The purpose of this study was to develop a Korean Career Indecision Inventory (K-CII) applicable to Korean university students. A total procedure of five steps was conducted to develop and validate the scale. The K-CII comprises five factors: Lack of Career Information, Lack of Necessity Recognition, Lack of Self-Identity, Indecisiveness, and External Barrier. The External Barrier includes the items of financial difficulty, parents, the tendency for academy cliques to dominate, and age, representing factors specific to Korean culture. The same five factors consistently emerged in Steps 2, 3, and 5. In addition, the results of the confirmatory factor analysis in Step 3 showed that the five-factor solution had a good fit to the data. Internal consistency reliabilities and test-retest reliabilities showed that the K-CII was reasonably reliable. The K-CII factors were significantly related to similar constructs such as decidedness and certainty factors of career maturity, supporting the convergent validity. The K-CII total score and factors also showed significant correlations with various mental health variables, supporting the criterion-related validity of the K-CII. Finally, the implications of the results and the need for future studies were pointed out.

This study set to provide an age- and culturally-appropriate measure of career calling for Korean young adults. We conducted a literature review and identified a suitable, 15-item Career Calling Scale for Emerging Adults. We translated all items into Korean, back-translated into English, and verified for accuracy. An exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors reflecting those of the original scale ( other-oriented meaning, active engagement, and personal meaning; Stage 1; N = 152), and a confirmatory factor analysis supported that these loaded on a higher order factor of career calling (Stage 2; N = 260). The scale showed good internal consistency, and scale validity was supported by finding positive correlations with well-being and a second measure of career calling and a negative correlation with career indecision. The findings support our argument that career calling, viewed as a salient and meaningful career goal, is a relevant concept for Korean young adults.