Dimensional Profile of Career Anxiety among Education Students: Implications for Career Guidance Service

Sinta Nurul Oktaviana Kasim, Inayah Ridhayanti Qarimah, Dewi Pratiwi

Abstract


Dimensional Profile of Career Anxiety among Education Students: Implications for Career Guidance Service. Career anxiety is an important concern among education students who are preparing for the transition from higher education to the world of work while facing increasingly complex professional competency demands. This study aimed to describe the dimensional profile of career anxiety among education students and to formulate its implications for career guidance services in higher education. A quantitative descriptive design was employed, involving 425 education students aged 17–25 years who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using an adapted version of the Career Anxiety Scale, consisting of 24 items across four dimensions: self-ability, irrational beliefs about employment, work environment, and professional education and training. The instrument demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.905. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and score categories to identify the overall and dimensional profiles of career anxiety. The findings showed that students’ overall career anxiety was in the high category (M = 3.60; SD = 0.53). Self-ability had the highest mean score (M = 4.03; SD = 0.63), followed by work environment (M = 3.68; SD = 0.77) and professional education and training (M = 3.44; SD = 0.86), all of which were categorized as high. Meanwhile, irrational beliefs about employment had the lowest mean score and were categorized as moderate (M = 3.15; SD = 0.77). This pattern indicates that the career anxiety profile of education students is characterized more prominently by concerns about competency readiness and professional demands than by irrational beliefs about employment. These findings highlight the importance of needs-profile-based career guidance services that prioritize strengthening career self-efficacy, mapping and developing competencies, exploring work environments, and planning students’ professional development.

Keywords: Career Anxiety; Education Students; Career Anxiety Dimensions; Career Guidance; Competency Readiness.


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21043/konseling.v10i2.39292

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