The impact of career exploration on career development among Hong Kong Chinese university students

Abstract

Career exploration is widely believed to produce positive career development outcomes among college and university students. Some research has supported this belief, but there is little information about exactly which outcomes it affects and whether any benefits of career exploration can be observed beyond individualistic western cultures. We report findings from cross-sectional (N=271) and longitudinal (N=101) data provided by university students in Hong Kong. The amount of career exploration was associated with career decision self-efficacy and amount of information, but not with self-clarity or career decidedness. All the outcome variables except decidedness increased significantly over time.