VARIABLES IN THE POST-GRADUATION CAREER DECISIONS OF ENGINEERS
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to explore the career decision-making processes of engineering students during their transition from undergraduate education to employment or graduate study. A time-series survey study was designed to investigate this transitional process. Specifically, answers to the following questions were sought. Do the post-graduation career directions of engineers (business/government/industry employment, military appointment, or graduate study) change over time? What are the reasons for the choice of full time employment as a career direction following graduation and how do these reasons change over time? What factors are most and least influential to engineers in contacting certain employers (via inverviews, application, letters, etc.)? What factors are most and least influential to engineers in their decision to accept an offer of employment? Do the factors indentified as most influential by engineers pursuing employment change over time? A series of three questionnaires was developed to assess the influence of variables at different stages in the decision-making process. The series was mailed to 3187 randomly selected bachelor's degree candidates at six colleges during the 1980-81 academic year. The sample used in the analysis contained 1030 subjects, or approximately 32 percent of the sampling population. The results indicated that the career directions of engineers and the reasons for these directions do not change significantly during the decision process. A majority of engineers seek employment following graduation. Position, company image, and sports and recreational facilities were factors most influential in attracting students to contact employers. Conversely, low salaries, early transfers, small company size, and location were factors that eliminated employers from consideration. Position, company image, and interviewer dynamics were most influential to job acceptance. Sex, GPA, and major appeared to be related significantly to some of the most influential job acceptance factors. School and marital status were not related significantly to the most influential job acceptance factors in this study.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Academic guidance counseling
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