Career Development Goals Research Articles

Career Planning

Abstract Career planning initiatives among university and college students stand as pivotal mechanisms for equipping individuals with the essential skills and direction needed to navigate their professional journeys. This study explores career planning and the importance of studying it in higher education for students. The research delves into the positive impacts, such as enhanced decision-making skills, increased career clarity, job satisfaction, academic performance improvement, and a culture of professional growth and adaptability. Career planning refers to the process in which an individual establishes career development goals, chooses a career, formulates corresponding education, training, and work plans, and takes necessary actions to achieve career goals while taking into account personal qualities and the external environment.

The antecedents, outcomes and mediating role of inclusion at work

PurposeThe current study heeds prior calls to test the hypothesis that perceptions of inclusion mediate the relationship between inclusive practices and employee outcomes.Design/methodology/approachUsing responses from 3,367 employees drawn from three time-separated surveys administered between 2020 and 2022 within a large retail fashion chain, structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to examine the mediating role of perceptions of inclusion connecting inclusion’s antecedents and outcomes. Exploratory multigroup SEM and relative weights analysis was conducted to examine the relative contribution of each antecedent of perceptions of inclusion across racial/ethnic groups.FindingsWe identified manager support, career support, organizational support, transparency, and employee recognition as antecedents of perceptions of inclusion, as well as work engagement, organizational commitment, and intent to stay as outcomes of perceptions of inclusion. Recognition indirectly relates to employee outcomes via perceptions of inclusion, but we did not find evidence of mediation for the other antecedents. Exploratory analyses suggest that career support and employee recognition are the most predictive antecedents of perceptions of inclusion overall. However, there are racial/ethnic group differences regarding which inclusive practices most contribute to perceptions of inclusion.Originality/valueResults uncover several directions for future research and suggest that to truly make employees feel both included and unique at work, organizations should focus on supporting employees' career development goals and recognizing their valuable contributions.

Research on Career Planning Education for College Students

Career planning refers to the process in which an individual establishes career development goals, chooses a career, formulates corresponding education, training, and work plans, and takes necessary actions to achieve career goals while taking into account personal qualities and the external environment. This study analyzes the status quo and problems of career planning among college students and puts forward specific strategies to improve the career planning of college students.

民办高校辅导员开展大学生职业生涯规划实现路径研究

With the rapid development of education in China, higher education is presented with new opportunities and challenges. Providing effective career planning education for college students has become paramount to ensure their employability and help them define their learning objectives. University counselors play a crucial role as guides along the path of students’ growth. In managing the academic journey of private college students, counselors must prioritize the value of career planning education. To achieve this, counselors need to consider the unique aspects of college students’ professional and career development goals, all while fulfilling their fundamental mission of fostering character and talent. Establishing a harmonious teacher-student relationship is essential. Currently, private university counselors encounter several challenges when delivering career planning education to students. These challenges primarily revolve around the need to enhance their proficiency in career planning education, the necessity to align career planning education more closely with students’ professional interests, the diversification of educational approaches, and the promotion of active student involvement. In this new era, private university counselors must emphasize the development of their career planning guidance skills while conducting career planning education for college students. They should integrate these skills with their professional expertise to make career planning education more engaging and effective, encouraging students’ independent participation, especially in the context of the online information environment.

The Mediating Role of Psychological Well-being Between Social Media Use and Academic Performance Among University Students: What is the Importance of Student Mental Health?

Objectives: Students at higher education institutes are facing the issue of mental health and psychological well-being highlighting the importance of health behavior. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the relationship among social media use, self-regulation, and career development goals of university students on their psychological well-being and academic performance along with the direct effect of mental health on academic performance. Moreover, we also examined the mediating role of psychological well-being. Methods: We collected data through questionnaires from 250 students enrolled in universities using random sampling technique. The usable response rate was 70.19%. We examined the data using PLS-SEM through PLS-3.3.9. Results: Psychological well-being was significantly affected by social media use, self-regulation, and career development goals. Also, psychological well-being had a positive significant effect on students' academic performance. Conclusions: These findings also confirm the mediating role of psychological well-being as well. We present the implications and limitations of the study.

