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OBJECTIVE Referencing growing concerns over the recruitment and retention of faculty in academic veterinary medicine, the authors hypothesized that among surveyed veterinary residents and early-career faculty, work-life balance and workplace climate and culture are stronger motivators than financial considerations, regardless of demographic factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and area of specialization. SAMPLE 541 participants were included in data analysis. METHODS A mixed methods approach was utilized, incorporating both quantitative data and qualitative, free-text responses to better understand veterinary career choices by contextualizing factors associated with academic medicine. RESULTS Factors underpinning career-related decision-making were ranked by level of importance as (1) workplace environment/culture, (2) personal well-being/work-life balance, (3) salary and bonuses, (4) geographic location, (5) facilities and resources, (6) benefits, and (7) schedule flexibility. Desires for workload balance, schedule flexibility, support from leadership, and mentorship and collaboration were among the top themes of qualitative responses for both residents and early career faculty respondents. Factors influencing career decision-making for resident and early-career faculty are varied. Workplace environment, work-life balance, and schedule flexibility are areas that academic institutions can address and continue to improve and that are likely to positively impact entry into academia and the desire to stay. CLINICAL RELEVANCE This study sought to understand factors related to career decision-making and interest in academic veterinary medicine among residents and early-career faculty. Understanding these factors can support efforts to recruit and retain faculty in academic veterinary medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adolescence is a critical period; the identity formed during this time impacts all major life decisions, including career decision-making. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an awareness and preparedness model for career decision-making among 11th-grade high school girls in Khorramabad. Methods and Materials: This research was conducted using a sequential exploratory mixed-method design. The study population included 11th-grade female students from Behesht Aein School in Khorramabad during the 2021-2022 academic year. In the qualitative phase, 20 adolescents were selected through purposive sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were then analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis, and a career decision-making awareness model was developed based on the findings. Then, 30 adolescents were selected through simple random sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups of 15 each. Data were collected using the Dielas Career Identity Questionnaire (1981) and the Betz and Taylor Career Decision-Making Questionnaire (1996). The experimental group received twelve 1.5-hour sessions of the career decision-making awareness model. Data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis in SPSS version 25. Findings: In the qualitative results, three main categories emerged: "the process of self-concept discovery," "facilitating factors in the development of career self-concept," and "contextual factors in job selection." In the quantitative results, there was a significant difference between the pre-test (3.87) and post-test (4.8) scores of career identity in the experimental group (P=0.001, η²=0.388, f=17.091). There was also a significant difference in career decision-making scores between the pretest (2.96) and post-test (3.72) in adolescent girls before and after the career decision-making awareness model (P=0.001, η²=0.893, f=25.327). Conclusion: The awareness model intervention, designed considering the context, environment, and teachings relevant to 11th-grade high school girls, led to increased career identity formation and career decision-making readiness. School counselors can utilize this intervention to assist in career identity formation and enhance career decision-making readiness among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to assess the influence of the level of peer attachment, teacher support, parental support, self-concept, and planned career events on the career decision-making self-efficacy of high school and vocational school students. This research used a cross-sectional study design with a quantitative approach. This research was conducted on 317 students, with 157 high school students and 160 vocational school students determined by cluster random sampling. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Smart-PLS. SEM test results showed a significant positive direct influence between parental support, teacher support, and peer attachment on the self-concept of parental support, parental support, and self-concept regarding planned happenstance career, and teacher support and planned happenstance career on career decision-making self-efficacy. Apart from that, there was an indirect influence between parental support, teacher support, and peer attachment on career decision-making self-efficacy through self-concept and planned happenstance careers. Therefore, parents need to shape their children's promising planned careers so that they can have self-efficacy for making sound career decisions as well.

Career shocks can significantly impact individuals' career development. We propose that how a career shock affects career development depends on how people appraise it. Specifically, our Career Shock Coping (CSC) model proposes that, dependent on personal characteristics, individuals differ in the extent to which they appraise career shocks as challenging and/or threatening. Challenge and threat appraisals inspire approach- and avoidance-oriented career behaviors, respectively, which differentially relate to career-related outcomes. A two-wave study was conducted among medical students (N = 279) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a career shock. Supporting our CSC model, core self-evaluation (CSE) related negatively to threat appraisal and threat appraisal related positively to avoidance-oriented career behavior. Avoidance-oriented career behavior related positively to career decision-making stress. The relations between CSE, challenge appraisal, approach-oriented career behavior, and career decision-making stress were not significant. The findings have implications for career shocks research and career counseling practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interdisciplinary research explored how executives make decisions which shape their career trajectories and sustain their careers. We selected executives so that our sample would consist of decision-makers with sufficient capital resources to support a range of career choices. In our analysis we applied a recent framework of distributed interactive decision-making, which proposes that decisions are shared interactions between personal and contextual agents. We conducted 40 semi-structured interviews with executives who are MBA Alumni of a leading global business school to investigate how they made their career decisions. We conducted thematic analysis using NVivo qualitative analysis software to identify the decision-makers in each decision and their levels