The Mediation of Worry about Career between Career Indecision and Career Search Behavior in South Korean College Students

Background/Objectives: This study intended to explore the mediating role of worry about career in the influence of career indecision on career search behavior in South Korean college students. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Three hundred and twenty-five students attending Sun Moon University responded the questionnaire for this study. To measure Career indecision, KCII (Korean Career Indecision Inventory) was used. The researchers have made the Korean version of 11-items measures using ‘The Penn State Worry Questionnaire’ to measure Worry about Career and to measure Career search behavior, we used 16-items of Career Search Behavior Scale of Choi. Findings: We tested the relationships among the overall constructs and among the sub-factors using Mplus 7.0. Firstly, the result on the relationships among the overall constructs showed the positive direct influence of Career Indecision on Worry about career, the positive direct influence of Worry about Career on Career Search Behavior, the negative direct influence of Career Indecision on Career Search Behavior. Furthermore, the indirect effect (Career Indecision → Worry about Career → Career Search Behavior) was also significant. Next, the result on the relationships among the sub-factors showed as follows: Indecisiveness influenced Information-Seeking and Advice-Seeking with the mediation of Worry about Career. Lack of Necessity Recognition influenced all of three sub-factors of Career Search Behavior negatively with the mediation of Worry about Career. Lack of Self-Identity had a positive effect on Self-Seeking but a negative effect on Advice-Seeking with the mediation of Worry about Career. Finally, External Barrier had a positive effect on Information-Seeking and Advice-Seeking with the mediation of Worry about Career. Improvements/Applications: This study will contribute the theoretical and practical development of research, education, and counseling of career guidance.