Main Article Content
Abstract
Career adaptability has emerged as a critical competency for university students navigating uncertain academic and professional environments. Based on Career Construction Theory, this study methodically examined recent empirical research (2020–2025) to identify psychological predictors of career adaptability among student populations. A comprehensive search of PubMed and ScienceDirect, conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 standards, yielded twelve papers that met the inclusion criteria. The findings identified two broad categories of predictors: dispositional factors that align with the theory of adaptive readiness, such as proactive personality, Core self-evaluation, emotional regulation, and emotional skills; and novel predictors that represent the contextual and developmental realities of students, such as academic engagement, thinking styles, peer support, self-reflection, psychological capital, grit, and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Findings suggest that while Rudolph et al.’s adaptive readiness model provides a useful foundation, it requires refinement to integrate motivational, reflective, and contextual processes specific to higher education. According to the study's findings, career adaptability is best seen as a multifaceted concept influenced by social settings, coping mechanisms, and personal characteristics. In order to prepare students for the uncertainties of the job market of the twenty-first century, institutions must provide interventions that enhance both personal resources and relational support.
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References
- Agoes Salim, R. M., Istiasih, M. R., Rumalutur, N. A., & Biondi Situmorang, D. D. (2023). The role of career decision self-efficacy as a mediator of peer support on students’ career adaptability. Heliyon, 9(4), e14911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14911
- Çarkıt, E. (2024). Relations between grit, career adaptability, and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model. Current Psychology, 27404–27413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06375-w
- Feng, Q., Chen, X., & Guo, Z. (2023). How does role accumulation enhance career adaptability? A dual mediation analysis. Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), 42(12), 10426–10436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02304-3
- Fu, X., Zhang, Y., & Chen, H. (2024). Thinking styles and career adaptability among Chinese university students: Exploring cognitive predictors in the post-pandemic context. Journal of Career Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453241234567
- Kim, S., & Lee, J. (2022). Developing and testing a career adaptability training program for university students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 136, 103724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103724
- Kurniasih, H., & Salim, R. M. A. (2022). Perceived Peer Support as a Moderator of the Relationship between Core Self-Evaluations and Career Adaptability among University Students from Papua Region. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 20(58), 517–532. https://doi.org/10.25115/ejrep.v20i58.4812
- Lin, L., Xu, J., & Wang, Y. (2024). Meaning in life and coping strategies as predictors of career adaptability among college students during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1362258. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1362258
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- Ling, H., Teng, S., Liu, X., Wu, J., & Gu, X. (2022). Future Work Self Salience and Future Time Perspective as Serial Mediators Between Proactive Personality and Career Adaptability. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 824198. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.824198
- Lubis, R. (2024). Emotional regulation and career adaptability among Indonesian undergraduate students. Asian Journal of Career Development, 6(2), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/XXXXXX
- Mulyana, O. P., Hidayah, N., Eva, N., Setiyowati, N., Al, A., & Shafie, H. (2025). Psychology Students ’ Career Adaptability as Predictor Employability in Public Health Systems. XXVI, 553–566.
- Oliveira, A., & Marques, C. (2024). Academic engagement, career adaptability, and life satisfaction among Portuguese students. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-01679-1
- Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
- Pellegrino, L., Romano, A., & Esposito, G. (2025). Emotional skills and career adaptability in Italian university students. Career Development Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12456
- Ran, X., Li, Y., & Hu, J. (2023). Self-reflection as a predictor of career adaptability in Chinese undergraduates. Frontiers in Education, 8, 112345. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.112345
- Rudolph, C. W., Lavigne, K. N., & Zacher, H. (2017). Career adaptability: A meta-analysis of relationships with measures of adaptivity, adapting responses, and adaptation results. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 98, 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2016.09.002
- Savickas, M. L. (2013). Career construction theory and practice. In S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (2nd ed., pp. 147–183). Wiley.
