Career Development Strategies as Moderators Between Career Compromise and Career Outcomes in Emerging Adults

Abstract

We surveyed 130 first year university students (80% female; mean age 20.5 years), and assessed (a) the level of career compromise they reported between their ideal and enrolled university programs, (b) their career-related strategies, (c) their perceptions of employability, and (d) their career-related distress. We tested a model that proposed that career compromise would predict perceptions of employability and career distress, and that the effects of compromise would be moderated by the career-related strategies. Two strategies, seeking career guidance and self-presentation, moderated the relationship between compromise and career distress. There was no moderated effect for perceptions of employability, although compromise was directly associated with these perceptions. Thus, while compromise may be a normal aspect of career development, it was associated with more career distress when career development strategies were low, and associated directly with more negative employment perceptions. Practitioners might assist with career compromise by enhancing career development strategies.

Evaluation of a Goal Orientation Model of Vocational Identity

“…Young adults enter university and commit to a pathway that might not be their preferred choice, but is the program available to them. When they commence their course, they might not like it, might not do well at it, or might perceive that later occupational avenues are limited or not as desirable as originally thought (Creed & Hughes, 2012). Such insights and doubts can develop as a result of university experiences and personal maturation processes and can be related to dissatisfaction that the outcomes are not what were anticipated.…”

To Explore the Research and Development Competence and School-to-Work Transition for Hospitality Students

“…In Savickas' (1999) perspective, career consultation can raise the undergraduates' self-consciousness, goals, confidence, planning skills and positive adaption to career requirements. As for other scholars, proper career preparations can successfully foster the adaptive ability in transitioning from school to work since better preparations can help an individual succeed in looking for and finding employment opportunities as well as improving the results of their work/ careers (Creed & Hughes, 2013;Hirschi, Niles & Akos, 2011). Therefore, we can generalize that good occupational adaptation can raise the possibility of finding a suitable job, achieving success in position promotion, and even obtaining good general welfare (Hartung & Taber, 2008;Hirschi, 2010).…”

When do university students and graduates know what careers they want: A research-derived framework

“…Creed and Hughes (2012) analysed the relationship between various career survey instruments completed by 130 first-year university students at one Australian institution. Their main findings were that career compromise (e.g., acceptance into a degree program that was not first choice) increased career distress and decreased perceptions of employability, but that supportive strategies such as career guidance and increasing self-presentation skills can buffer these effects (see also Sornapooman & Fyfe, 2015).…”

“…Statistical analysis of instruments showed a positive relationship between career guidance, vocational self-concept and self-perceived employability, leading the researchers to conclude that universities should support career development, emphasising information about graduate occupations. Similar to Creed and Hughes (2012), the research methodology was to use psychometric instruments and did not inquire further into why the students chose science, what occupational choices they were making for graduate careers, and how they arrived at these decisions.…”