New research from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library has found that nearly one in five (18.7%) professionals were influenced by their dad when deciding which career path to take, rising to 29.4% amongst those under the age of 18.
The survey, which questioned 1,200 UK workers ahead of Father’s Day, found that one in 10 (9.8%) have followed the career path of their dad, rising to 12.3% amongst millennials. In fact, the industries which saw the highest percentages of people following in their dad’s footsteps were: military (20%), recruitment (16.7%), design (16.7%), construction (16.3%), sales (14.8%) and automotive (12%).
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments:
“My dad has played an important part in my career, and it’s refreshing to see that the nation is also turning to their fathers for input on which path to take, particularly with Father’s Day coming up. But it’s not just dads that can be influential. Any parent, or a significant person in your life, is going to be a big help when it comes to those tricky career decisions and it’s always good to ask for input from your loved ones.”
In addition, the study found that one in 10 (8.6%) rely on their dad to help them in their career, rising to 23.5% amongst those under the age of 18. In particular, people are most likely to rely on their dad’s help for deciding whether to accept a job offer or not (33%), followed by advice on whether they should make a career change (33%). Other key findings include:
- One in 10 (11.7%) would turn to their dad for advice on asking for a promotionor pay rise
- Workers are more likely to go to their dad for career advice over the internet (35.8% vs. 31.7%)
- Nearly two thirds (61.1%) of workers aged 18-24 rely on their dad to help them when deciding whether to accept a job offer or not
- Over a third of millennials (those aged 25-34) rely on their dad for advice on whether they should make a career change
Biggins continues:
“It’s always best to get a second opinion when it comes to major aspects of your career or job hunt, but remember the decision is ultimately down to you! The people that are closest to you should have a good idea of what’s right for you, but deep down, you’ll usually know what’s best!”
Finally, employees also cited that their dad has taught them about having a good work ethic (42.9%), the importance of having a good job (17.9%) and that working hard will help them to climb the career ladder (14%).
