Female teens have eye on the prize.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Female teens are drawn to careers that require more education and are more confident than males that they can obtain their ideal job, according to the 2006 Junior Achievement Worldwide Interprise Poll on Kids and Careers.

Some 78.2% of female teens were "definitely" or "pretty sure" they would obtain their ideal job, compared to 65.5% of male teens. The 12.7% spread is the widest margin in the poll's seven-year history. In 2005, 72.6% of female teens were confident of achieving their ideal job, compared to 71.5% of males.

As for higher education, 79.3% of female students believe it is necessary to obtain a four-year or advanced degree to achieve their career goals, compared to 62.8% of male teens, a gap of 16.5%, also the widest in the poll's history.

"These findings are consistent with many recent studies demonstrating that girls often perform better than boys in high school, college, and the job market;' notes Darrell Luzzo, senior vice president of education for Junior Achievement Worldwide. "It shouldn't be too surprising that...