of agentic participation. Our results reveal that: (1) (a) executive career decision-making is distributed between the person and a range of active stakeholders in their career context, and (b) stakeholders along with influences together form a decision-making unit (DMU), whose composition changes according to the circumstances; (2) each member of the DMU may participate at a different level in each career decision, along an interactive continuum which ranges from proactive decision-making, driven by the individual, to reactive decision-making, driven by other decision-makers in the career context. These findings have implications for individuals, career counselors and human resource managers: we identify the DMU of various participants in career decisions and their level of active contribution to the decision outcomes, in order to develop sustainable career management strategies and processes. This is original interdisciplinary research, combining and applying recent theories of distributed decision-making for the first time in empirical research into sustainable careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' career decision is a relevant topic in career development with scholars and practitioners aiming at understanding which factors can contribute to students decision-making to support them in their career path. In this study, we argue that facilitating conditions can positively influence the career decisions of students. This relationship is mediated by career self-efficacy and moderated by optimism. To test our hypotheses, we conducted a longitudinal study. In total, 789 high school students from different educational streams took part in our three-way study. Results showed that career decision-making self-efficacy mediates the relationship between facilitating conditions for school motivations and career decision-making. While the direct effect of facilitating conditions for school motivations on career decidedness is negative, the relationship linking facilitating conditions for school motivations to career decision-making self-efficacy, as well as that linking career decision-making self-efficacy and career decidedness, is positive. These results provide insights for better-targeting counselling programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social identities impact the way individuals see themselves and their career options but career theories have been slow to the call in exploring how social identities interface with theoretical assumptions. The purpose of this study was to examine how social identities affect and inform specific dimensions identified by cognitive information processing (CIP) theory as being essential for effective career decision-making, that is, self-knowledge, options knowledge, decision-making process and skills, career beliefs, and overall career decision. Seventy-six students across ten sections of an undergraduate CIP-based career development course answered questions on an anonymous survey related to how their social identities impacted aspects of their career decision-making. Frequencies for social identities were calculated for each CIP dimension, and 11 categories identified for open-ended responses using the consensual qualitative research-modified approach accompanied pre-determined domains based on CIP theory. Across each component, the most common SI was age and generational differences. While students expressed the influence of social identities as occurring in each CIP dimension, statements related to the self-concept category occurred most often and were present in each domain. Our findings support previous work that the presence and impact of SIs on career decision-making components is undeniable, but also not universal. CIP theory provides a structure and avenues for discussing the role of social identities in career decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Studying science identity has been useful for understanding students’ continuation in science-related education and career paths. Yet knowledge and theory related to science identity among students on the path to becoming a professional science researcher, such as students engaged in research at the undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and graduate level, is still developing. It is not yet clear from existing science identity theory how particular science contexts, such as research training experiences, influence students’ science identities. Here we leverage existing science identity and professional identity theories to investigate how research training shapes science identity. We conducted a qualitative investigation of 30 early career researchers—undergraduates, postbaccalaureates, and doctoral students in a variety of natural science fields—to characterize how they recognized themselves as science researchers. Results Early career researchers (ECRs) recognized themselves as either science students or science researchers, which they distinguished from being a career researcher. ECRs made judgments, which we refer to as “science identity assessments”, in the context of interconnected work-learning and identity-learning cycles. Work-learning cycles referred to ECRs’ conceptions of the work they did in their research training experience. ECRs weighed the extent to which they perceived the work they did in their research training to show authenticity, offer room for autonomy, and afford opportunities for epistemic involvement. Identity-learning cycles encompassed ECRs’ conceptions of science researchers. ECRs considered the roles they fill in their research training experiences and if these roles aligned with their perceptions of the tasks and traits of perceived researchers. ECRs’ identity-learning cycles were further shaped by recognition from others. ECRs spoke of how recognition from others embedded within their research training experiences and from others removed from their research training experiences influenced how they see themselves as science researchers. Conclusions We synthesized our findings to form a revised conceptual model of science researcher identity, which offers enhanced theoretical precision to study science identity in the future. We hypothesize relationships among constructs related to science identity and professional identity development that can be tested in further research. Our results also offer practical implications to foster the science researcher identity of ECRs.

‘Settling down’ in India historically entailed a culturally constructed notion for individuals, focusing on marriage. An exploration of the modern Indian idea of ‘Settling down’ was explored in light of the driving forces of globalization and increased migration. The current study explored the concept of ‘Settling down’ among emerging adults aged between 18 and 29 years who had migrated within the borders of India for education or employment purposes. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The reflexive thematic analysis method was employed for analysing the data. Emerging themes unveiled that despite marriage being endorsed by a few of the participants, co-habiting relationships were convenient and burden-free. Employment, financial independence, and professional stability emerged as the primary markers of ‘Settling down’ among migrant emerging adults. It was also recognized that migration had a critical impact on people’s decisions about ‘settling down.’

