Job search strategies of recent university graduates: prevalence and effectiveness

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-149
Author(s):  
Elena Varshavskaya ◽  
Ulyana Podverbnykh
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Large Field ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Expected Return ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Seeking ◽  
Graduate Survey ◽  
Job Searches ◽  
Combined Strategy

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to analyse the prevalence and effectiveness of methods and strategies for job searches amongst recent graduates of Russian universities.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical analysis is carried out on data from the Russian Graduate Survey 2016, which is representative of individuals graduating during 2010–2015. The sample included 12,370 individuals. The empirical approach combined standard descriptive statistics, factor and regression analysis (multiple logit regression).FindingsResults show that the most common strategies are a combined strategy that involves the use of formal and informal methods, as well as “pure” informal strategies – applying to relatives and friends or contacting employers. The most effective strategies are job searches with the help of relatives and friends, by contacting employers and with the help of educational organisations. The choice of job search strategy is determined by the expected return in terms of the likelihood of finding a job.Practical implicationsThe paper increases understanding of graduate job search behaviour. The results can be used by multiple stakeholders in higher education to better prepare students for job seeking.Originality/valueThis research, based on a large field survey of recent university graduates, provides the first estimates of use of job search strategies and their effectiveness for Russian university graduates.

Strategies of job seekers related to age-related stereotypes

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1009-1027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent J. Lyons ◽  
Jennifer L. Wessel ◽  
Yi Chiew Tai ◽  
Ann Marie Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Job Seekers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Seeking ◽  
Career Placement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Job Searches ◽  
Related Identity

Purpose – Given the increasing diversity in the age of job seekers worldwide and evidence of perceptions of discrimination and stereotypes of job seekers at both ends of the age continuum, the purpose of this paper is to identify how perceptions of age-related bias are connected to age-related identity management strategies of unemployed job seekers. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 129 unemployed job-seeking adults who were participants in a career placement service. Participants completed paper-and-pencil surveys about their experiences of age-related bias and engagement in age-related identity management strategies during their job searches. Findings – Older job seekers reported greater perceptions of age-related bias in employment settings, and perceptions of bias related to engaging in attempts to counteract stereotypes, mislead or miscue about one's age, and avoid age-related discussions in job searching. Individuals who were less anxious about their job search were less likely to mislead about age or avoid the topic of age, whereas individuals with higher job-search self-efficacy were more likely to acknowledge their age during their job search. Older job seekers higher in emotion control were more likely to acknowledge their age. Originality/value – Little is known about how job seekers attempt to compensate for or avoid age-related bias. The study provides evidence that younger and older job seekers engage in age-related identity management and that job search competencies relate to engagement in particular strategies.

Career self-management of unemployed workers: the role of proactive coping in job-to-job transition

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-153
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Ślebarska ◽  
Maria Flakus
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Search Behavior ◽  
Proactive Coping ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Job Seekers ◽  
Job Transition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Seeking ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Job Search Behavior

PurposeJob search behavior is an important factor of an individual's career. In this study, proactive individuals' search for career opportunities during the transition from unemployment to employment is investigated. This investigation concentrates on the “in-between jobs” phase to better understand career transition. Proactive coping is a particularly important aspect of the transition from unemployment to work.Design/methodology/approachUsing the career self-management model and proactive coping theory, this paper establishes a conceptual model and adopts path analysis to examine the model with a sample of 208 unemployed workers from Poland.FindingsThe results indicate both direct and indirect effects for proactive coping on job-seeking behavior. Unemployed job seekers, with greater proactive coping, intensify their job search behavior and increase their chances for re-employment.Practical implicationsProactive coping is an important factor in career development. The findings of this study are a promising starting point for career self-development training for unemployed workers in transition.Originality/valueMost of the training for the unemployed prepares them to react and adapt to ongoing circumstances. Our findings show the importance of being proactive during active coping with unemployment.

