Adolescent life experiences as predictors of occupational attainment

Adolescent life experiences, measured with Owen's Biographical Questionnaire (BQ), were used to predict occupational attainment 16 years to 21 years later in a sample of 1,523 college graduates. Study participants completed the BQ in either 1968 or 1970-1973 as college freshmen and subsequently reported their occupational status in 1989. Jobs were rationally clustered into 18 different categories. Separate gender analyses were conducted in which 13 BQ factors were used as predictors of occupational attainment. Effect sizes were substantially larger than those obtained in an earlier study by A. G. Neiner and W. A. Owens (1985). The usefulness of life experience data for understanding occupational choices as well as implications for college counseling are discussed.