Student Career Preferences: In Support Of A New Learning Paradigm

Abstract

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, throughout their careers, college graduates change multiple jobs and several careers, often remotely related to one another or to their major field of study. Experts project that the majority of newly created jobs requiring college education would involve extensive and prolonged on-the-job training of new hires, with soft skills gaining more prominence as determinants of professional success. Conversely, over the past several decades, higher education has followed a trend of compartmentalization of college education into narrowly defined disjointed disciplines each with a strict degree program. Such one-size-fits-all educational programs are unlikely to prepare prospective professionals for gainful employment in the emerging economy considering the new success indicators. This study presents a comparative exploratory analysis of accounting students career preferences by gender, age, grade point average, and academic classification. The study reveals notable differences in career preferences among students enrolled in the same academic program due to differences in gender, age, and academic classification.