Enhancing the employability of IT graduates in Vietnam

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phan Vo Minh Thang ◽  
Winai Wongsurawat
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
English Language ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Seeking ◽  
Perceived Employability ◽  
Path Analyses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the key determinants of employability of information technology (IT) graduates in Vietnam and examines their impact on self-perceived employability and the duration of the job search. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on data collected from the responses to an online survey from more than 500 IT graduates from different higher education institutions in Vietnam. Employability, its outcome and its key determinants were integrated into one model. Exploratory factor, confirmatory factor and path analyses were conducted to test the model by means of structural equation modeling. Findings – The self-perceived employability of IT graduates in Vietnam was determined by graduates’ English language skills, soft skills, adaptability skills, the quality of the institution’s IT program and job seeking efforts. Results also indicated that work experience, professional competencies and employability made the job search duration shorter, but job seeking efforts made job search duration longer. Research limitations/implications – Only determinants from individual and institutional aspects were considered, and the sample was also limited to one profession in one country. Practical implications – Results can inform students and educators about the improvable areas of employability enhancement. Originality/value – This study fills a gap in the employability research by providing a quantitative explanation about relationships among the employability, the job search duration and their key predictors from different aspects.

scholarly journals The Effect of Soft Skills on the Successful Employment of Future Engineers: Self-Evaluation Results

2022 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 59-74
Author(s):  
L. V. Bondareva ◽  
T. V. Potemkina ◽  
G. S. Saulembekova
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Job Seeking ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Technological Universities ◽  
Successful Employment ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University

The research focuses on “integrating” technological universities’ graduates in the current labor market. In pedagogical practice, it is widely known that university graduates with welldeveloped “soft” skills feel more confident about their future, and they can more easily cope with job search. In order to identify the effect of “soft” skills on the readiness of future engineers to job search, a survey was conducted among 106 students, including programmers, business analysts, IT designers, materials scientists, and nanotechnologists.The authors used the statistical methods to identify the relationship between students’ self-evaluation of “soft” skills and their readiness for job-seeking. We have found that 71.7% of all respondents who determined a high level of proficiency in “soft” skills, only 29.6% are confident that job search should not cause difficulties, 28.8% can see a clear connection between their studies and future profession, and 37% believe that they have motivation for professional fulfillment.The results of the survey based on self-evaluation showed that in spite of having a high score in evaluating their “soft” skills, the respondents express extreme uncertainty that they will be competitive enough outside the university and that will be prepared to apply the skills which are crucial for successful employment.

Are job seekers predisposed to job search strategies?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zia Ul Islam ◽  
Qingxiong (Derek) Weng ◽  
Zulqurnain Ali ◽  
Usman Ghani ◽  
Ataullah Kiani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Job Seekers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Offers

PurposeThis study examines the associations among specific personality traits, job search strategies (JSSs) and job search outcomes.Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged data (three-waves) were collected from 528 Chinese graduating students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results revealed a positive association between conscientiousness and both a focused job search strategy (FJSS) and an exploratory job search strategy (EJSS). Neuroticism was positively related to a haphazard job search strategy (HJSS), but negatively associated with both a FJSS and an EJSS. Moreover, FJSS and EJSS were positively related to both the number of job offers (NJOs) and the number of satisfied job offers (NSJOs). However, compared with FJSS, EJSS explained more variance in NJOs but less in NSJOs. Additional analysis showed a significant positive association between conscientiousness and job search intensity (JSI), but no significant relationship between neuroticism and JSI. JSI had significant associations with both NJOs and NSJOs. Further, FJSS and EJSS mediated the association between focal personality traits and both NJOs and NSJOs. Additionally, JSI also mediated the association between conscientiousness and both NJOs and NSJOs.Originality/valuePrevious research has confirmed that JSSs (Stevens and Turban, 2001) are consequential for important job search outcomes. However, whether fresh job seekers are predisposed to the use of JSSs is yet to be explored. This study adds to the job search literature by filling this void.

Freelance job search during times of uncertainty: protean career orientation, career competencies and job search

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Ayoobzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Career Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Protean Career ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Career Competencies

PurposeFreelancers are a growing population of working adults with limited to no organizational support. Yet, their strategies to navigate job search, especially in turbulent times, are unknown. To address this gap, the author hypothesized and examined a sequential mediation model whereby freelancer protean career orientation (PCO) influences job search strategies through career competencies (i.e. knowing why, how and with whom to work) and job search self-efficacy (JSSE).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a sample of 87 Canadian freelancers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsThe results supported the sequential mediation from PCO to job search strategies through two of the career competencies (knowing why and how) and JSSE. The mediating role of knowing whom was not supported.Practical implicationsPolicy makers and learning institutions can provide freelancers with opportunities to develop transferable skills through massive open online courses (MOOCs). Employers of freelancers can design motivating jobs that provide freelancers with on-the-job learning and development opportunities.Social implicationsThe insignificant mediating role of knowing whom (i.e. professional networks) implies that large networks might not be necessarily beneficial in times of crisis. Thus, the role of networks might be more complex than the literature has proposed.Originality/valueThis study brings into focus an overlooked population of workers: freelancers. It investigates a sequential mediation through which freelancer PCO impacts job search strategies. In addition, it compares the effectiveness of career competencies in unfolding the proposed sequential mediation.

