An Empirical Study on the Effects of an AI Career Guidance System on University Students’ Career-Decision Self-Efficacy, Career Adaptability, and Employability
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of an AI-based career guidance system in enhancing university students’ career-decision self-efficacy (CDSE), career adaptability (CA), and employability (EM). A total of 70 students participated, with 35 assigned to an experimental group (EG) that used the AI system and 35 to a control group (CG) that received no intervention. The AI system delivered personalized career assessments, targeted feedback, and mock interview simulations. Over an eight-week intervention, a pre-post design was implemented, and data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests, independent t-tests, and ANCOVAs. The results showed significant improvements in CDSE, CA, and EM among the EG compared to the CG. Qualitative feedback further revealed students’ positive perceptions of the system’s personalization, accessibility, and skill-building value, though some expressed a preference for human interaction. These findings demonstrate the potential of AI-guided interventions to support critical career competencies and suggest their value as scalable tools within university career services.
Article Details
Issue
Section

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Ahrari, S., Zaremohzzabieh, Z., Abdullah, R., 2024. AI-enhanced youth career guidance by mapping future employment paths with theory and practical application, in: Exploring Youth Studies in the Age of AI. IGI Global, pp. 129–139.
AlWahaibi, I.S.H., AlHadabi, D.A.M.Y.A., AlKharusi, H.A.T., 2020. Cohen’s Criteria for Interpreting Practical Significance Indicators: A Critical Study. Cypriot J. Educ. Sci. 15, 246–258.
Ameliah, A.D., Jatnika, R., 2024. Descriptive Study of College Student’s Career Adaptability with An Internship Experience. Ann. Hum. Resour. Manag. Res. 4, 1–11.
Assahrawiza, A., Afdal, A., Hariko, R., 2024. Career Guidance Services in an Effort to Improve Self Efficacy of Vocational High School Students. Educ. Guid. Couns. Dev. J. 7, 113–122.
Bandura, A., 1977. Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol. Rev. 84, 191.
Berniak-Woźny, J., Plebańska, M., Wójcik-Jurkiewicz, M., others, 2023. University students’ perception of employability and workability skills for the workplace in the digital era. Sci. J. Bielsko-Biala Sch. Finance Law 27, 39–45.
Braganza, A., Chen, W., Canhoto, A., Sap, S., 2021. Productive employment and decent work: The impact of AI adoption on psychological contracts, job engagement and employee trust. J. Bus. Res. 131, 485–494.
Braun, V., Clarke, V., 2006. Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qual. Res. Psychol. 3, 77–101.
Cheung, R., Jin, Q., 2016. Impact of a career exploration course on career decision making, adaptability, and relational support in Hong Kong. J. Career Assess. 24, 481–496.
Chui, H., Li, H., Ngo, H., 2022. Linking protean career orientation with career optimism: Career adaptability and career decision self-efficacy as mediators. J. Career Dev. 49, 161–173.
Clarke, M., 2008. Understanding and managing employability in changing career contexts. J. Eur. Ind. Train. 32, 258–284.
Clarke, M., Patrickson, M., 2008. The new covenant of employability. Empl. Relat. 30, 121–141.
Cohen, J., 2013. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. routledge.
Coleman, K., Yang, J.L., Das, M., Hawkins, N., 2015. Integrated career development learning and ePortfolios: Improving student self-efficacy in employability skills in an undergraduate science course. Int. J. Adult Community Prof. Learn. 22, 1.
Duarte, M.E., da Silva, J.T., Paixão, M.P., 2017. Career adaptability, employability, and career resilience in managing transitions. Psychol. Career Adapt. Employab. Resil. 241–261.
Elliott, A.C., Woodward, W.A., 2007. Statistical analysis quick reference guidebook: With SPSS examples. Sage.
Fu, C., Cai, Y., Yang, Q., Pan, G., Xu, D., Shi, W., 2023. Career adaptability development in the school-to-work transition. J. Career Assess. 31, 476–492.
Gao, L., Li, Y., Pang, W., 2025. Career adaptability and graduates’ mental health: the mediating role of occupational future time perspective in higher education in China. BMC Psychol. 13, 158.
Garrison, Z.M., 2022. Role of Career Learning Experiences in Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE) Development and Goal Setting Among Underprepared Community College Students: A Phenomenological Study. Drexel University.
Gati, I., Kulcsár, V., 2021. Making better career decisions: From challenges to opportunities. J. Vocat. Behav. 126, 103545.
Ghasemi, A., Zahediasl, S., 2012. Normality tests for statistical analysis: a guide for non-statisticians. Int. J. Endocrinol. Metab. 10, 486.
Ginevra, M.C., Annovazzi, C., Santilli, S., Di Maggio, I., Camussi, E., 2018. Breadth of vocational interests: The role of career adaptability and future orientation. Career Dev. Q. 66, 233–245.