Supporting the career development of Black adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractIn this pilot study, Black adults (N = 15) in a large Midwestern city who were economically impacted by the pandemic completed three career development webinars. The study examined how completing three career development webinars improved participants’ perceptions of career search efficacy and helped participants progress toward their career development goals. Results of a linear regression indicated a significant positive increase in post‐test career search efficacy scores. Results of the thematic analysis revealed four themes: career development knowledge, career development confidence, entrepreneurship, and exploring career interests. Implications for counselors and counselor educators are discussed.

Factors Affecting the Competence of Quantity Surveying Professionals in Zimbabwe

The increased complexity of construction projects necessitates the need for quantity surveying professionals to achieve and maintain the highest levels of competency. However, various factors have inhibited their expected professional practice aptitude. Hence, this study reported on the factors affecting the competency of surveying professionals. A questionnaire-based descriptive survey strategy was undertaken to collect quantitative data from both consultant quantity surveyors and contractor quantity surveyors on the factors that influence their competence. The factor analysis revealed four significant components, including inadequate project and professional practice, inadequate academic and technological advances, inadequate organisational structure and teamwork and unclear individual career development goals. In addition, an assessment of the statistically significant differences based on the ranking by consultant and contractor quantity surveyors was undertaken. Contractor quantity surveyors consider inadequate polytechnic education and training, inconsistent project implementation strategies and unclear organisation development goals as impacting most negatively on the competence of quantity surveying professionals. This finding reveals a need to establish collaboration between higher education institutions and professional bodies for the development and implementation of relevant strategic plans to resolve these inadequacies. Also, organisational development goals and project implementation strategies are relevant and important for contractors as opposed to firm consultants. The withdrawal of primary data from quantity surveying professionals was the only limitation; however, the factors primarily affecting quantity surveyors and their insights are vital.

Самоменеджмент в контексті розвитку професійної кар’єри державних службовців

In the article, the author reveals important aspects of the modern paradigm of the development of public administration, which requires new approaches to solving the problems of professionalization of the public service. The author attaches great importance to the issue of effective career development management of civil servants. After all, for modern Ukraine, which is under martial law as a result of Russia's large-scale war on the territory of Ukraine, this problem takes on special importance in the perspective of obtaining the status of a candidate country for EU membership.
 In recent years, ideas about career have changed fundamentally, in particular, it is perceived as an opportunity to realize one's own professional development, to use personal reserves (potentials) for real awareness of one's abilities. According to the author, it is in the process of professional development of civil servants that the issue of career planning skills formation is actualized, which is implemented in determining career development goals and ways to achieve them.
 The author actualizes the attention of scientists on professional career development, they refer the actions of employees to implement their plan as a planning and management of career development, which brings a number of advantages to both the official himself and the organization in which he works.
 The author emphasizes that the problem of ensuring the interaction of professional and intra-organizational careers is of particular importance in the professional activity of civil servants. This interaction requires the fulfillment of a number of tasks: achieving the interdependence of the goals of a state institution/organization and an individual civil servant; ensuring orientation of career planning to a specific civil servant in order to take into account his personal needs; ensuring the transparency of the career management process; creation of clear criteria for professional development; examination of the professional potential of civil servants, etc.

Adapting an Undergraduate Summer Internship to a Virtual Format: Implementing a Mentored Cancer Research Experience to Meet Rising Demand for Flexible Learning Environments.