The toll of perceived injustice on job search self-efficacy and behavior

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Taggar ◽  
Lisa K. J. Kuron
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Search Behavior ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Perceived Injustice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Search Behavior

Purpose – Individuals normally make fairness judgements when experiencing negative outcomes on an important task, such as finding employment. Fairness is an affect-laden subjective experience. Perceptions of injustice can cause resource depletion in unemployed job seekers, potentially leading to reduced self-regulation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of: first, justice perceptions during a job search and their impact on job search self-efficacy (JSSE); second, the mediating role of JSSE between justice perceptions and job search strategies; and third, associations between job search strategies and quantity and quality of job search behavior. Design/methodology/approach – Unemployed individuals (n=254) who were actively searching for a job reported on their past job search experiences with respect to justice, completed measures of JSSE, and reported recent job search behavior. Findings – Results reveal the potentially harmful impact of perceived injustice on job search strategies and the mediating role of JSSE, a self-regulatory construct and an important resource when looking for a job. Specifically, perceived injustice is negatively associated with JSSE. Reduced JSSE is associated with a haphazard job search strategy and less likelihood of exploratory and focussed strategies. A haphazard job search strategy is associated with making fewer job applications and poor decision making. Conversely, perceived justice is associated with higher JSSE and exploratory and focussed job search strategies. These two strategies are generally associated with higher quality job search behavior. Research limitations/implications – There are two major limitations. First, while grounded in social-cognitive theory of self-regulation and conservation of resources (COR) theory, a cross-sectional research design limits determination of causality in the model of JSSE as a central social-cognitive mechanism explaining how justice impacts job search strategies. Second, some results may be conservative because social desirability may have restricted the range of negative responses. Practical implications – This study provides insights to individuals who are supporting job seekers (e.g. career counselors, coaches, employers, and social networks). Specifically, interventions aimed at reducing perceptions of injustice, increasing JSSE, and improving job search strategies and behavior may ameliorate the damaging impact of perceived injustice. Originality/value – This study is the first to examine perceived justice in the job search process using social-cognitive theory of self-regulation and COR theory. Moreover, we provide further validation to a relatively new and under-researched job search strategy typology by linking the strategies to the quantity and quality of job search behaviors.

The role of extracurricular activities in shaping university students' employment self-efficacy perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Kanar ◽  
Dave Bouckenooghe
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe present study aimed to understand how participation in university extracurricular activities has a beneficial or detrimental impact on students’ employment self-efficacy through the intervening mechanism of information search strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data from active job-searching university students across two time-points and hypothesized that the breadth of extracurricular activity participation would positively impact employment self-efficacy perceptions and information search strategies (focused, exploratory and haphazard) would mediate this relationship.FindingsResults indicate that the breadth of students' participation in extracurricular activities was positively associated with employment self-efficacy perceptions, and this relationship was mediated by focused and exploratory information-search strategies. Extracurricular activities exhibited a negative relationship with a haphazard search strategy.Research limitations/implicationsThis research extends the understanding of the role of participation in extracurricular activities for influencing a job search. Future research may replicate these findings with different samples of job seekers.Practical implicationsExtracurricular activities are typically offered at universities as a way for students to develop skills and to improve employers' perceptions of students. The present results suggest that participating in extracurricular activities may also help university students to effectively conduct a self-directed job search.Originality/valueWe examined the role of extracurricular activities from the applicant's perspective, extending prior research examining extracurricular activities from the employer's perspective. The present results suggest that extracurricular activities play an important role in shaping the job search process of university students by influencing students' confidence for finding employment. Information search strategies mediated the effects of extracurricular activities on employment self-efficacy perceptions, suggesting that participating in extracurricular activities changed the way that applicants searched for jobs.

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