Research indicates that parenting styles, family functioning, and parent-child interaction influence career development. The authoritative parenting style is associated with self-confidence, persistence, social competence, academic success, and psychosocial development; parents provide a warm family climate, set standards, and promote independence and more active career exploration by children results. Family functioning has a greater influence on career development than family structure or parents' educational and occupational status. Parental support and guidance can include specific career or educational suggestions and experiences that indirectly support career development. Interactions between parents and children and among siblings are a powerful influence and include positive or negative behaviors. Parents' influence on career development stems from the continuous process of relationship with their children. A proactive family interaction style contributes significantly to career readiness. Using an authoritative parenting style, proactive parents help children learn to be autonomous and successful in shaping their own lives. Findings suggest career counselors and educators should shift the focus from the individual to the family system; develop a new and richer view of parent involvement in schools; help families become more proactive; and consider ways of duplicating helpful types of family functioning in schools. (Contains 16 references.) (YLB)