A majority of Russians say they would rather not see their children follow in their professional footsteps, according to a survey released Friday.
Fifty-nine percent of respondents would prefer that their children pursued a different occupation, up from 56 percent in 2008, pollster VTsIOM and Internet recruitment firm HeadHunter said in a joint statement.
Twenty-three percent of Russians said they would like to see their children follow their career path — also up three points from two years ago.
At least 42 percent of legal professionals, software engineers and those in the natural resources sector are more likely than not to encourage their progeny to join their profession, the poll found.
On the other hand, at least 60 percent of medical personnel, autoworkers and those involved in transport and logistics do not want to see their children emulate their careers.
People without higher educations (71 percent) and military personnel (64 percent) were also more likely to say their offspring should choose another profession.
The least enthusiasm was from administrative personnel, salespeople, and restaurant and hotel workers, with 20 percent or less thinking it was a good idea to pass on the tradition of their work.
The same poll asked people what influenced them to take their current job. The most common answer, given by 37 percent of respondents was, “It’s just how things worked out,” followed by 32 percent who said the choice was based on their desire and interests. Just 8 percent said they chose their current job for the salary.
The VTsIOM survey, conducted in late October, included 1,600 people in 46 regions and 19 professional sectors. It had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points. HeadHunter polled 3,300 Internet users across the country, the statement said.
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