Career Decision-Making Factors in Gifted Young Adults

Past research has found that characteristics associated with giftedness make career decisions difficult for gifted youth. This study investigated the difficulties experienced by gifted youth and the factors they consider as they make career decisions. Interviews were conducted with 30 gifted adolescents at three strategic decision‐making points. A content analysis of the interview transcripts found 20 factors that gifted adolescents identified as important to their career decisions. These factors clustered into five groups: (a) sensitivity to others' expectations, (b) perfectionism, (c) developmental issues, (d) superior intelligence, and (e) multipotentiality. Sensitivity to others' expectations and perfectionism were the factors considered most frequently. Implications of the findings include preventive work with parents and teachers of gifted youth, use of career role models and exploratory work experiences, and research into the actual expectations held for gifted youth by the adults who influence them.