The Role of Career Guidance and Counseling Services in Career Decision-Making Difficulties of University Students

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the role of career guidance and counseling services in career decision-making difficulties of university students. Career guidance and counseling services facilitate individuals in career choice, vocational training, and decision-making process and in career development at any phases of life. Career decision-making difficulties are all the problems and challenges that an individual faces prior to, during and after the career decision-making process. This study was quantitative in nature and compared career decision-making difficulties of undergraduate university students having provision and non-provision of career guidance and counseling services. A comparative research design was employed. Sample of the study was 306 final year undergraduate university students. The sample was selected through simple random sampling from two universities. The assessment measures were Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (Gati & Saka, 2001) and Career Service Checklist (NACE, 2015). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-XX1) was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, kurtosis and skewness) and inferential statistics (t-test, one-way analysis of variance and linear regression analysis) were applied to analyze the data. The study findings show that students having non- provision of career guidance and counseling services have high level of career decision-making difficulties as compared to students having non-provision of career guidance and counseling services (t (298) = 4.93). The result also indicated a difference on the subscales, lack of readiness (t (298) = 4.93), lack of information (t (298) = 6.72) and inconsistent information (t (298) = 6.52). Results revealed that career guidance and counseling services were statistically negatively significant predictor of career decision-making difficulties (β= -0.25; p=.000). ix Moreover, PCGCS was a statistically significant predictor of CDDQ (β= -0.54; p=0.000). It was found that socio-economic status on the basis of family income (F (3,296) =8.43) and parents education (Mother education, F (4,295) = 5.57; Father Education, (F (4,295) = 9.50) significantly influenced career decision-making difficulties of students. Female students face high level of career decision-making difficulties as compared to male students with t (2,298) = 3.41, p < .05. Recommendations were made to universities to pay more attention to establish career development centre and hire certified career counselors to mitigate career decision-making difficulties of students.