To meet the rising demand for flexible learning in data-driven health research, we adapted an in-person undergraduate research program (Quantitative Sciences Undergraduate Research Experience (QSURE)) to an all-virtual framework in summer 2020 and 2021. We used Web-conferencing and remote computing to implement virtual hands-on research training within a comprehensive cancer center. We designed the program to achieve research and career development goals: students completed faculty-mentored quantitative research projects and received education in the responsible conduct of research and practical skills, such as oral and written presentation. We assessed virtual program efficacy using pre- and post-program quantitative and qualitative student feedback. Eighteen students participated (nine each year); they reported high satisfaction with the virtual format. Compared with baseline, students reported improved perceived competence in quantitative skills and research knowledge post-program; these improvements were comparable to the in-person program. Defined benchmarks and consistent communication (with mentors, program directors, other students) were crucial to students' success; however, students noted challenges in building camaraderie online. With adequate resources, Web-based technology can be leveraged as an effective format for hands-on quantitative research training. Our framework can be tailored to an institution's needs, particularly those for which available resources better align with a virtual research program.

Prediction and Influencing Factors of College Students' Career Planning Based on Big Data Mining

College students' career planning refers to the process of establishing their own career development goals based on the analysis of their own subjective and objective factors, searching for a career, and taking necessary actions to achieve their career goals. Career planning is an important aspect of human resource management, and it is a new trend in recent research to use the theory and method of psychology to study it. This project understands the current situation of contemporary college students' career planning through investigation and finds the common problems in career planning among college graduates. Systematic analysis of these problems can be used as the research premise to study college students' career planning, help college students to make correct self-assessment and career orientation, improve their self-awareness and evaluation ability, and form a good career self. In the research, the author found that, in the guidance of college students' career development direction, it is necessary to predict the future career development direction of college students. Effective prediction methods can provide objective and simple data support and theoretical basis for educators to help them implement education guidance smoothly. Therefore, this paper has carried out a series of research work. The author firstly analyzes the problems existing in the process of college career education, then analyzes the relevant theories and common methods of educational data mining and the dimension analysis of the influencing factors of college students' career development direction, so as to determine the research dimension of this paper, and then carries out the relevant research such as the modeling of prediction model, the implementation of algorithm, and the case test of prediction method. According to the above research, the author draws the following conclusions: the grey prediction algorithm has better performance in small- and medium-sized data prediction. Based on the comprehensive quality evaluation data, the prediction conclusion is more objective and accurate. However, there are still some shortcomings in the algorithm design in this study. In the future research, we can try to adjust the relevant parameters through more data and more experimental verification, so as to further optimize the algorithm.

Collaboration among vocational rehabilitation and mental health leaders: Supporting the vocational success of transition-age youth with serious mental health conditions

BACKGROUND: The ability of vocational rehabilitation, adult mental health and child mental health service systems to collaborate regarding the employment and career development goals of transition-age youth has not been explored nor has attention been paid to strategies that would increase this collaboration. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study asks leaders from these three systems to describe collaborative activities that support better vocational services for transition-age youth with serious mental health conditions and discuss barriers and facilitators to collaboration. METHODS: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 formal and informal leaders in vocational rehabilitation (n = 16), child mental health (n = 13), and adult mental health (n = 10) systems as part of a larger study of interorganizational relationships. RESULTS: A primary barrier was lack of knowledge about the services and policies of each other’s systems. Another barrier was differences in philosophy about employment and the special needs of transition-age youth with mental health needs. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to specific activities that would encourage greater interaction across three systems, results underscore the need for the child mental health system and vocational rehabilitation system to increase their involvement with and knowledge about one another. This would include training child mental health providers about employment and career development services, vocational rehabilitation providers about the role of mental health in the youngest workers, and both being involved in transition-planning that directly addresses vocational goals and support needs.

