The first survey interviewed 153 16-year-old students, the second survey reinterviewed 103 students, and the third survey reinterviewed 84 students. Respondents were asked what sorts of jobs they were looking for and how they would go about finding them. Most students held realistic expectations, and the most popular occupations for young men involved skilled work. Leaving school did not necessarily involve a transition from full-time education to full-time work, since some school leavers were working before and after they left school in temporary, casual, or part-time jobs. Most young people left school at the minimum age and followed fairly well-defined tracks into work. In the 1980's, however, their career paths were more fractured and confused. There was a fracture in both the reproduction of work roles and the reproduction of gender roles during high unemployment. At 16 and 17 years of age, young people were simply waiting for the right opportunities to arise and were in a strong position to reject more degrading work, to remain unemployed, and to take on odd jobs or an antiwork posture. At 21 years of age, however, this was no longer possible. Young people accepted available work or desperately searched for work. Currently, the direct employment of school leavers in England is negligible since more youth are recruited for further educational pursuits. 24 references, 3 tables.