Constructing a Career: An Investigation of the Career Construction Model of Adaptation in Recent Graduates

The transition from university to the workforce can be a daunting experience for many university graduates, due, at least in part, to an increasingly competitive, and often unstable labour market. Using a retrospective recall design, the current study tested some of the key theoretical assumptions of the career construction model of adaptation in the context of the school-to-work transition with a sample of 303 recent university graduates. The results showed that career adaptability resources mediated the relationship between adaptivity and adapting responses. Career adaptability was also positively related to perceived career success and person-job fit perceptions; this positive relationship was partially mediated by proactive career behaviours. Overall, these findings support the career construction model of adaptation and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of career construction theory and the school-to-work transition process. Keywords: Career construction model of adaptation; Career adaptability; Career construction theory; school-to-work transition.