Objective Method Results Conclusion The present study investigated personal values underlying career‐related preferences among young adults deliberating on their career choice. As a fundamental component of one's identity, personal values can offer valuable insights into how individuals prioritize their career‐related preferences.We employed two complementary approaches: variable‐centered and person‐centered, using a sample of 636 young adults (69.5% women; Mage = 21.9, SD = 2.12).Using a variable‐centered approach, we identified 14 value‐expressive career‐related preferences, demonstrating that individuals are less willing to compromise on these preferences than on non value‐expressive preferences. Using a person‐centered approach, we applied latent profile analysis to identify four groups of young adults with distinct value profiles: (1) growth‐focus (n = 212; 33.3%), (2) protection‐focus (n = 206; 32.4%), (3) self‐focus (n = 122; 19.2%), and (4) social‐focus (n = 96; 15.1%). Importantly, the four profiles varied in 18 of 31 career‐related preferences, revealing the composition of values underlying these career preferences. Fourteen of these preferences were identified as value‐expressive in a variable‐centered approach.The two complementary approaches employed in the present study introduce a fine‐grained understanding of the value‐expressiveness of career‐related preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scant research has addressed how maximizing, or the tendency to seek the 'best' alternative and not settle (Schwartz et al., 2002; Simon, 1955), relates to adolescents' vocational behavior. In this exploratory study, high school seniors completed measures of maximizing, choice/commitment anxiety, career decidedness, and career exploration time. Seniors also expressed why they considered themselves maximizers or not and described reasons behind feelings of anxiety about career selection. Results showed that adolescents high in maximizing tendency also had heightened choice/commitment anxiety, higher decidedness, and had spent less time exploring careers. Adolescents explained reasons behind maximizing tendencies, such as finding stable careers and challenging themselves. They also provided reasons behind their career choice anxiety, including fear of failure or regret, inadequate work environments, and lack of opportunities. Overall, these findings clarify cognitive and emotional aspects influencing career decision-making in adolescents. Career counseling services can use this information to anticipate concerns and develop prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the perceptions and mechanisms of doctoral student job decisions regarding the pursuit of careers in the government sector in China. Through the lens of social cognitive career theory (SCCT), we analysed 30 semi‐structured interviews that had been conducted with doctoral students from two prestigious Chinese universities who wish to work as civil servants. This study describes doctoral students' understanding of careers in government employment from the perspectives of work content, promotion channels and professional norms. The mechanisms influencing student career choices include personal goals, self‐efficacy, outcome expectations and environment. The clear goal of political ambition and work–life balance directly drives doctoral students to choose government institutions for employment. The diploma signal of doctoral degree itself and academic training give doctoral students a high sense of self‐efficacy, which is necessary for their choice of employment in the government. Occupational safety, occupational benefits and occupational value constitute the expectations of positive outcomes providing doctoral students with good feedback. In the current environment, the labour market situation and the impetus of universities combine to form a push force and the preferential recruitment policies of the state form a pull force, which jointly promote doctoral students to make decisions to work in government sector. In this paper, the fact that the Chinese government introduced the 'special selected graduates' scheme for doctoral students from prestigious universities in hope of recruiting intellectual elites to improve the quality of civil servants and the modernization level of social governance. Universities encourage PhD graduates to enter the government, hoping that this would enhance their social influence and reputation, thereby safeguarding their status as prestigious universities. From an institutional perspective, the process of doctoral students becoming civil servants can be said to be a form of cooperation between the government and universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does studying in the United States affect Chinese doctoral engineering graduates' career decisions? The present study is based on semi‐structured interviews with 16 Chinese engineering graduates who completed their doctorates in the United States, focusing on two critical aspects of their career decisions: returning to China and pursuing academic careers. First, the findings categorise Chinese doctoral engineering graduates into four types based on intention to return to China: fresh returnees, advanced returnees, hesitant stayers and resolute stayers. Second, the findings describe the reasons why they pursued academic or non‐academic careers. In particular, the study explores how the graduates' learning experiences during their doctoral study in the United States affected them in terms of the research field, industry experiences, information gained and expectations about working conditions. In the decision process, it was important for doctoral students to adopt positive and open attitudes and exercise self‐agency to identify the most appropriate directions for their careers. The study has contributions to the agency theory in career decision‐making and social implications for international doctoral students to navigate the career decision process after completing doctoral programmes abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated perfectionism and time perspective in relation to career decision making in a sample of college students. In this sample, males were 41.8% (n = 163) and females were 58.2% (n = 227) with a mean age of 20.93 (SD =.51). In specific, perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns along with a range of time perspective subscales were analyzed to distinguish emergent personality profiles. The results supported three clusters of personality profiles: past-negative-present perfectionists, future perfectionists, and present non perfectionists. The past-negative-present group had the second highest score in career decision-making, suggesting that negative reflecting on the past and enjoyment of the moment. The future-perfectionist group reported the highest scores for all career decision-making subscales. The present non-perfectionists reported the lowest scores for all career decision-making subscales. The findings can aid professionals and psychologists in recognising personality profiles and develop career interventions through time perspective counselling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studying science identity has been useful for understanding students' continuation in science-related education and career paths. Yet knowledge and theory related to science identity among students on the path to becoming a professional science researcher, such as students engaged in research at the undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and graduate level, is still developing. It is not yet clear from existing science identity theory how particular science contexts, such as research training experiences, influence students' science identities. Here we leverage existing science identity and professional identity theories to investigate how research training shapes science identity. We conducted a qualitative investigation of 30 early career researchers—undergraduates, postbaccalaureates, and doctoral students in a variety of natural science fields—to characterize how they recognized themselves as science researchers. Results: Early career researchers (ECRs) recognized themselves as either science students or science researchers, which they distinguished from being a career researcher. ECRs made judgments, which we refer to as "science identity