Parents have an impact on what their children study in school and focus on for career goals. Parental influence extends beyond encouraging kids to enter a certain industry and setting high academic expectations. Students are also influenced by the success of their parents, the educational level of their parents and the socioeconomic status of their upbringing.
The amount of schooling and higher education that is mandatory to reach a particular occupational goal is an influential factor that students consider when deciding on their career paths. If a student does not wish to go through many more years of school to become, say, a lawyer, the student might change the occupational goal to something more easily obtainable.
An article published by the "American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education" describes research on what pharmaceutical students considered an influential decision-making factor when it came to their occupational goals -- the work environment ranked at the top of their priorities. Different careers land entry-level workers in various types of environments, from offices to hospitals. The type of work environment affiliated with a particular career impacts a student's career path.
Compensation and benefits that a particular career offers is an important consideration among students. Income, work flexibility, health insurance and paid time off are factors that students look for in professions, especially if students are attempting to recreate a lifestyle they had as a child -- or one they wish they had.
Industry growth is a factor that influences students' prospective occupations. Industries on the rise with a positive prospective growth are more appealing than positions with decreasing demand. By watching the trends in the economy, students can determine which types of careers are becoming obsolete or being cut from government budgets to help them decide their occupational path.