An Exploration of Factors Affecting Students’ Choice of Career Paths in Communication Design

Some students make wrong choices in specialisations once enrolled in Communication Design programmes, which affects them while they are studying and goes a long way to affect them negatively in their careers in the future. It is based on this choice-making challenge that this study was conducted to explore the factors that affect students in making career path choices in Universities. The study used a quantitative approach and used questionnaires to collect data from 348 former students of the Communication Design Department of one University of Technology. The gathered data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). It was discovered that personal interest, personal skills and competencies, personal values and mentorship/work experience were the four most influential factors that affect the career path and choices of the students. Social and cultural factors and educational institutions, do affect the career choices of students, but not much. The major challenges to career choices identified by this study was a lack of guidance and counselling. This was followed by a lack of self-awareness, social expectations, lack of, or limited information and financial constraints.