Successfully predicting career success: An application of the biographical inventory

Abstract

555 participants who provided life history data as part of a larger study on the antecedents of success in real estate sales were contacted 2 yrs later to provide data on 12 measures of general occupational success. After the 2-yr period, Ss reflected a diversity of occupations and varying degrees of success. Success data were factor analyzed to derive 3 occupational success criterion composites: Job, Personal, and Career Success. The 72 items from the biographical inventory were factor analyzed separately. Multiple regression analysis was used to relate the resultant 5 biodata factors—Social Orientation, Economic Stability, Work Ethic Orientation, Educational Achievement, and Interpersonal Confidence—to the success composites. The factors accounted for significant proportions of criterion variance for all 3 composites. Regression weights were interpreted to explain the differential importance of the factors to the 3 areas of success. (26 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)