Joanna Molyn

Students’ Career Self-Efficacy A recent study of 955 University of Greenwich Business Faculty undergraduate students, using Career Decision Self-Efficacy (CDSE: Taylor & Betz, 1983) shown that most students have a moderate level of belief that they can successfully complete tasks necessary to making career decisions. Career Self-Efficacy Sub-ScaleMean Accurate self-appraisal3.35 Gathering occupational information3.44 Goal selection3.51 Making plans for the future3.58 Problem solving3.60 Score Interpretation: : Low to Little confidence: intervention needed : Moderate Confidence: may need some help : Good confidence. comfortable with this skill set

Students’ Preparatory Job Seeking Behaviours If self-efficacy is one of the best predictors of job-searching behaviour (Zimmerman et al., 2012; Niles and Sowa, 1992) Then why are the preparatory job-seeking behaviours (Saks & Ashforth (1999) so low? Planning phase of the job process: gathering job information, identifying leads, CV preparation, filling out a job application, etc. Students’ Outcome Expectancy? 1= 0 times in 3 mths; 5= high activity (>10 times) medium activity (3-9 times) 2 = low activity (1 or 2 times) 1 = no activity (0 times)

Students’ Preparatory Job Seeking Behaviours (Saks & Ashforth, 1999)

-Predispositions -Gender -Ethnicity -Disability/Health Status Cultural & Gender Role Models Learning Experiences Students’ Self-Efficacy Expectations: “Can I do this?” Students’ Outcome Expectancy: “If I do this, what will happen?” Interests Choice Goals Choice Actions Employability Efforts of Students (Job Searching Behaviours) Cultural Influences Financial & Emotional Support Sociostructural Barriers (e.g.Discrimination) Modified Social Cognitive Career Theory's Model of Career-Related Behaviour (Brown & Lent, 2013)

Students’ Outcome Expectancy Mindset & expectations (Dweck, 2006; the Pygmalion effect – 1960s Rosenthal–Jacobson’s study) Cultural gender role models, cultural influences & socio- economic background (Brown & Lent, 2013) Social capital (Hill, 2011) Interpersonal skills (Hill, 2011)

The Role of Coaching: Raising Students’ Outcome Expectancy Coaching Intervention Purpose Running Mindset Coaching Workshops for students (based on Carol Dweck’s workshops at Stanford University) Designed to develop students’ growth mindset. Mindset is a central factor to students’ resilience and attitude towards effort and learning. Students with ‘growth mindset’ believe that their abilities can be developed through effort and hard work and will often perceive a failure or challenge as an opportunity to learn (Dweck, 2000). A job search involves a lot of failure and rejection. Leadership training coaching workshops for students. To to develop their interpersonal skills - considered the most important element of students' career success (Hill, 2011)

The Role of Coaching: Raising Students’ Outcome Expectancy Coaching Intervention Purpose Solutions Focus Training for Personal Tutors Personal Tutors as Facilitators to empower students. Students have all the answers within themselves and possess all strengths and resources necessary to resolve their problem(s). Personal Tutors looking for evidence of students’ competence, resources, experiences and abilities and social support around students. Mentoring Scheme for Students Alumni as Guest Speakers and VLs Passport Point Scheme To develop students’ social capital networks and to expose them to business role models (Hill, 2011).

Selected References Bandura, A. (1977), ‘Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioural change’, Psychological Review 41: Brown, S.D. and Lent, R.W. (2013), Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work (2 nd ed.), New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dweck, C. S. (2006), Mindset: How You Can Fulfill Your Potential. London: Constable& Robinson Ltd Hill, S. (2011), ‘Making connections: the role of social capital in the enhancement of employability of first generation business studies graduates.’ Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning 13(2): Kumar, A. (2007), Personal, Academic and Career Development in Higher Education: SOARing to success, New York: Routledge Saks, A. M., & Ashforth, B. E. (1999). ‘Effects of individual differences and job search behaviors on the employment status of recent university graduates’. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54, Taylor, K. M., & Betz, N. E. (1983). ‘Applications of self-efficacy theory to the understanding and treatment of career indecision.’, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 22, Zimmerman, R. D., Boswell, W. R., Shipp, A. J., Dunford, B. B., & Boudreau, J. W. (2012). ‘Explaining the pathways between approach-avoidance personality traits and employees' job search behavior’. Journal of Management, 38: