfoundthatstudentsincertainracial/ethnic,familyincome,andparentaleducationgroupsweresignificantlymorelikelytoconsiderthevalueofcareerexplorationoverratedthanstudentsinothergroups.

AmuchhigherpercentageofBlackstudents(52%)agreedthatthevalueofexploringcareersbeforechoosingthemwasoverratedthandidAsianandWhitestudents(33%and28%,

respectively;seeFigure5).Thisisnearlya20%difference(orhigher)forBlackstudents.ThiswasfollowedbyahigherpercentageofLatinxstudents(41%)agreeingthatcareerexplorationwasoverratedcomparedtotheirAsianandWhitepeers.Here,thedifferenceisnearly10%orhigherforLatinxstudents.

Figure5.PercentagesofStudentsFromDifferentRacial/EthnicGroupsReportingLevelofAgreementontheValueofCareerExplorationBeingOverrated

Asian(n=253)

Black(n=559)

Latinx(n=596)

White(n=2,303)

30

19

10

12

11

18

15

13

13