assessments", in the context of interconnected work-learning and identity-learning cycles. Work-learning cycles referred to ECRs' conceptions of the work they did in their research training experience. ECRs weighed the extent to which they perceived the work they did in their research training to show authenticity, offer room for autonomy, and afford opportunities for epistemic involvement. Identity-learning cycles encompassed ECRs' conceptions of science researchers. ECRs considered the roles they fill in their research training experiences and if these roles aligned with their perceptions of the tasks and traits of perceived researchers. ECRs' identity-learning cycles were further shaped by recognition from others. ECRs spoke of how recognition from others embedded within their research training experiences and from others removed from their research training experiences influenced how they see themselves as science researchers. Conclusions: We synthesized our findings to form a revised conceptual model of science researcher identity, which offers enhanced theoretical precision to study science identity in the future. We hypothesize relationships among constructs related to science identity and professional identity development that can be tested in further research. Our results also offer practical implications to foster the science researcher identity of ECRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to describe and analyze the career decision-making of the first author in the context of life trajectory using autoethnographic trajectory equifinality modeling (Auto-TEM). The life story and analysis of the first author indicate that career decision-making is a constant pre-constructive process in the life trajectory of an individual. This process is a semiotic and trans-action one between the individual and society. In other words, career decision-making is an issue of the cultural psychology of dynamic semiosis, which is concerned with understanding the manner in which the life trajectory of a person promotes or inhibits socio-culturalism and not only a subject of matching and self-esteem. Alternatively, we emphasize that career decision-making for an individual is an act of meaning with a unique ontological aspect. We propose the value of Auto-TEM as a qualitative method for describing such a dynamic career decision-making process. The autoethnographic viewpoint renders possible the understandings of the dynamics of the personal–collective culture synthesis for the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a framework used to evaluate a company's competitive position and to develop strategic planning. In the competitive dental sector, it can aid dentists in identifying and analyzing internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. This study focuses on senior dental students of the Department of Dentistry at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, aiming to scrutinize their use of SWOT analysis and assess its application as a tool for evaluating entrepreneurial goals and making career decisions in dental entrepreneurship. The research sample comprises 116 senior dental students (N1) in the final undergraduate year of their dental education, with data collection accomplished through the administration of an e-questionnaire during the obligatory course of "Organization and management of dental practices" in December 2023. The data extracted from the SWOT analysis encompass internal and external factors, gender distinctions, and outcomes derived from Stepwise Binary Logistic Regression concerning predictor markers. The results from the SWOT analysis of 114 valid questionnaires (N2), revealed that participants identified communication skills (50%) and organization skills (49.10%) as their primary strengths, followed by favorable personal traits contributing to goal success (36%). Weaknesses predominantly centered around emotional and personal traits like anxiety (41.20%) and other characteristics, alongside practical challenges such as lack of initial capital (24.60%). Main opportunities included collaboration with experienced dentists (33.30%) and access to training programs (27.20%), while economic instability in Greece (77.20%) and the saturated dentist profession (26.30%) were perceived as significant threats. Gender differences were notable, with female dentists more likely to report organization skills as a strength and anxiety as a weakness. Values such as industriousness, persistence, and ethics were commonly shared, with actions focusing on training programs (57.9%) and gaining experience with experienced dentists (29.8%). Cluster analysis identified two subgroups, with one emphasizing utilizing all available options (n = 49) and the other prioritizing on gaining professional skills and experience (n = 65). Logistic regression indicated that participants valuing industriousness were less likely to explore all available options, while those recognizing personal traits were more likely to do so. The study's outcomes highlight key predictor factors linked to a proactive orientation in career decision-making among senior dental students. These insights offer valuable implications for educational institutions and career counselors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the effects of two individual career counseling interventions during the COVID‐19 pandemic over a 1‐year follow‐up. Participants (n = 71) engaged either in four individual humanistic–psychodynamic (during winter 2021) or cognitive career counseling (during winter 2022) sessions at a university counseling clinic. Latent growth models indicated that clients experienced a significant reduction in their career decision difficulties and psychological distress and a significant increase in their life satisfaction over sessions and the 12 months following. Clients who received cognitive career counseling sessions experienced larger effects. Results highlight the utility of individual career counseling in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicultural teenagers in South Korea often suffer from psychological difficulties, such as social withdrawal and depression, due to communication difficulties, discrimination, and economic constraints. These emotional problems negatively affect career decision-making. However, little is known about the basic mechanism through which multicultural adolescents' internalizing problems affect their career decisions. This study expanded prior research by examining the sequential mediating effect of depression and achievement motivation in the relationship between social withdrawal and career decision-making and the moderated mediation effect of parental support in the causal pathway from social withdrawal to career decision-making via depression and achievement motivation. This study used panel data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), a national survey. The results showed a sequential mediating effect of depression and achievement motivation, a moderating effect, and a moderating mediating effect of parental support. The results of this study imply that parental support is an essential factor that helps multicultural adolescents improve their career decision-making by alleviating depression and enhancing achievement motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career decision-making difficulties (CDMD) are among the most researched concepts in career counseling literature. CDMD may cause individuals to avoid the decision-making process or to make a decision that is less suitable for them. How they interpret the past, how to evaluate the impact of the present on the future, and what to expect from the future can affect an individual's decision-making process. Studies on CDMD seem to focus on the future time perspective (TP) generally. However, this research study aimed to examine the relationship between the multidimensional nature of the TP and the CDMD of young adults. The study included 331 university students (73.4% women, 26.6% men) aged 18–25 years. The participants completed a Demographic form, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory Short Form (ZTPI-SF), and the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDMDQ). As a result of canonical correlation analysis, three canonical correlations were significant. The results showed that different TP patterns were associated with CDMD. Suggestions