Career adaptability as a predictor of job search intentions and career readiness in the UAE

Abstract

This study examined the career construction theory in an Arab Middle Eastern context by assessing the effects of career adaptability on job search intentions and career readiness of young adults. Given the widespread interest of researchers and career counselors in the career construction theory and the career adapt-abilities scale (CAAS) recently, it is believed that the CAAS has a potential to be used as a tool for internationalization of career development research and practice. The current paper contributes to the existing literature in this field by 1) validating the Arabic version of the CAAS scale, and 2) examining the effects of career adaptability on job search intentions and career readiness of young adults. Using data from a sample of 635 senior students at two universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this study found that the CAAS-Arabic Form is valid in this context. The findings indicate that career adaptability has a positive impact on two measures of career readiness including career decidedness and perceived employability. The findings also indicate that career adaptability, as expected, predicted two relevant career adaptive responses in this context including intentions to seek Wasta and willingness to work in the private sector (WWPS). We further found that WWPS mediates the relationship between career adaptability and perceived employability. Theoretical and practical implications of these finding are discussed.