A respectable job: Factors which influence young Asians' choice of career

To find out why some college or university courses are particularly attractive to ethnic-minority school-leavers, school pupils and first-year students of South Asian (n=158) and UK origin (n = 158) completed a questionnaire relating to occupational choice. The social position attainable from a ‘respected’ profession and the ability to work with others who share similar beliefs were found to be of greater importance to subjects from an Asian background than to those of UK origin, who placed greater emphasis on personal growth and autonomy. There was no evidence that the Asian young people were consciously choosing careers with the aim of avoiding discrimination.