for future theoretical and applied research in the field of career counseling and guidance are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partnerships with local public sector agencies, enterprises and tertiary institutions offer a means to inform young people about post-school pathways into working life and occupations that schools alone cannot achieve. Informing about those pathways is an important, yet, complex educational goal for schooling. This is because much of schooling effort privileges and is directed towards higher education entry. Often advice provided to young people through schools is by teachers and administrators who are, understandably, unacquainted with the range of post-school pathways other than higher education. School guidance officers report being ill-equipped and unable to provide students personalised advice. Consequently, sources of advice and experiences beyond the school are now being utilised, particularly through the growing role of partnerships. These partnerships take diverse forms and comprise different kinds of institutional alignments and are increasingly being viewed as essential bases for supporting effective and informed post-school transitions. This article presents and discusses a review of literature and a recent investigation to advance principles and practices of how such partnerships can be best initiated, enacted, and sustained over time and they can meet the goals of informing and guiding young people's pathways, including options other than progression to higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of the study was to explore the factors influencing the career decisions of students doing the students' undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes from urban private universities/colleges in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach: Career decision-making is determined by different factors and is contextual. The present study explores and identifies the prominent factors influencing career decision-making. A pool of 33 questions was developed, and these questions were initially administered to a sample of 233 students. Principal component analysis with Varimax Rotation identified salient factors. In the second study, confirmatory analysis was performed based on the opinion of 304 students. Findings: The study shows that the student's career deciding factors include (1) career clarity, (2) career exploration, (3) career reward and recognition and (4) career initiative for professional and personal growth. Originality/value: The study focussed on career-deciding factors for UG and PG students from urban universities/colleges in the Indian context and the findings can be used for planning career counselling interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the influence of a group career construction counselling intervention on the career decision-making difficulties of Tanzanian students. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select 35 high school participants from a single public school in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed and an intrinsic single-case, descriptive, intervention career design was implemented. An eight-week career construction counselling intervention was executed. The data were generated using different qualitative data sources. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the intervention enhanced most of the participants' career decision-making capacity, bolstered participants' psychological selves, improved their career adaptability, and bolstered their ability to make informed career decisions. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies in various contexts with different participants. Career construction counselling interventions for students of different ages and strategies to establish the long-term impact of these interventions should be devised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the factors influencing the career decisions of Chinese college graduates. The study applied the experimental method, with a survey conducted among two groups of college graduates (Chinese and international students). The experiment involved 686 students (343 Chinese students and 343 international students) in their final year. The main criteria for career choices among Chinese students include motivation (76%), interest (62%), personal development (53%), aptitudes (48%), awareness of the profession (38%) and attitudes of their parents/instructors (72%). By contrast, international students chose personal development (81%), aptitudes (74%) and motivation (68%) among the criteria. A career guidance training programme has been developed in order to improve motivation and willingness of college graduates to make decisions about their careers. The practical value and research outlooks are based on the opportunities arising when determining the influence of cross-cultural characteristics on the choice of a profession in the course of exploring the motivation and willingness to make career decisions not just for college graduates but also for universities in China and other countries in a comparative context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the work readiness of private universities students in LLDIKTI Region III. This study emphasizes on executiemphasisng talent management, knowledge management, career decision-making self-efficacy and learning organizations’ that can impact on is work readiness of universities student. The current high unemployment rate is not only caused by fewer available jobs, but it can also be caused by private higher education that not investing in enhancing their talent through independent program. The method used in this study is a survey method, where data is obtained from the results of collection using a questionnaire. The sample in this study were 397 respondents. The analysis tool used is PLS-SEM 3.0 version with the stratified random sampling method technique. The talent management can improve knowledge management, learning organization and work readiness. Besides, career development program also enhance preparation for work readiness Private university need to enhance the talent mapping, development and retention program for the academician to enhancing their work readiness. Such as development program from independence program in internship.

The aim of the research: The goal of the research is to adapt the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ; Gati et al., 1996) to a sample of Hungarian secondary-school students. Research method: The sample on which the questionnaire analysis was based included 507 Hungarian secondary-school students. Factor analysis was used in order to adapt the questionnaire and to determine the latent variables, that is, factors based on these correlations. With the help of this method, the number of original variables can be reduced and the original data described with the least possible information loss. To this end, the English-language measuring instrument was validated in this study. A short description of the context of the issue: The exploration of career decision-making difficulties is crucial for personal fulfilment, optimal career fit, improved decision-making skills, reduced uncertainty and anxiety, avoidance of career dissatisfaction, and long-term career development. By addressing these difficulties, individuals can make more informed and satisfying career choices that align with their unique strengths, values, and aspirations. Research findings: The study revealed that the factor structure of the CDDQ varies across different cultural contexts, a finding which suggests that cultural variations impact the underlying dimensions of the CDDQ. Conclusions and recommendations: The utilization of the CDDQ allows counsellors and practitioners to obtain valuable insights into the career decision-making difficulties experienced by their clients. This enables them to customize their interventions and counselling approaches to better meet the specific needs of individuals. The questionnaire provides a well-organized and systematic framework for evaluating and tackling these difficulties, thereby facilitating the development of effective strategies and interventions in the counselling process. The diverse sets of factors across different cultural settings highlight the need to consider cultural influences when assessing and interpreting.

