There is a common trend in society wherein personal decisions that are based on an individual’s interests and skills often define their career choices, and these decisions are sometimes deeply rooted in social constructs that value some professions over others. Traditional notions of prestige are still affecting the way in which careers are viewed, even though the job market is becoming increasingly diverse. This has created an environment in which an individual is not only making a decision but also determining how that decision will be perceived by others. Certain status symbols, like educational background and language, are used by elite professionals in order to maintain social status, according to research published in the American Journal of Sociology by Rivera (2012).
Such factors also have an influence on the perception of one’s career, and often place medical or engineering professions at the top of a social hierarchy. People perceive different jobs as stable and respectable, irrespective of their own level of satisfaction or appropriateness, according to a report published by the Pew Research Center (2021). Such perceptions become even more evident when an individual is transitioning through a career change. Creative jobs or freelancing are normally considered unusual career paths and could be severely scrutinized. Individuals who work in non-traditional professions feel the need to justify their career choices, especially if they are from a culture that focuses on a strong connection between social status and profession, according to research published in Work, Employment and Society (2018). Responses like these are often implicit, but they have an effect on how individuals respond to questions regarding their profession.
Social validation can also have a major effect on career decisions. People can continue in careers based on external expectations even if they do not align with personal goals. There is a tension between autonomy and approval, where decisions must be made based on personal desire and external approval. Career decisions have multiple meanings, which include statements of ambition and identity within a cultural framework. It is this multiple meaning of career decisions that helps explain why they appear more complicated than they would be if based simply on economic or individual needs.
