The effectiveness of sources of support in career decision-making: A two-year follow-up

•65% of the participants indicated that it was difficult for them to choose a field of study.•However, fewer than half (46%) stated that they intended to seek help.•The participants sought support from people close to them and incumbents in occupations they were considering.•Participants with less career decision-making adaptability attributed greater importance to discretion and availability.•Not using any type of support increased the likelihood of changing one’s major.

Making career decisions is often difficult and challenging, and one way to advance in the process is to seek help. The present research focused on the various sources of support young adults tend to look for when making their career decision and the factors that affect their actual use of these sources. Study 1 elicited the self-reported help-seeking behavior and the Career Decision-Making Profile (CDMP) from 1071 young adults (ages 18–35) who had already chosen their major(s) at a university. The young adults used sources that were easily accessible, even when they were perceived as being less effective. Additionally, those with less career decision-making adaptability, as derived from the CDMP, tended to seek help more often. Study 2, a two-year follow-up of 296 young adults who participated in Study 1, revealed that getting help reduced the likelihood of changing one’s major.