ABSTRACTThis study examined the influence of a group career construction counselling intervention on the career decision-making difficulties of Tanzanian students. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select 35 high school participants from a single public school in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed and an intrinsic single-case, descriptive, intervention career design was implemented. An eight-week career construction counselling intervention was executed. The data were generated using different qualitative data sources. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the intervention enhanced most of the participants’ career decision-making capacity, bolstered participants’ psychological selves, improved their career adaptability, and bolstered their ability to make informed career decisions. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies in various contexts with different participants. Career construction counselling interventions for students of different ages and strategies to establish the long-term impact of these interventions should be devised.

Career development and decision-making are considered challenging processes among young migrants. Therefore, it is important to analyze the factors related to career decision-making among adolescent migrant returnees and adolescents without migration experience. Accordingly, this study aimed to compare the career decision-making status, parental support, school support, peer support, career self-efficacy, career outcome expectations, career goals, and the various dimensions of career maturity of migrant returnees with those of individuals without prior migration experience. The study also aimed to analyze the relationship and prediction level of career decision-making status vis-à-vis the aforementioned factors for both groups. A series of standardized measurement instruments was administered to 400 high school students in Kosovo. The results showed that most participants had chosen a career path, while those with migration experience showed higher scores regarding their confidence in their decision. Additionally, migrant returnees exhibited higher scores on all factors, compared with participants without migration experience. These differences were significant for parental support, school support, cognitive constructs, and career maturity. The association between the variables was higher among migrant returnees than among participants without migration experience. Parental support, school support, career self-efficacy, and all the dimensions of career maturity were predictive of career decision-making among migrant returnees. The study results are discussed within the context of the career decision-making process of young migrant returnees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and trait activation theory, this study investigated how and when career exploration affects career outcomes in early adulthood with an integrated conceptual framework. Data came from a two-wave survey of young Chinese adults (N = 239). This study examined a serial mediation model in which career exploration related to career satisfaction and person-job fit via career success criteria clarity (CSCC) and career decision making self-efficacy (CDSE) sequentially. Results showed, as expected, that more career exploration was related to higher career satisfaction and better person-job fit via higher career success criteria clarity and CDSE. In addition, results indicated that the indirect effect of career exploration on career outcomes becomes stronger when family socioeconomic status is lower. The current research provided insights into the underlying mechanisms between career exploration and career outcomes and the findings offered practical implications for both career educators and consultants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose – Research has been conducted to investigate the factors that influence career indecision. This study attempted to synthesize empirical research on career indecision to (1) find the common determinants over the last two decades and (2) find the factors/areas that need to be addressed for future research on career indecision. Design/methodology/approach – This study used the systematic literature review (SLR) methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Following the predetermined inclusion criteria, 118 articles from the Scopus database were included for review. Findings – From this research, the authors found four main determinants for career indecision, namely (1) career-related decision-making difficulties, (2) adolescent differences, (3) individual and situational career decision-making profiles (CDMPs) and (4) level of individual readiness for career choice, which have been researched in the last two decades. Additionally, eight factors/areas were found to be addressed in future research on career indecision which include those four common determinants, the other three determinants, namely (1) individual differences, (2) contextual/environmental factors, (3) social factors, and one outcome, subjective well-being. Research limitations/implications – The study had limitations in conducting this research, and the findings of the study provide some theoretical and future research implications. Practical implications – The seven determinants and the only outcome provide some implications for practitioners and policymakers. Originality/value – The study found seven determinants and one outcome of career indecision derived from empirical studies conducted during 2000–2021.

This study examined the relationship between career interests and career decision-making of grade 12 learners in township secondary schools in South Africa. The correlational survey research design was adopted. The sample size comprised 204 grade 12 learners selected from six township secondary schools. The career interest and career decision-making scales were used to collect data from the learners. The inferential statistics such as Pearson correlation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and regression analysis were used to analyse data. The results indicated that the correlation between enterprising career interest and career decision-making was established to be the strongest (r=0.535, n=204, p

The COVID -19 pandemic has highlighted various social, economic, psychological, financial, and physical challenges that learners encounter in South Africa. Learners continue to face challenges of ineffective and inaccurate career decisions when in secondary schools. This predicament makes them choose wrong careers leading to low level functioning in the later world of work. These challenges have continued to receive much attention in the media and in various policy documents. Learners continue to face challenges of ineffective and inaccurate career decisions when in secondary schools. The authors of this paper argue that one of the core functions of any education system is to prepare learners to become functional citizens who are self-sufficient in their chosen and preferred careers. We argue that one way to ensure learners’ success and contribution to society is by providing them with adequate and effective career counselling. It is against this background that this study explored the school-related challenges affecting career decision-making of Grade 12 learners in township secondary schools in Gauteng, South Africa. The Krumboltz Social Learning Theory of Career Development (SLTCD) served as the theoretical framework for this study. Within the interpretivist research paradigm, a qualitative multiple case study research design was adopted. Purposive and convenience sampling methods were used to select 23 Grade 12 learners from six township secondary schools in Gauteng East District. Semi-structured online interviews were used to collect data and was analysed thematically. The findings indicate that schools lack the infrastructure required to provide learners with proper career guidance and education. The lack of access to career information services and incorrect subject combinations meant that learners were unable to choose appropriate career paths post Grade 12. We recommend that the Department of Basic Education prioritise the training and up skilling of designated educators to become specialised career counsellors in township secondary schools.

