Some 88.1 percent of respondents have different priorities from their parents when choosing careers, according to a China Youth Daily survey released Tuesday.
The survey polled 2,003 Chinese aged 18 to 35.
Just 50.9 percent of respondents said they preferred jobs that matched their educational background and interest, while 46.1 percent preferred jobs with promising prospects.
Other factors that proved significant were level of development of the city (45.3 percent), salary and benefits (44.2 percent), and the prestige and social status of the job (34.2 percent).
A total of 48.6 percent of respondents said their parents cared more about the stability of a job, while 47.6 percent said their parents preferred prestige and social status.
Some 59.5 percent of respondents said that children and parents should improve communication and mutual understanding to cope with the difference.