This study sought to identify a set of factors that teacher candidates perceived to have influenced their decisions to become teachers and then to determine the family and personal characteristics of the candidates that might be associated with these perceived influences. The subjects were 377 teacher candidates commencing the teacher preparation program of a large midwestern university in the spring term of 1991. As part of orientation to the required entry course, candidates chose from among 16 influences or reasons which they felt may have led to their decision to become teachers. Candidates also provided personal and family characteristics information on various instruments. Results found that six of the eight reasons most frequently cited for becoming teachers were associated with the influences of other people or experiences with people: liking children, former teachers, prior experience with children, parents, favorable work schedule, and love of a subject field. The results also indicated that presence of teachers in the family, birth order in the family, education and income of parents, candidate gender, interactions with youth, enjoyment of learning, and former teachers were all among the factors influencing the decision to teach. Includes a discussion of implications for recruitment. (Contains 31 references.) (JB)