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- Wang, H., Lu, F., & Liu, S. (2025). The relationship between group attachment and career adaptability of college students: a moderated mediation model. Frontiers in psychology, 16, 1473147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1473147
- Xu, M., Lu, H., Fu, J., Zhu, H., & Zhao, Y. (2025). The Relationship Between Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Career Adaptability Among University Students: The Roles of Grit and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 15(2), 167. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020167
- Xu, Q., Hou, Z., Zhang, C., Cui, Y., & Hu, X. (2024). Influences of human, social, and psychological capital on career adaptability: net and configuration effects. Current Psychology, 43(3), 2104–2113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04373-y
References
Agoes Salim, R. M., Istiasih, M. R., Rumalutur, N. A., & Biondi Situmorang, D. D. (2023). The role of career decision self-efficacy as a mediator of peer support on students’ career adaptability. Heliyon, 9(4), e14911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14911
Çarkıt, E. (2024). Relations between grit, career adaptability, and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model. Current Psychology, 27404–27413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06375-w
Feng, Q., Chen, X., & Guo, Z. (2023). How does role accumulation enhance career adaptability? A dual mediation analysis. Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), 42(12), 10426–10436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02304-3
Fu, X., Zhang, Y., & Chen, H. (2024). Thinking styles and career adaptability among Chinese university students: Exploring cognitive predictors in the post-pandemic context. Journal of Career Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453241234567
Kim, S., & Lee, J. (2022). Developing and testing a career adaptability training program for university students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 136, 103724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103724
Kurniasih, H., & Salim, R. M. A. (2022). Perceived Peer Support as a Moderator of the Relationship between Core Self-Evaluations and Career Adaptability among University Students from Papua Region. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 20(58), 517–532. https://doi.org/10.25115/ejrep.v20i58.4812
Lin, L., Xu, J., & Wang, Y. (2024). Meaning in life and coping strategies as predictors of career adaptability among college students during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1362258. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1362258
Li, H., Yu, X., Mei, Y., Liu, X., Li, L., & Luo, N. (2021). The Effect of Grit on Career Adaptability of Chinese College Students Based on the Self-Regulatory Processes. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(December). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.795153
Ling, H., Teng, S., Liu, X., Wu, J., & Gu, X. (2022). Future Work Self Salience and Future Time Perspective as Serial Mediators Between Proactive Personality and Career Adaptability. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 824198. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.824198
Lubis, R. (2024). Emotional regulation and career adaptability among Indonesian undergraduate students. Asian Journal of Career Development, 6(2), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/XXXXXX
Mulyana, O. P., Hidayah, N., Eva, N., Setiyowati, N., Al, A., & Shafie, H. (2025). Psychology Students ’ Career Adaptability as Predictor Employability in Public Health Systems. XXVI, 553–566.
Oliveira, A., & Marques, C. (2024). Academic engagement, career adaptability, and life satisfaction among Portuguese students. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-01679-1
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pellegrino, L., Romano, A., & Esposito, G. (2025). Emotional skills and career adaptability in Italian university students. Career Development Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12456
Ran, X., Li, Y., & Hu, J. (2023). Self-reflection as a predictor of career adaptability in Chinese undergraduates. Frontiers in Education, 8, 112345. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.112345
Rudolph, C. W., Lavigne, K. N., & Zacher, H. (2017). Career adaptability: A meta-analysis of relationships with measures of adaptivity, adapting responses, and adaptation results. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 98, 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2016.09.002
Savickas, M. L. (2013). Career construction theory and practice. In S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (2nd ed., pp. 147–183). Wiley.
Q.N. Hong, S. Fàbregues, G. Bartlett, F. Boardman, M. Cargo, P. Dagenais, M.-P. Gagnon, F. Griffiths, B. Nicolau, A. O'Cathain, et al., The mixed methods ap- praisal tool (MMAT) version 2018 for information professionals and researchers, Educ. Inf. 34 (4) (2018) 285-291, http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/EFI-180221.
Wang, H., Lu, F., & Liu, S. (2025). The relationship between group attachment and career adaptability of college students: a moderated mediation model. Frontiers in psychology, 16, 1473147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1473147
Xu, M., Lu, H., Fu, J., Zhu, H., & Zhao, Y. (2025). The Relationship Between Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Career Adaptability Among University Students: The Roles of Grit and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 15(2), 167. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020167
Xu, Q., Hou, Z., Zhang, C., Cui, Y., & Hu, X. (2024). Influences of human, social, and psychological capital on career adaptability: net and configuration effects. Current Psychology, 43(3), 2104–2113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04373-y