An Exploratory Study of the Career Drivers of Accounting Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the relative importance of nine career drivers of undergraduate accounting students. Career drivers are motivational factors that influence students’ choices of careers. Faculty, academic advisors, and employment recruiters, among others, can benefit from knowing what accounting students consider to be important career factors. The three most important career drivers are expertise, security, and search for meaning. We also attempted to assess if there are significant differences in the career drivers of male and female students. Our results indicated that there are statistically significant differences between male and female respondents in the career drivers of expertise, security, and search for meaning.