Job search self-efficacy, workplace anxiety and career exploration among final year students in Malaysia

Iman Nurhakim, Shaiful Ahram (2025) Job search self-efficacy, workplace anxiety and career exploration among final year students in Malaysia. Master dissertation/thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

Increasing technology changes the job market in Malaysia. Due to this, new job types are being created while old jobs are getting restructured. Therefore, final-year students must adapt to this by exploring careers through discovery of interests and research of different career options. In this regard, it is essential to review factors affecting career exploration behavior to properly address the issue. This study identifies Job Search Self-Efficacy (JSSE) and workplace anxiety as the factor that could influence career exploration. The main objective of the current study is to examine the relationships between JSSE, workplace anxiety and career exploration among final year students in Malaysia. Cross-sectional survey design was used, and data were collected via online questionnaires from 298 final-year students from Malaysia aged below 24 years by purposive sampling. A Spearman's rank correlation analysis indicated that there was a strong positive relationship between JSSE and career exploration, whereas the test results indicate that workplace anxiety did not significantly predict career exploration. Given that JSSE is a key predictor of career exploration, this study recommends that relevant authorities enhance career counseling to support students' career development. Additionally, recognizing the dual nature of workplace anxiety underscores the need for adaptive frameworks that address both its enabling and debilitating effects on career exploration. Future research should adopt mixed-methods and longitudinal designs to mitigate self-report biases and examine additional variables to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing career exploration among final-year Malaysian students.

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