Gorbatov, S., Oostrom, J.K., Khapova, S.N., 2024. Work does not speak for itself: Examining the incremental validity of personal branding in predicting knowledge workers’ employability. Eur. J. Work Organ. Psychol. 33, 40–53.
Guan, Y., Liu, S., Guo, M.J., Li, M., Wu, M., Chen, S.X., Xu, S.L., Tian, L., 2018. Acculturation orientations and Chinese student Sojourners’ career adaptability: The roles of career exploration and cultural distance. J. Vocat. Behav. 104, 228–239.
Gupta, P., Mahajan, R., 2024. Investigating stakeholder perceptions of graduate employability. High. Educ. Ski. Work-Based Learn. 14, 109–129.
Gysbers, N.C., Heppner, M.J., Johnston, J.A., 2014. Career counseling: Holism, diversity, and strengths. John Wiley & Sons.
Hampton, N.Z., 2005. Testing for the structure of the career decision self-efficacy scale-short form among Chinese college students. J. Career Assess. 13, 98–113.
Hartas, D., 2010. Experimental and quasi-experimental designs in educational research. Educ. Res. Inq. Qual. Quant. Approaches 239–256.
Hartung, P.J., Cadaret, M.C., 2017. Career adaptability: Changing self and situation for satisfaction and success, in: Psychology of Career Adaptability, Employability and Resilience. Springer, pp. 15–28.
Herbert, I.P., Rothwell, A.T., Glover, J.L., Lambert, S.A., 2020. Graduate employability, employment prospects and work-readiness in the changing field of professional work. Int. J. Manag. Educ. 18, 100378.
Hilton, M.L., Pellegrino, J.W., 2012. Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century. National Academies Press.
Hoque, N., Uddin, M., Ahmad, A., Mamun, A., Uddin, M.N., Chowdhury, R.A., Noman Alam, A.H.M., 2023. The desired employability skills and work readiness of graduates: Evidence from the perspective of established and well-known employers of an emerging economy. Ind. High. Educ. 37, 716–730.
Hou, Z.-J., Leung, S.A., Li, Xixi, Li, Xu, Xu, H., 2012. Career adapt-abilities scale—China form: Construction and initial validation. J. Vocat. Behav. 80, 686–691.
Jin, L., Ye, S., Watkins, D., 2012. The dimensionality of the career decision self-efficacy scale–short form among Chinese graduate students. J. Career Assess. 20, 520–529.
Johnston, C.S., 2018. A systematic review of the career adaptability literature and future outlook. J. Career Assess. 26, 3–30.
Khalid, K., Ahmad, A.M., 2021. The relationship between employability skills and career adaptability: A case of undergraduate students of the United Arab Emirates. High. Educ. Ski. Work-Based Learn. 11, 1035–1054.
Koe, A.R., 2022. The influence of employability skills toward career adaptability. Soc. Sci. 12, 2035–2046.
Krishnan, I.A., Ramalingam, S., Kaliappen, N., Uthamaputhran, S., Suppiah, P.C., Mello, G.D., Paramasivam, S., 2021. Graduate employability skills: Words and phrases used in job interviews. Aust. J. Career Dev. 30, 24–32.
Kulugh, V.E., Aondover, K.P., Faki, A.S., 2025. Artificial Intelligence-Powered Personalised Career Guidance System. Dutse J. Pure Appl. Sci. 11, 92–104.
Kvirchishvili, L., 2023. The Evolving Workforce: Technological Advancements and Their Impact on Employee Skills and Characteristics, in: International Scientific-Practical Conference. Springer, pp. 81–96.
Lehmann, W., 2025. Mobility and stability: post-graduate employment experiences of working-class students, in: Positional Competition and Social Inequality in Graduate Careers. Routledge, pp. 35–49.
Li, L., 2024. Reskilling and upskilling the future-ready workforce for industry 4.0 and beyond. Inf. Syst. Front. 26, 1697–1712.
Lin, M.-H., Lim, P.K., Azalea, A., Lee, M.C.C., 2024. Factors affecting career motivation of recent graduates: Career adaptability as a mediator. Career Dev. Q. 72, 276–294.
Liu, X., Zhang, X., Dang, Y., Gao, W., 2023. Career education skills and career adaptability among college students in China: The mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy. Behav. Sci. 13, 780.
Luzzo, D.A., 1993. Value of career-decision-making self-efficacy in predicting career-decision-making attitudes and skills. J. Couns. Psychol. 40, 194.
Maggiori, C., Rossier, J., Savickas, M.L., 2017. Career adapt-abilities scale–short form (CAAS-SF) construction and validation. J. Career Assess. 25, 312–325.
Merino-Tejedor, E., Serrano-Fernández, M.-J., Boada-Cuerva, M., Sora, B., 2025. Career adaptability and career construction as mediating variables between hardiness and vocational identity. Int. J. Res. Vocat. Educ. Train. IJRVET 12, 127–150.
