Nearly half of Americans based their career on a TV show, research says

Career advisors beware, as more of us are making career choices based on the television shows we are watching, the latest research has found.
 
Business support platform, Rovva has published its latest research which shows that more than 60% of US respondents consider fictional TV characters as role models. However, it is not just the sentiment regarding role models influencing viewers, as more than half of US respondents believe fictional shows depict an accurate portrayal of jobs and careers as well.

In the US, the prospect of a career in law enforcement influenced 15% of respondents’ choices, thanks to viewing habits – the highest amongst all industries.

These findings demonstrate that shows such as Chicago P.D, Lethal Weapon and NCIS resonate strongly with American viewers in terms of influencing future career decisions.

Arguably one of the more surprising findings is that just 8% of US respondents considered influencers as their most entertaining industry to watch. With the rapid rise of influencers over the past decade, we would have expected a more positive response given the internet-born industry. That said, nearly three quarters (71%) of Americans want to see greater diversity when it comes to character portrayal across the small screen.

Nevertheless, almost half (45%) of US respondents remained true to their teenage ambitions by pursuing careers in which fictional TV shows had some form of influence on them before the age of 16. With people spending more time watching and being influenced by television, can we expect this number to rise in the coming years?

Managing Director at Rovva, Jon Abrahams, said; “What our latest research reveals is that people are still heavily influenced by what they see on the TV – even if it’s fictional. We think it’s just young kids who dream of being a policeman, the next Jack Bauer or top doctor – but it isn’t.

“We often regard TV as something that people engage with to fill the time, or to sit around and do between work and sleep – but it is actually shown to be a resource people are engaging with to make important life-decisions.

With the undeniable influence production houses have on us as a nation, perhaps diversification (which the people have said they want) in what roles are depicted, could be the most effective way of filling shortages in certain sectors”.

For the full research and to see which careers feature the most often on TV, please visit: https://www.rovva.com/en-us/most-featured-careers-on-tv-us