Introduction: There is increasing recognition of the mental health burden of climate change and the effects on general well-being, even in those who have not (yet) experienced direct impacts. Climate anxiety, which is prominent among young people in particular, describes a state of heightened distress about the (future) effects of climate change. Despite evidence of a link between engagement in climate change issues and heightened climate anxiety, there is a dearth of knowledge on how this affects emerging professionals preparing for careers in the environmental sector. Furthermore, there is a paucity of literature regarding the extent to which young adults are coping with their thoughts and feelings about climate change, and the extent to which they consider climate change in making future plans. Methods: The aim of this study was to understand the occurrence and personal management of climate anxiety in UK university students through an online questionnaire. This study was the first to investigate the association between climate anxiety, coping strategies and future planning in university students. Results and discussion: Environmental degree students (n = 249) reported greater levels of climate anxiety, more frequent employment of all three examined coping strategies and in particular considered climate change as a factor in their career plans, as compared to their non-environmental degree counterparts (n = 224). Problem-focused coping was the most commonly endorsed strategy, although the prior literature on coping suggests that this may not be sustainable for individually intractable problems. Highly climate-anxious students were more likely to consider climate change in all five decision-making domains, including family planning, long-term habitation, career, financial and travel decisions. This study has identified a need to communicate effective climate anxiety coping strategies to environmental practitioners, university students and educators. Additional research is required to validate the study findings and investigate what motivates students to incorporate climate change into future plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual-process theory of career decision-making (DTC) adds to the conversation about understanding and facilitating career decision-making from a more realistic and inclusive perspective and highlights the joint operation of decision ambiguity and ambiguity management strategies in career decision-making. However, a psychometrically sound measure of decision ambiguity is lacking. Thus, the current study used two samples of U.S. college students to develop and initially validate a measure of decision ambiguity (CDMA). Study 1 (n = 195) developed the CDMA and found initial evidence for a unidimensional structure. Study 2 (n = 271) cross-validated the unidimensional structure of the CDMA and supported the convergent, discriminant, concurrent, and incremental validities of the CDMA. Specifically, the results supported (1) the differential associations of the CDMA with need for information and with neuroticism/negative affectivity, lack of readiness, and interpersonal conflicts, (2) the positive association between the CDMA and choice/commitment anxiety, and (3) the incremental predictions of the CDMA for career decidedness, career certainty, and major satisfaction over and beyond need for information. Therefore, the current study offers a psychometrically sound measure of decision ambiguity, which has potential to facilitate the scientific inquiry and social justice application of the DTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid escalating global environmental challenges, sustainability has crystallized as a central tenet in modern society. Understanding the integration of environmental sustainability in the career decisions of the nascent workforce holds substantial implications for businesses, educators, and policymakers. Through a confluence of quantitative survey techniques and qualitative deep-dive interviews, data were gathered from 1,200 recent university alumni across Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. Of those interviewed, 72.5% noted that environmental sustainability played a substantial, if not pivotal, role in their career determinations. Notably, those placing a premium on sustainability displayed an increased inclination towards industries and organizations intrinsically associated with environmental and social responsibility. This investigation, by offering both theoretical and empirical insights, pioneers the examination of the influence of environmental sustainability on career preferences from the lens of the emerging workforce. The insights proffered might enable corporations and recruitment firms to finely tune their talent acquisition strategies, aligning with the aspirations and ethos of the contemporary generation. Simultaneously, the results can guide educators and policymakers in refining vocational education and direction, ensuring alignment with societal sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of the research: The goal of the research is to adapt the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ; Gati et al., 1996) to a sample of Hungarian secondary-school students. Research method: The sample on which the questionnaire analysis was based included 507 Hungarian secondary-school students. Factor analysis was used in order to adapt the questionnaire and to determine the latent variables, that is, factors based on these correlations. With the help of this method, the number of original variables can be reduced and the original data described with the least possible information loss. To this end, the English-language measuring instrument was validated in this study. A short description of the context of the issue: The exploration of career decision-making difficulties is crucial for personal fulfilment, optimal career fit, improved decision-making skills, reduced uncertainty and anxiety, avoidance of career dissatisfaction, and long-term career development. By addressing these difficulties, individuals can make more informed and satisfying career choices that align with their unique strengths, values, and aspirations. Research findings: The study revealed that the factor structure of the CDDQ varies across different cultural contexts, a finding which suggests that cultural variations impact the underlying dimensions of the CDDQ. Conclusions and recommendations: The utilization of the CDDQ allows counsellors and practitioners to obtain valuable insights into the career decision-making difficulties experienced by their clients. This enables them to customize their interventions and counselling approaches to better meet the specific needs of individuals. The questionnaire provides a wellorganized and systematic framework for evaluating and tackling these difficulties, thereby facilitating the development of effective strategies and interventions in the counselling process. The diverse sets of factors across different cultural settings highlight the need to consider cultural influences when assessing and interpreting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gender dimension of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has intrigued social scientists for a long time. Although in India, women's entry to STEM higher education has been improving over the last few decades, the reality of premier institutions remains broadly unaltered. The current qualitative research was an attempt: (a) to explore the career-selection-related decision-making, (b) to detect whether gendered processes are evident in STEM research laboratories, and (c) to explore the psychological effects of gendered processes among female doctoral/postdoctoral researchers. This qualitative study relied on in-depth interviews with twenty female STEM academics pursuing doctoral or postdoctoral research in ten premier Indian institutions. A hybrid of theoretical and inductive thematic analysis has been used to analyse the qualitative data. The results revealed that the combination of individual (interest and self-efficacy) and contextual factors (parental support and role models) had impacted the researchers' decision to select and pursue higher studies in STEM. Furthermore, the current research shows that higher studies in STEM are characterised by the four defining features of gendering, i.e., gendered division of labour, gendered symbols, gendered identity, and gendered interactions (Acker, 1990). Gendering in STEM has led to self-doubt and diminished sense of belonging among the researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used semi-structured interviews to explore the career development process and influencing factors among eight Roma students. Following the analysis, eight areas emerged: 1) criteria for choosing a career option, 2) role models, 3) proactive personality, 4) support, 5) barriers, 6) work values, 7) critical consciousness, and 8) relevance of career guidance. The results show that the family is an essential source of moral support, role models, and persuasion in choosing certain educational and career options. Participants made decisions based on interests in certain areas and had work values predominantly related to prestige and appropriate financial rewards for their needs. All participants received support through positive measures and demonstrated a proactive personality in capitalizing on the support they received and overcoming the barriers they encountered, the most common being financial constraints. All students have a clear picture of how their ethnicity is perceived in society and the labor market and some of them are actively involved in improving the socio-economic context of young Roma.