Enhancing Graduate Attributes through Work-Integrated Learning: Students’ Perspective

Work-integrated learning inspires students to embrace prospective future careers, thereby contributing to economic innovation and growth. Universities must incorporate work-integrated learning into the curricula to promote students’ personal and career development goals. It enables students to integrate theory and practice and to assess their experiential learning as well as exposing them to the world of work. This study investigates the contribution of work-integrated learning to enhancing graduate attributes of industrial design students at the University of Botswana. Few in-depth studies have assessed how work-integrated learning enhances the graduate attributes of industrial design students. A case study was conducted with 21 University of Botswana industrial design students. The results were based on students self-reporting after undertaking a 14-week work-integrated learning experience. The participants reported that 98% of the graduate attributes were positively attained. Teamwork and adaptability were the top two graduate attributes that were perceived to have been attained. The results suggest that work-integrated learning enables students to learn by doing, which enhances personal and professional graduate attributes important to gain employment and succeed in the workplace. Consequently, institutions of higher learning must review their teaching and learning pedagogies to align them with the needs of the work environment, civic engagement and the fourth industrial revolution to produce technically and professionally competent graduates. The curriculum review should also foster a decolonial and transformative lens in higher education in the Global South

Development and assessment of a nationwide, cross-discipline women faculty mentoring program

IntroductionProfessional health care associations present a unique opportunity for formal mentorship programs, with membership often spanning a variety of experiences, professional ranks, and institutions. However, scarce literature describes the role of professional associations in the development and assessment of mentoring programs. This paper describes development of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Women Faculty Special Interest Group (SIG) mentoring program and characterizes the impact of the program. MethodsThe task force collaboratively developed the mission, vision, and structure of the mentoring program, posted the program description on the SIG's electronic forum, and called for mentors and mentees via an online survey asking for matching preferences. The task force reviewed responses and designated matches. Participants were emailed match information and a guidance document. The program was assessed at three, six, and 12 months via electronic survey. ResultsThe program matched 43 mentors with 77 mentees, with each mentor assigned one to three mentees. At the three- and six-month assessments, 89% and 87% of respondents, respectively, indicated they had met with their mentor/mentee. At the 12-month assessment, 86% of mentor respondents and 80% of mentee respondents stated the mentoring program met their needs/expectations. Career goal development, work/life integration, and difficult work situations were the most frequently discussed topics. Most participants stated they would continue to serve as a mentor/mentee in a future cycle and recommend other faculty members participate. ConclusionsResults from three-, six-, and 12-month assessments indicated a positive impact of developing a nationwide, organizational, cross-discipline mentoring program.

Federal Work‐Study Student Perceptions of Career Readiness

University programming seeks to facilitate career development in a variety of ways. Federal Work‐Study (FWS) participation, similar to internships, provides practical experience and potential career development benefits. Over 3 academic years (2016–2019), 1,752 Qualtrics surveys were completed by work‐study students (77% female, 55% White) at the end of each academic year at one university. Three years of data suggest a positive influence of FWS on the growth of National Association of Colleges and Employers career readiness competencies. These data suggest that postsecondary education can construct FWS opportunities with intentional career development goals. Future research should examine a range of career development outcomes in quasi‐experimental designs and unpack the mechanisms within FWS (e.g., supervisor training, matching work assignment to career aspirations) that maximize career growth.

Integrating Culturally Responsive Group Work in Schools to Foster the Development of Career Aspirations among Marginalized Youth

ABSTRACT Marginalized youth face many barriers in the development of career aspirations, despite the fact that career development training is a crucial part of school curricula and ethical mandates. This article provides a conceptual framework for the role of culturally responsive small-group work in promoting the development of career goals among students, especially marginalized youth. Small-group work serves as an effective approach for the facilitation of social well-being, social connectedness, and self-motivation as important aspects of career development. The authors conclude with key recommendations for improving the effectiveness of research on culturally responsive small-group work in schools.

Coaching for the pediatric anesthesiologist: Becoming our best selves.

Anesthesiologists must balance demanding clinical workloads with career development goals. Leadership, conflict management, and other skills can improve medical outcomes, reduce stress at work, and increase career satisfaction. However, Medicine in general and Anesthesiology in particular have not traditionally emphasized physician growth in these areas. Coaching utilizes concepts from psychology, adult learning, and adult development theory to support an individual in personal and professional growth through inquiry, reflection, and shared discovery. This manuscript reviews the history and evidence basis for coaching, differentiates coaching from traditional mentorship, and presents some constructs of coaching and working with a coach. An example of a successful pilot program to disseminate coaching skills and support leadership growth among anesthesiologists, the Women's Empowerment and Leadership Initiative within the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, is described.

