单选题 Much emphasis seems to be placed on what you will do "for a living". Yet there is a danger of feeling compelled (迫使) to choose an occupation or a career before you"re really ready to do so. In our society there is pressure or encouragement from an early age to identify with some occupation. Children often hear the question: "What are you going to be when you grow up?" (Part of the implication of this question is that we"re not grown up until we"ve decided to be something.) Carney and Wells (1987) write that society expects young people to identify their values, choose a vocation and a lifestyle, and then settle down. The implication is that once young people make the "right decision", they should be set for life. Yet deciding on a career is not that simple.
One of the dangers in focusing on a particular occupation too soon is that students" interest patterns are often not sufficiently reliable or stable in high school or, sometimes, even the college years to predict job success and satisfaction. Furthermore, the typical student does not have enough self-knowledge or knowledge of educational offerings and vocational opportunities to make realistic decisions. The pressure to make premature (早熟，过早) vocational decisions often results in choosing an occupation in which one does not have the interests and abilities required for success.