Summary
The article “The college-to-career transition in STEM” contains an 11-year longitudinal study investigating the effects of vocational interest fit. The central hypothesis is that vocational interest fit affects choices and attitudes about the major and future jobs.
In order to test it, the study tracks the number of students from 2007 to 2018, gradually examining their vocational interests, matriculation major interests, chosen degrees, and jobs chosen during the first year after graduation and seven years after graduation. Results indicated that when vocational interest coincided with chosen major, it affected major retention and first job choice (Kim & Beier, 2020).
In the meantime, the relationships were mediated by several secondary values, such as attainment, utility, and relative cost. In turn, vocational interest fit with the job greatly affected career attitudes, and these relationships were further influenced by perceived career fit (Kim & Beier, 2020).
Additionally, in contrast to the jobs chosen during the first year after graduation, the job fit increased over time (Kim & Beier, 2020). Overall, results showcase that vocational interest measured in college significantly helps predict future career choices.
Response
The topic of vocational interest fit in colleges and universities provides a solid ground for research. At this point, students are incredibly invested in learning, conducting research, and shaping their future (CSU Global Library; CSUG OER). Consequently, their vocational interests serve as reliable predictors of future choices and performance, which can be a valuable asset for both students and employers. For the former, the article highlights the importance of personal preference at the beginning of their career.
In addition, the study results can be used to broaden the horizon and note other essential factors that might influence career choices. For the latter, the study underlines what factors are the most important to consider when choosing young specialists to fill the job positions. Moreover, it also provides factors to consider in the light of increasing retention or making changes to the existing working environment.
Questions
- What special formatting to the key terms can you use in order to improve your search requests?
- How difficulties in identifying the correct citation form affect your article choice?
Key terms
Career choice fit, college major fit, job after graduation.
References
Closing the Gap Between College and Career. (n.d.). CSU Global Library. Web.
Kim, M. H., & Beier, M. E. (2020). The college-to-career transition in STEM: An eleven-year longitudinal study of perceived and objective vocational interest fit.Journal of Vocational Behavior, 123.
CSUG OER. (n.d.). Convince me: Reading and writing to persuade [Course Handout]. Colorado State University Global.