CAREER SELF EFFICACY AND CAREER EXPLORATION: A STUDY AMONG

POST GRADUATE STUDENTS OF ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGES IN

MADURAI
1Dr.S. Lakshmiprabha, 2Dr.K. Ganga Mala
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce, Thiagarajar College, Madurai
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Mannar Thirumalai Naicker
College, Pasumalai, Madurai

ABSTRACT
In India, a person's career is greatly influenced by their parents. In India, a greater proportion

of parents continue to have an impact on their children's career even in situations where the

students have autonomy. There are constant cultural demands in India to pursue particular job

routes. Indian families consistently demand that their offspring be more industrious than

artistic. The lives of those who are proficient in the arts and literature have been impacted by

this. Some families, however, continue to discourage their kids from pursuing their ambitions

and instead counsel them to enrol in professional programs and establish a more financially

secure employment. In this research the researcher studied about the Career Self Efficacy and

Carrer Exploration among students of Madurai City.

Keywords : Students, Madurai, Self-Efficacy, Career Exploration, Parental Attitude

1.INTRODUCTION

Career is a variety of experiences that an individual can attain in his or her life. It can be
the journey of education, training, work and employment. Career is the lifelong process where
it involves the past experiences in the job, future moves and the knowledge, skills and attitude
acquired during the present. In short, a career is a profession or chosen line of work. Many
people invest in their education and training to grow in their career. Many people start to
explore their career while young, such as since high school or college under graduation. Career
is also decided by the personal traits, values, interests and needs of the individual. Then he or
she aligns the possible paths including various professions and occupations.

The study on career self-efficacy and career exploration explored the relationship
between career self-efficacy and career exploration. The main research was about the general
opinion on the factors of career choices and if the post graduate students possess career self-
efficacy and career exploration. This study mainly focused on the post graduate students of arts
and science colleges in Madurai. The study also involves knowing the relationship between
career self-efficacy and career exploration.

2.REVIEW OF LITERATURE

According to the results of Ndidiamaka, E. and Chikoko, V.'s 2020 study, which
examined the factors influencing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
students' career decisions at South African universities, students pursuing these fields lack
critical skills. The study informed policy makers to address the skills deficit by identifying
elements related to expectations for career outcomes, interpersonal relationships, and
intrapersonal characteristics.

According to Etiubon R. (2018)'s findings on career choice factors and academic

accomplishment of first-year science students at the University of Uyo, students' strict
schedules prevent them from having time for their own specialization. Even if they had selected
them, they are becoming disinterested in the subject due to inadequate guidance. The provision
of orientation or counseling services to students was suggested as a way to help them deal with
the demands and difficulties of the workplace.

Young people's profession decisions are influenced by both collectivistic and

individualistic cultural settings, according to the findings of a systematic analysis of factors
influencing youths' career choices: the role of culture by Twumasi, PA, Emeto, T, and
Lindsay, D (2018). Family expectations are an example of a collective component;
individualistic variables are things like hobbies. Research indicates that individuals who align
with their parents' decisions have greater levels of career confidence and self-efficacy.

According to Kazi.AS(2017)'s study on the factors influencing students' profession

choices, media and peers have a big influence on young people's job decisions. The study also
indicates that school counsellors have a modest impact on educating students about career
options. However, their parents don't put any pressure on them. It also shown how peers have
a greater influence on girls.

3.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Making a career decision is the most important life decision for everyone. They can
only live a comfortable life if they choose a profession. A person's career is determined by a
variety of personal and environmental factors, including their upbringing and attitudes. There
are still some persons whose decisions for their undergrad and graduate degrees were
influenced by people other than themselves, such parents, friends, seniors, etc. However, after
they are in college, they realize that was not their decision. Even if they are in their post-
graduation, by that point they are not receiving enough advice and find it difficult to decide
what to do after graduating from college. In addition, their degree of self-efficacy in choosing
a career is lower than that of students who have begun to investigate options and areas of
interest from the beginning of their education and up to graduation. while people their age
begin a job while they haven't, it will make them feel less confident in themselves. Students'
self-efficacy in selecting a career will increase if they are aware of the opportunities in their
sector and choose to pursue their desired objectives.

4.NEED OF THE STUDY

The study's importance lies in examining the underlying variables that influence
students' path decisions. For students who are about to graduate, having ideas about potential
job paths is crucial. They are about to embark on a new chapter in their lives. They may only
begin to prepare for their future and lessen their sense of inferiority when compared to other
people their own age if they take advantage of the chances that are available to them.
5.SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study's objective is to determine the postgraduate students at Madurai's Art and
Science College's rate of professional self-efficacy and career exploration. Additionally, the
study seeks to determine how general characteristics affect postgraduate students in Madurai
when making career decisions. The relationship between career exploration and career self-
efficacy is also explained by this study.

6. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The following are the objectives of the study

● To study the factors associated in making career choices

● To assess the self-efficacy of the respondents
● To study the nature of career exploration of the respondent
7. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The study is based on the both primary and secondary data. This study is a quantitative
research, based on a survey of students in Madurai City and the secondary data has been
collected through various sources. It includes journals and websites. The random sampling
method is followed. A total of 100 people participated in this study, provided answers for this
study.

8. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

⮚ The study will not include the under graduate students even though they are in the stage
of exploration of their career.
⮚ If the study had included the under graduate students, the level of career self-efficacy
and career exploration could be found even there is career after the under graduation
too.
⮚ As the study is scattered for samples, the results will be generalized as it is not to the
institutional or group level. If the samples are specified to a particular group, for
example, it can be done for a particular course, particular college.
9.DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

TABLE-1

FACTORS OF CAREER CHOICES

FACTORS OF CAREER CHOICES NO. OF RESPONDENTS

YES % NO %

Post graduation is out of my personal interests 94 94 6 6

Post graduation ensures a job or career 93 93 7 7

Developed interests as it jobs oriented 83 83 17 17

Aware of the career opportunities 88 88 12 12

Aware of my strengths and weakness towards 74 74 26 26

career opportunities

Need to develop my knowledge 85 85 15 15

Towards career opportunities

FACTORS OF CAREER CHOICES NO.OF RESPONDENTS

YES % NO %

Started developing my skills towards career 82 82 18 18

opportunities

Attended training programmes 77 77 33 33

Attended specialised skill programmes or 83 83 17 17

certificate courses

Taken up internships 72 72 28 28

SOURCE : PRIMARY DATA

 As can be seen from the above, a number of factors influence career choice. From
the perspective of the researcher, the aforementioned factors are what influence career
decisions. Numerous factors contribute, including childhood fantasies, culture, gender,
interests, roles in life, personality types, and individual experiences, aptitudes, and capabilities.

● The study determines whether or not the post-graduation is against the students'
interests. Since personal interests represent preferences, they are significant. When
one's post-graduation career is determined by their personal interests, job satisfaction
is likely to be better than when it is not.
● If there is a guarantee of employment, post-graduation is also selected. Students choose
post-graduation whether a job is guaranteed for a specific field of study. A job decision
may also be influenced by the specialized programs offered in each stream, such as
marketing and human resources in management studies, among others.As it is job
oriented course, some students will develop interests by developing their knowledge
and exploring the career opportunities.
● It will also be easier for people to select a career if they are aware of their skills and
shortcomings as well as the employment prospects. It will be easier to select the right
career possibilities if someone is aware of the chances in their subject of study as well
as their personal qualities.
● Gaining expertise in a specific area will help students make better decisions about the
chances they wish to pursue.
● Students' knowledge, skills, and capacities will be enhanced through training programs,
internships, and certificate courses.

TABLE 2

CORRELATION BETWEEN CAREER SELF EFFICACY AND CAREER

EXPLORATION

H0:There is a significant relationship between career self-efficacy and career exploration

H1: There is no significant relationship between career self-efficacy and career exploration

Variables Career Self Efficacy

Career Exploration .386**

SOURCE : PRIMARY DATA

 From this table, it is noted that there is correlation between the career self-efficacy
and career exploration by finding that the correlation is significant at 0.01 level.

From the table, it is under stood that there is a Positive correlation between the career
self-efficacy and career exploration. If the career self-efficacy increases, it is directly
proportionate to the career exploration resulting in the increase in career exploration.

TABLE 3

DIFFERENCE OF GENDER BETWEEN CAREER SELF EFFICACY AND CAREER

EXPLORATION

H0: There is no significant difference of gender between career self-efficacy and career
exploration

H1: There is significant differences of gender between career self-efficacy and career
exploration

VARIABLE GENDER MEAN STD. DEVIAITON Sig t

Career self efficacy Male 51 20 .652 -1.439

Female 58 18

Career exploration Male 78 31 .260 -.499

Female 82 25

SOURCE : PRIMARY DATA

As per the results, the t value for career self-efficacy and career exploration is -1.439
and -.499 respectively. And the p value for the career self-efficacy and career exploration is
.652 and .260. As the p value is greater than alternate hypothesis is rejected and null hypothesis
is accepted. Thus, it is concluded that there is no significant association of gender between
career self-efficacy and career exploration. As per the t Test, it is noted that female have the
more career self-efficacy and Carrer Exploration than male while mean is considered.
10. SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE CAREER SELF EFFICACY AND CAREER
EXPLORATION

1. CAREER SELF EFFICACY

There are several ways to raise students' levels of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a crucial
component that influences people's talents, particularly when it comes to choosing a career.
Among the strategies to raise self-efficacy are

Learn something new: it's critical to comprehend and know ourselves. The first step is
assessing one's strengths and shortcomings and expanding one's knowledge, experience, and
skill set.

Contest Assumptions: Contesting the presumptions that are currently held regarding one's
capacity, aptitude, and competence is another tactic for achieving career self-efficacy. This
will assist in overcoming fear and identifying potential.

Take care of yourself: People need to take care of themselves. If it carries on for a long time,
an unexpected result will occur.

Planning and preparation: These steps can help you attain your goals, both short- and long-
term, and provide better results. Setting objectives, organizing thoughts, and creating a plan
of action will improve more.

Self-personality tests can be used to analyse ourselves more deeply. An individual can
choose a suitable career instead of choosing one that does not suit them if their personality is
examined.

2 CAREER EXPLORATION

The first step in entering a field we want to work in is career exploration. Everyone should
explore their career options to learn about the opportunities available to them globally. To do
that, prospective careers ought to be looked for. It's similar to looking for work opportunities,
typical pay, educational qualifications, and everyday chores. Making a shortlist of potential
careers and selecting a job should be done.

Every student should have access to the career guidance cell in colleges. It can set up lectures
and workshops about job needs and career opportunities. These are some suggestions for
enhancing career exploration and career self-efficacy.
10 CONCLUSION

There is a connection between postgraduate students' career exploration and career self-
efficacy variables. According to the study, a key determinant of career exploration is one's
level of career self-efficacy. According to this survey, a greater number of postgraduate
students exhibit self-efficacy and are diligent in their job exploration.

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