Processes Involved in Career Preferences and Compromises

The processes that underlie career-related preferences and the readiness to make compromises were investigated. In Study 1, 3,265 monitored dialogues with a computer-assisted career guidance system were analyzed. In Study 2, the occupational preferences of 60 young adults elicited by detailed questionnaires were analyzed. Within-subject analyses in both studies supported the following hypotheses: (a) The perceived importance of an aspect is positively correlated with the degree of extremity of preference; (b) the perceived importance of an aspect is negatively correlated with the readiness to compromise in it; (c) the perceived importance of an aspect is positively correlated with the variance in the individual's preferences; and (d) the readiness to compromise depends on the preferences within an aspect. These findings are discussed in light of the roles of preferences and compromises in career decisions.