Factors Affecting Students’ Career Decision Towards Accountancy
Naomi S. Aboc and Aquila Kate N. Reyes
Grade 12 ABM – Milton Friedman
St. Dominic College of Asia – Senior High School
City of Bacoor, Cavite
Abstract
Career decision is a step by step procedure
which one may accomplish due to different
factors which includes awareness, experience,
and influence. The research study sought to
discover the primary reason of the students in
choosing accounting as their profession.
Understanding the primary reason of the students
in choosing accounting will reveal the interests of
the students and how much of the students want
to pursue accounting in their tertiary education.
The research study was conducted in St. Dominic
College of Asia among the Accountancy, Business
and Management students both grade 11 and
grade 12. The researchers applied purposive
sampling to further deduct the most common
factor in the career decision of students who chose
to pursue accounting. The researchers all in all
gathered a total of 30 responses. The gathered
data was processed through computer assisted
statistical programs such as Microsoft Excel and P-
value calculator.
The study revealed that the primary reason
of the students who choose to pursue accounting
in college is their personal dream and interest. The
results also shown that students made their own
skills and abilities as the basis for them to pursue
such profession. The study also discovered that
parents place a significant influence towards their
children’s career decision. Future studies were
recommended by the researchers to further
deduct the factors that influence the career
choice of the students.
Keywords: Accounting students, Career decision,
Career preference, Accounting perception
Introduction
Accounting, often depicted as the
language of the business, paves a way to the
success of the whole economy. According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of
accountants and auditors is projected to grow 10
percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average
for all occupations. Due to this, students perceived
accounting as a growing opportunity and hence
decided to pursue the program in their tertiary
level. Career decision is a long-lasting process of
finding the right choice for those individuals who
look for real fulfillments from their work (Dibabe,
Wubie and Wondmagegn, 2015). It was shaped
by different factors such as awareness, influence,
and one’s knowledge. The factors affecting the
students career decision was discussed below.
1. Accounting Job Outcomes - Job outcomes
might be intrinsic motivation for opening the
doors of professional success, individual
satisfaction, acknowledgement and esteem
among others (Mbawuni, 2015).
2. Accounting Job Requirements - The accounting
profession is administered by numerous
thorough activity prerequisites such as
accounting regulations, reporting standards as
well as the demands (Mbawuni, 2015).
3. Influence of Parents - It is likewise reported that
parents encourage their children towards the
course that will not be consumed at high-cost
but yet can give a stable source of income
(Pascual, 2013).
4. Perceived Reputation of Accountants - Previous
discussions have discovered that some
students recognized accountants as
prestigious and well-admired people due to
the demand of its profession (Góis & Brás,
2013).
5. Mass Media - Apostol and Näsi (2013) clarified
that the youthful age is more media slanted
and the societal components are steadily
advancing in light of the media introduction
and people are influenced more from media
characters' occupations.
Methodology
The research was an application of a
descriptive study that sought to explain the most
common factor in the career decision-making of
Senior High School students in choosing
accounting in their upcoming tertiary education.
The study was conducted in St. Dominic College of
Asia. The survey questionnaire employed was
drawn based on the past findings of other
researchers and made in accordance with the
research topic. The researchers took the samples
of the study from the Senior High School
Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM)
students who were currently enrolled in St. Dominic
College of Asia. Due to the fact that the study
barely needed the respondents who were self-
proclaimed aspiring accountants only, the
researchers employed purposive sampling. This
aided the researchers to further distinguish the
factors that affect the career decision of aspiring
accounting students.
The researchers purposively selected 30
respondents from both grade 11 and 12 ABM
students. The data gathered from the survey
conducted was tabulated in the Microsoft Excel
and was thoroughly evaluated and analyzed. The
researchers integrated every data taken and
tallied it by the use of computer assisted statistical
measures to ensure the accuracy and the
reliability of the synopsis of the survey. The
researchers also utilized the use of P-value
calculator to further distinguish whether there is a
significant difference between the categories
mentioned.
Results and Discussion
Table 1.2 presented the distribution of
sample according to gender and it shown that the
greatest number of respondents came from
female students. This conveyed that female
students have more interest and perceived the
accounting more positively than male students.
Table 2.1 shown that the most common factor in
the career decision-making of students who chose
to pursue accounting in their college level was
their personal dream and interest. Table 2.2
conveyed that the students agreed that they were
influenced by the works of their parents and were
pushed to pursue accounting. Table 2.3 shown
that students chose to pursue accounting
because they believed that accounting matches
with their personal interest and skills. While in Table
2.4, results conveyed that accounting jobs and
benefits leave an impact towards the career
decision of the students.
Conclusions
After completing the research, the
researchers conclude the following:
1. The most common factor towards the students’
career decision is their personal dream and
interest.
2. The results conveyed that the influence of
parents has significant influence towards the
career decision of the students pursuing
Accountancy in college.
3. The amount of salary together with the job’s
benefits and luxuries leave an impact towards
the career choice of the students.
4. The attraction between accounting and the
students’ interests together with the
compatibility of the program and their skills and
abilities also affect the students’ career choice.
Recommendation
The study conveyed that parents has a
significant influence on the career decision of the
students. However, former researches (Shariffa and
Tinggi, 2013) shown that the influence of parents
does not affect the career decision-making of their
children. Hence, need therefore arises for another
study to further discern whether the parents leave
an impact towards the career choice of their
children.
References
Dibabe et al. (2015). Factors that affect students’
career choice in accounting: a case of Bahir
Dar University students. Retrieved from
https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/RJFA
/article/viewFile/20781/21372
Mbawuni. (2015). Examining students’ feelings
and perceptions of accounting profession in a
developing country: the role of gender and
student category. International Education
Studies; Vol. 8, No. 6.
Pascual. (2014). Factors affecting high school
students’ career preference: a basis for career
planning program. Retrieved from
http://www.urs.edu.ph/wpcontent/uploads/2
016/06/2261-4881-1-PB.pdf