Career
Introduction
Career development, for most people, is a lifelong process of engaging the work world through choosing among employment opportunities made available to them. Each individual undertaking the process is influenced by many factors, including the context in which they live, their personal aptitudes, and educational attainment (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 2001).
A major turning point in adolescents ' lives involves the career choice that they make while in high school. Frequently, it is viewed by family and community as a mere start to workplace readiness; however, this decision plays a major role in establishing youth in a career path that opens as well as closes opportunities. Given the differences in the social and economic context of college-bound versus work-bound adolescents (Bluestein, Phillips, Jobin-Davis, Finkelberg, & Roarke, 1997), a study was designed to explore the factors that influence rural young adults ' selection of specific careers.
Methodology
Focus group process was selected as the preferred research method because the study was seeking to uncover the nature and nuances that operate in young adults ' lives during their career choice decision-making process. Focus group process is a non-directive means by which participants provide information without being directed to answer specific questions (Krueger, 1994).
Participants of the study 's 12 focus groups were individuals from an 11-county rural area in Central Pennsylvania. Of these groups, seven were conducted with 98 high school seniors, three were with 50 graduating college seniors, and two with 24 employed young adults. The purposeful selection of the seven high school groups, which ranged from 10 to 17 participants, was based upon the size of the school 's enrollment, type of curriculum, and the mean income level of the district 's families (School Report Cards, 2002). The three college groups ' selection, which ranged from 14 to 22 participants,
Career development, for most people, is a lifelong process of engaging the work world through choosing among employment opportunities made available to them. Each individual undertaking the process is influenced by many factors, including the context in which they live, their personal aptitudes, and educational attainment (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 2001).
A major turning point in adolescents ' lives involves the career choice that they make while in high school. Frequently, it is viewed by family and community as a mere start to workplace readiness; however, this decision plays a major role in establishing youth in a career path that opens as well as closes opportunities. Given the differences in the social and economic context of college-bound versus work-bound adolescents (Bluestein, Phillips, Jobin-Davis, Finkelberg, & Roarke, 1997), a study was designed to explore the factors that influence rural young adults ' selection of specific careers.
Methodology
Focus group process was selected as the preferred research method because the study was seeking to uncover the nature and nuances that operate in young adults ' lives during their career choice decision-making process. Focus group process is a non-directive means by which participants provide information without being directed to answer specific questions (Krueger, 1994).
Participants of the study 's 12 focus groups were individuals from an 11-county rural area in Central Pennsylvania. Of these groups, seven were conducted with 98 high school seniors, three were with 50 graduating college seniors, and two with 24 employed young adults. The purposeful selection of the seven high school groups, which ranged from 10 to 17 participants, was based upon the size of the school 's enrollment, type of curriculum, and the mean income level of the district 's families (School Report Cards, 2002). The three college groups ' selection, which ranged from 14 to 22 participants,
References: Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G.V., & Pastorelli, C. (2001). Self-efficacy beliefs as shapers of children 's aspirations and career trajectories. Child Development, 72, 187-206. Blustein, D., Phillips, M., Jobin-Davis, M., Finkelberg, S., & Roarke, A. (1997). A theory-building investigation of the school-to-work transition. The Counseling Psychologist, 25, 364-401. Chen, C.P. (1997). Career projection: Narrative in context. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54, 279-295. Krueger, R.A. (1994). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Second Edition. London: Sage Publication. School Report Cards, (2002). PA Department of Education: Harrisburg, PA. Retrieved September 26, 2002 from http://www.paprofiles.org/ Straus, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Super, D.E., Savickas, M.L., & Super, C.M. (1996). The life-span approach to careers. In D. Brown, L. Brooks, & Associates (Eds.) Career choice and development (pp. 121-178). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.