Influence of Family Factors on Careers Choice among Secondary School Students in Kitui Central Sub County

Career development is a life-long process, and choices made during the secondary school years are of particular importance in setting the foundation for future professional development. Selecting a career can be an overwhelming liability for many students. This study sought to investigate how family factors influence career choice among high school students in Kitui Central Sub-County, Kenya. The researcher adopted a concurrent triangulation research design to explore the topic of study. The target population Constituted 42 secondary schools in Kitui Central sub-county. A sample of 8 schools, which was 20 % of the total schools was used. A representative sample of 420 students, 8 career counseling teachers and 12 class teachers were used for the study. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling were utilized to sample the respondents. Piloting was done in one school to test the reliability of the research instruments. Descriptive statistics was used to present the results of the study and the general trends, this involved tabulating and describing data, while the qualitative data was presented using themes and narratives. Both types of data were triangulated in answering the research questions. The study found out that family factors such as parents influence, siblings careers and family social economic status. The study recommended that guidance and counseling teachers and class teachers should involve students in the career selecting process, considering their interest, ability, skills and personality. The study further recommended the Career choosing process to start earlier in life.