Nägele, C., Stalder, B.E., 2017. Competence and the need for transferable skills. Competence-Based Vocat. Prof. Educ. Bridg. Worlds Work Educ. 739–753.
Nauta, A., Van Vianen, A., Van der Heijden, B., Van Dam, K., Willemsen, M., 2009. Understanding the factors that promote employability orientation: the impact of employability culture, career satisfaction, and role breadth self-efficacy. J. Occup. Organ. Psychol. 82, 233–251.
Ng, E., Stanton, P., 2023. The great resignation: managing people in a post COVID-19 pandemic world. Pers. Rev. 52, 401–407.
Nota, L., Santilli, S., Soresi, S., 2016. A life-design-based online career intervention for early adolescents: Description and initial analysis. Career Dev. Q. 64, 4–19.
OSUNDE, Y.O., 2025. Role of Career Service in Enhancing Students Employability in the 21st Century. KONTAGORA Int. J. Educ. Res. 2, 324–339.
Pham, M., Lam, B.Q., Bui, A.T.N., 2024. Career exploration and its influence on the relationship between self-efficacy and career choice: The moderating role of social support. Heliyon 10.
PITAN, O.S., 2023. Fostering student success in the changing job market: Transferable skills through experiential learning, in: Lead City University Postgraduate Multidisciplinary Conference Proceedings. pp. 54–65.
Porfeli, E.J., Savickas, M.L., 2012. Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-USA Form: Psychometric properties and relation to vocational identity. J. Vocat. Behav. 80, 748–753.
Salim, R.M.A., Istiasih, M.R., Rumalutur, N.A., Situmorang, D.D.B., 2023. The role of career decision self-efficacy as a mediator of peer support on students’ career adaptability. Heliyon 9.
Samad, N.A., Kadir, H., others, 2024. Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Job Interview Assessment for Career Readiness of a University English Language Course. Dev. Lang. Stud. 4, 20–23.
Samson, A., Maisonneuve, A.R., Atitsogbe, K.A., Saint-Georges, Z., Chénier-Ayotte, N., 2024. Career development support, career-related Internet information search and usefulness, and career decision-making difficulties in 12th grade students in Ontario. Can. J. Career Dev. 23, 70–85.
Savickas, M.L., 2013. Career construction theory and practice. Career Dev. Couns. Putt. Theory Res. Work 2, 144–180.
Sikhwari, T.D., Ndebele, C., Legg-Jack, D.W., 2025. Career Guidance Provision in Secondary Schools: Are Learners Able to Make Informed Career Choices?, in: Career Coaching and Employability Skills Acquisition. IGI Global Scientific Publishing, pp. 93–122.
Super, D.E., 1957. The Psychology of Career. Harper & Row Publisher, New York.
Tang, M., 2003. Career counseling in the future: Constructing, collaborating, advocating. Career Dev. Q. 52, 61–69.
Taylor, K.M., Betz, N.E., 1983. Applications of self-efficacy theory to the understanding and treatment of career indecision. J. Vocat. Behav. 22, 63–81.
Thapa, H.S., 2024. Development of employability skills through work-based learning. J. Tech. Vocat. Educ. Train. 18, 102–111.
Tushar, H., Sooraksa, N., 2023. Global employability skills in the 21st century workplace: A semi-systematic literature review. Heliyon 9.
Volti, R., Croissant, J., 2024. Society and technological change. Waveland Press.
Wang, C., Zhu, H., Zhu, C., Zhang, X., Chen, E., Xiong, H., 2020. Personalized employee training course recommendation with career development awareness, in: Proceedings of the Web Conference 2020. pp. 1648–1659.
Wang, Y., Wang, Y., 2012. Education in a changing world: Flexibility, skills, and employability. World Bank Washington, DC.
Young, D., 1996. The relative importance of technical and interpersonal skills for new information systems personnel. J. Comput. Inf. Syst. 36, 66–71.
Yuen, M., Chan, R.T.H., 2024. The influence of social connectedness and meaning in life on career adaptability and career self-efficacy in students with special educational needs. Int. J. Educ. Vocat. Guid. 24, 397–412.
Zeng, Q., Li, J., Huang, S., Wang, J., Huang, F., Kang, D., Zhang, M., 2023. How does career-related parental support enhance career adaptability: the multiple mediating roles of resilience and hope. Curr. Psychol. 42, 25193–25205.
Zhang, H.-Y., 2025. Psychological Analysis and Career Decision-Making of College Students Based on Cognitive Algorithms on Distributed Platforms. Int. J. High Speed Electron. Syst. 2540300.
Zhang, J., Huang, J., Ye, S., 2024. The impact of career adaptability on college students’ entrepreneurial intentions: a moderated mediation effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and gender. Curr. Psychol. 43, 4638–4653.
Zhang, L., Wang, X., Fan, W., Li, Y., 2024. Contributions of proactive personality to career decision self-efficacy: mediating effect of positive affect and moderating roles of social class and gender. Curr. Psychol. 43, 9164–9175.