Job, career or calling

Our current job market identifies 3 distinct groups when studying an employee’s career development goals: the job, the career, or the calling. Every employee fits into one of these categories regardless of age, gender, tenure or skill. Experts have identified an equal 3-way split between said groups, with one-third of employees representing each group.
 As employers, it is our job to identify an employee’s position in these groupings and engage them accordingly. While some employees will be content to remain within their current grouping, others, if presented with appropriate guidance, can be motivated to progress upward through the groups. Our goal as employers is to help the employee succeed in this mission.
 To assist with this mission, a system known as “Job Crafting” can be utilized. Job crafting is the use of an autonomy technique which encourages self-management; this means the employee creates a job description that is personalized to their strengths and interests. This design yields a more engaged employee as well as improved job satisfaction, which in turn potentiates the progression from a job, to a career and finally to a calling.

The Interaction Between Protean Career Orientation, Career Goal Development and Well-being Outcomes: Evidence from Professional Engineers

Experiencing strong personal development and growth are important for engineers, compared to professionals in other fields. Nevertheless, if career goal development behaviour is not present in sufficient quantities, engineers would be at risk if their own goals and expectations are not aligned with the companies they are working for. As a result, it may have a negative impact on their well-being. In this article, a sample of professional engineers (N=387) were utilised to examine the relationship between protean career orientation towards career goal development, career satisfaction and psychological well-being and to examine the mediating effect of career goal development between protean career orientation toward career satisfaction and psychological well-being. The research model was tested using the goal setting theory. The results of a partial least square (PLS) regression demonstrated that protean career orientation had a positive effect towards career goal development; subsequently career goal development had a positive effect on career satisfaction and psychological well-being. On the other hand, career goal development was found not to mediate the relationship between protean career orientation towards career satisfaction and psychological well-being. Based on the findings, this research suggests employers and industries encourage their unlicensed engineers to register as graduate engineers, so that later they can upgrade themselves to professional engineers’ status, as eventually this would help them to experience their job in a more meaningful way, and consequently increase their work happiness.

Supporting the information gathering practices of academically advanced college‐bound students

AbstractFor academically advanced college‐bound students, decisions about where to apply, and ultimately, where to enroll are influenced by a wide range of factors. One key factor in the decision‐making process is access to quality information about universities. This qualitative descriptive study used semistructured interviews with 10 high school seniors to explore the research practices academically advanced high school students used as they formed initial choice sets and subsequently eliminated options in the college decision‐making process. Participants in this study primarily researched the availability of academic support, career development opportunities, and peer support. These students used online sources, word of mouth, campus visits, and university contacts to find answers to specific questions about school culture. These findings suggest a need for counselors and school psychologists to help students access credible college information sources and to provide support for students as they evaluate that information in light of academic, social, and career development goals.

Becoming University Language Teachers in South Korea: The Application of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Social Cognitive Career Theory

Due to the developments of globalisation, the international reputation, the entertainment industry, and Korean pop culture, a large number of language teachers, international schoolteachers, and professional school staff decided to travel to South Korea for career development and enhancement. However, due to a constant shortage of teachers through high turnover, many South Korean schools and universities are facing recruitment issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate two problems. Why do individuals decide to come to South Korea as foreign language university teachers, and how do individuals describe their teaching experiences as foreign language teachers at one of the university teaching and learning environments in South Korea. From the perspective of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the results indicated that all participants travelled to South Korea for financial and career development goals. Also, all faced negative experiences and discrimination due to their skin colours and nationalities. The researcher hopes the appropriate personnel can take this study as an opportunity to improve and enhance their current workplace and community for a better environment and development.