Trajectories of Calling in the Transition from University to Work: A Growth Mixture Analysis

Abstract

Research on the development of calling is still in its infancy and rarely focused on how calling changes during a major career transition. The current study examined the developmental trajectories of calling and its personality antecedents in the transition from university to work with a three-wave longitudinal study with 340 Chinese graduating university students. Results based on growth mixture modeling indicated three developmental trajectories of calling: high calling and stable (23% of sample), high calling but decreasing (74), and low calling and increasing (3%). Moreover, higher conscientiousness related to a higher chance of being classified into the high calling and stable trajectory. These findings add notable insights to the literature by exploring the previously neglected developmental trajectories of calling and its personality antecedents in the transition from university to work.