The study examined the career preferences of 180 higher secondary students in Ramban district in relation to gender, academic streams, and achievement level. A checklist of 85 careers and inventory of 11 career categories were used to collect data. The top 10 preferred careers were teacher, lecturer, business manager, fashion designer, IPS officer, IAS officer, lawyer, librarian, journalist, and doctor. The least preferred were advertiser, anthropologist, astrologist, computer service provider, and motivational speaker. There were no significant differences based on gender or achievement level, but differences were found among arts, science, and commerce students. Qualitative analysis also found differences by gender and streams, such as boys preferring IAS/IPS officers

1. TITLE OF THE STUDY: “Career Preferences At Higher Secondary Level In Relation To
Gender, Academic Streams And Achievement Level- A Study”
Author: Sajad Ahmed Daing
ABSTRACT
It is believed that the career preferences are truly challenging as the decision you make has a
great impact on all the aspects of your life. The present study was carried out to know the career
preferences (dependent variable) of the higher secondary students of Ramban district in relation
to the three independent variables viz. Gender, academic streams, and academic achievement
level of the students. Sample of One hundred and eighty students from different rural and urban
schools of Ramban district was taken in the study. Stratified random sampling technique was
employed and data was collected with the help of survey method. Checklist containing eighty
five careers and an inventory consisting of different careers divided into eleven categories was
used to assess the career preferences of the students. The reliability of the tool was found 0.92.
Teacher, lecturer, business manager, fashion designer, I.PS Officer, I.A.S Officer, lawyer,
librarian, journalist and doctor were the top ten preferred careers of the students of higher
secondary schools. While advertiser, anthropologist, astrologist, computer service provider and
motivational speaker were the least preferred careers of higher secondary school students. Data
analysis further revealed that there is no significant difference in career preferences of higher
secondary school students in relation to gender (sex) and achievement level of students. But in
case of academic streams a significant difference was found among the arts, science and
commerce students. Qualitative analysis also exhibited a difference in gender and steams. The
boys were more interested in I.A.S and I.P.S officers whereas girls preferred careers like fashion
designing and beautician. Similarly arts students preferred I.P.S and lecturer, science students
preferred medicine and teaching professions. Commerce students were found more interested in
the careers like business mangers and other management related careers.