Abstract:

The aim of this research was to put forward whether the senior undergraduate students’ career decision self-efficacy, their gender, the situation that faculties at which they study provide job easily or difficultly after graduation, if they selected their department willingly or unwillingly predict or do not predict their career adaptability and career optimism. To that end data were collected from senior undergraduate university students (n=323) studying at four faculties of a state university from two of which students can find jobs easily and from two of which they can find jobs difficultly after graduation. 156 of these students were female and 167 of them were male. Data were analyzed by multiple regression analysis and dummy coding is done while categorical variables are included in the analysis. According to the regression analysis results, students’ career decision self-efficacy and the way they select their department predicted their career adaptability and career optimism meaningfully; whereas, their gender and the situation that faculties at which they study provide job easily or difficultly after graduation did not predict their career adaptability and career optimism meaningfully. In terms of the results of the research; the significance of improving the career adaptability and career optimism of the university students who are on the way of passing to business life from university and of supporting them together with the different variables was put forward. In this regard findings were discussed and some recommendations were suggested.

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