While research has identified a five-factor model of career decision-making difficulty based on meta-analytical evidence and cross-cultural comparison, the field lacks an elaborated theoretical account of the joint operation of the five decision difficulties. The current study drew on the dual-process theory of career decision-making (DTC) to examine the interplay of the five decision difficulties in predicting career decidedness in the Chinese context. Study 1 developed and validated measures of decision ambiguity, advance in narrowing down, and career decidedness in a sample of Chinese college students (n = 180). Study 2 examined the structural model using another sample of Chinese college students (n = 408). Focusing on the relations of the five major decision difficulties to career decidedness, the results did not support the standalone mechanism of confusion management but supported the standalone mechanism of ambiguity management. Additionally, the results supported the crossover mechanism from confusion management to ambiguity management and the crossover mechanism from ambiguity management to confusion management. The results not only shed light on the role of each difficulty but also offer evidence for the interplay of key DTC macro elements. The practical implications based on the joint operation of the five decision-making difficulties are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career stress includes negative career experiences such as encountering career barriers, career indecision. This research aims to analyse and evaluate the protective factors against the career stress of senior university students with mixed-method research. For this purpose, an embedded design was used. A total of 353 individuals [AgeMean =23.55, AgeSd = 3.87], determined by sampling method, participated in the research. Data, Dispositional Hope Scale, Career Adaptabilities Scale, Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale, Career Stress Inventory, and Online Questionnaire were used. Structural equation modeling was used in quantitative data analysis. The content analysis technique was used for qualitative data analysis. As a result of the structural equation modeling analysis in quantitative findings, a protective structural model was obtained against the career stresses of senior university students. The participants revealed several ways to cope with career stress in qualitative findings. The study also examines hope, expectations for self-development, orientation towards activities that make senior students feel good, presence of those experiencing similar stress, positive inculcation, and evaluation of the effects of intrinsic/extrinsic motivators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students may present with career concerns that are interrelated with personality and psychological factors. Various authors have highlighted the need for career practitioners to take a holistic approach with clients seeking assistance. This research examined the intersection of personal and career characteristics, specifically personality and negative career thoughts. A total of 128 undergraduate students in five career course sections completed the NEO‐Five Factor Inventory and the Career Thoughts Inventory. A hierarchical multiple regression showed that 27.1% of the variability in negative career thoughts was explained by the combined effect of Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Personality factors had significant moderate correlations with specific aspects of negative thinking, including Decision‐Making Confusion (DMC) and Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. Commitment Anxiety (CA) was significantly correlated with Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. We discuss how the findings highlight the intersection of career and personality factors, and the implications for theory, practice, and future research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID -19 pandemic has highlighted various social, economic, psychological, financial, and physical challenges that learners encounter in South Africa. Learners continue to face challenges of ineffective and inaccurate career decisions when in secondary schools. This predicament makes them choose wrong careers leading to low level functioning in the later world of work. These challenges have continued to receive much attention in the media and in various policy documents. Learners continue to face challenges of ineffective and inaccurate career decisions when in secondary schools. The authors of this paper argue that one of the core functions of any education system is to prepare learners to become functional citizens who are self-sufficient in their chosen and preferred careers. We argue that one way to ensure learners' success and contribution to society is by providing them with adequate and effective career counselling. It is against this background that this study explored the school-related challenges affecting career decision-making of Grade 12 learners in township secondary schools in Gauteng, South Africa. The Krumboltz Social Learning Theory of Career Development (SLTCD) served as the theoretical framework for this study. Within the interpretivist research paradigm, a qualitative multiple case study research design was adopted. Purposive and convenience sampling methods were used to select 23 Grade 12 learners from six township secondary schools in Gauteng East District. Semi-structured online interviews were used to collect data and was analysed thematically. The findings indicate that schools lack the infrastructure required to provide learners with proper career guidance and education. The lack of access to career information services and incorrect subject combinations meant that learners were unable to choose appropriate career paths post Grade 12. We recommend that the Department of Basic Education prioritise the training and up skilling of designated educators to become specialised career counsellors in township secondary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]