Career indecision: an integrative review and research agenda

Purpose The current review sought to bring light to the issue of an underexplored career phenomenon – career indecision. Career indecision is a significant developmental stage in one’s career life and has been a prominent topic in vocational psychology research in the past decades. However, it has received scant scholarly attention in the human resource development (HRD) field. Besides, the career indecision literature, in general, is lacking theoretical refinement and analytical review. The present study aims to stimulate HRD scholars’ interests by providing an introductory context for understanding the richness and potentialities of researching career indecision in the HRD area. Design/methodology/approach To address the gap, the author conducted an integrative review (Torraco, 2005, 2016) of 60 peer-reviewed articles and synthesized the existing knowledge of career indecision. More importantly, antecedent and outcome factors associated with career indecision were identified and analyzed. Findings A nomological network about career indecision was provided. Besides, the results of the integrative review revealed several omissions in the career indecision literature. Building upon that, implications for HRD research and practice are presented and discussed. Originality/value As an initial attempt to synthesize career indecision literature, this study sought to stimulate HRD professionals’ interest in examining this underexplored career phenomenon.

Career self-efficacy as a mediator between emotional intelligence and employment planning among US college students

This study examines the dynamics of personality traits that interfere with occupational decisions among young adults, especially during a pandemic. Three multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict career decision self-efficacy (CDSE), e.g., planning and indecision from the Big 5 personality measures. We hypothesized that EI and personality affect employment conflicts (Study 1), and that CDSE mediates EI and planning difficulty (Study 2). Conscientiousness and openness significantly predicted CDSE, F(5, 128) = 15.64, p < .001, R2 = .38, while neuroticism was statistically significant in predicting CSPS, F(5, 128) = 3.94, p < .01, R2 = .13. Neuroticism was significant for personality variables while a negative correlation was found between EI and career indecision (r = -0.25, at p < .01). Results demonstrate that the positive effect of CDSE mediated EI’s link to career indecision, which reveals that conscientiousness also predicted participants’ occupational indecision (β = -0.17, p < .05).

The associations between coping strategies, psychological health, and career indecision among medical students: a cross-sectional study in China

Background Medical students experience difficulties in the process of making decisions about their careers, which is referred to as career indecision. This study aimed to examine the difficulties in the career decision-making processes of medical students and to explore the association of coping strategies and psychological health with career indecision. The findings may provide a reference for designing interventions to advance satisfying career decisions for medical students. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 359 medical students was conducted in 5 Chinese medical schools. Students completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire measuring their career indecision, coping strategies, and psychological health. Independent t-test, F-test, bivariate Pearson’s correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis were applied to test the relation between career indecision and the associated factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.22 for Windows. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results Difficulties regarding lack of readiness frequently occurred in medical students when making career decisions, with the highest score of 2.48 ± 0.58. Among all the associated factors in this study, career indecision was positively associated with psychological distress problem (β = 0.20, p < 0.05). This study also proved that being at a higher level of career indecision is negatively associated with using problem-focused coping strategies (β = − 0.14, p < 0.05). For the maladaptive coping strategies, applying dysfunctional coping strategies showed a significantly positive association with career indecision among medical students (β = 0.25, p < 0.05). Conclusions Medical students experienced difficulties regarding lack of readiness frequently when making career decisions. Both coping strategies and psychological health were associated with career indecision among medical students. To prevent career indecision, it is necessary to promote earlier career awareness to medical students. Specifically, psychological health should be addressed in career intervention programs for medical students. Additionally, when helping medical students to cope with career indecision, cognitive techniques that reduce the use of maladaptive coping strategies and enhance the use of adaptive coping strategies should be adopted.