Abstract

The present study is interested in investigating the types of career development in the Korean college students. Even if career decision has been one of the most frequently studied variables, career preparation behavior such as job search and preparing for job interview or job tests need to be investigated. When the two variables are considered at the same time, we can assume four different types of career development- (A)high career decision level and high career preparation behavior level, (B)high decision level but low preparation level, (C)low decision level but high preparation level, and (D)low decision level and low preparation level. The present study is to inquire if all the four types exist in Korean college students, and by what ratio and to inquire the relationships between the types and other varibles such as age(school year), career identity and anxiety. Eight hundred and seventy-nine students were sampled from five universities, which were randomly sampled out of thirteen national universities in Korea. A set of questionaires (Career Decision Scale, Career Preparation Behavior Scale, Career Identity Scale, Trait Anxiety Inventory) were administered in each of the five institutes. The administraters were chosen out of the professors of Education of the sampled institues, who volunteered to cooperate with the project. And the statistical techniques of frequency analysis, ANOVA, Duncan's method for multiple comparisions, correlation analysis, and crosstabs using SPSS/PC+ were used to examine the research problems in this study. The results of the present study were as follows- (l)The career decision level and career preparation behavior change in accordance with the age(school year) of the college students. They develop as the students go to the higher class in college. (2) Actually, all the four types of students were found among the college students (A type : 46, 15.7%, B type: 29, 9.9%, C type: 95, 32.4%, D type : 123, 42.9%). (3)Among freshmen and sophomores, over fifty percent of students are categorized as D type and only about ten percent are A type. But, the juniors and seniors are quite different from the younger students. (4)Each subtype has a unique characteristics in relation to the career decision level, career preparation behavior, career identity, and trait anxiety. Despite some limitations, this study provides rather strong empirical data against the uniformity myth for the career indecision, which has clear implications for the researchers and practitioners. And we suggest a need to replicate, but especially refine, the results by means of utilizing more clearly definded samples and variables that better differentiate. The extensive assessment across more specific populations and broad areas of functioning should allow the development of appropriate and individualized treatment plans.