This study examined the characteristics of university new graduates’ career adaptability and the effects of individual internal factors during COVID-19. In January 2021, 1160 Chinese university new graduates completed self-report measures. Career adaptability was related to less intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity and higher levels of proactive personality and resilience. Resilience mediated the relationships between intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, and career adaptability. Proactive personality buffered the negative effect of anxiety sensitivity on career adaptability. Implications for promoting career adaptability and alleviating the effects of intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity in the COVID-19 epidemic and beyond are discussed.
AkkermansJRichardsonJKraimerML (2020) The Covid-19 crisis as a career shock: Implications for careers and vocational behavior. Journal of Vocational Behavior119: 103434.
2.
AroraTGreyI (2020) Health behaviour changes during COVID-19 and the potential consequences: A mini-review. Journal of Health Psychology25(9): 1155–1163.
3.
BaharAKoçakHSSamancıoğlu BağlamaS, et al. (2020) Can psychological resilience protect the mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic period?Dubai Medical Journal3(4): 133–139.
4.
BaronRMKennyDA (1986) The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology51(6): 1173–1182.
5.
BatemanTSCrantJM (1993) The proactive component of organizational behavior: A measure and correlates. Journal of Organizational Behavior14: 103–118.
6.
Buyukgoze-KavasA (2016) Predicting career adaptability from positive psychological traits. The Career Development Quarterly64(2): 114–125.
7.
CaiWDongWPanY, et al. (2018) Reliability, validation and norms of the Chinese version of anxiety sensitivity index 3 in a sample of military personnel. PLoS One13(8): e0201778.
8.
CaiZGuanYLiH, et al. (2015) Self-esteem and proactive personality as predictors of future work self and career adaptability: An examination of mediating and moderating processes. Journal of Vocational Behavior86: 86–94.
9.
CarletonRNNortonMAPJAsmundsonGJG (2007) Fearing the unknown: A short version of the intolerance of uncertainty scale. Journal of Anxiety Disorders21(1): 105–117.
10.
CarverCS (2010) Resilience and thriving: Issues, models, and linkages. Journal of Social Issues54(2): 245–266.
11.
ChenBLiQXZhangH, et al. (2020) The psychological impact of COVID-19 outbreak on medical staff and the general public. Current Psychology. 41: 5631–5639.
12.
ClemensVDeschampsPFegertJM, et al. (2020) Potential effects of “social” distancing measures and school lockdown on child and adolescent mental health. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry29(6): 739–742.
13.
ConnorKMDavidsonJR (2003) Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety18(2): 76–82.
14.
DenfeldQEricksonEValentA, et al. (2020) COVID-19: Challenges and lessons learned from early career investigators. Journal of Women's Health29(6): 752–754.
15.
FullerBMarlerLE (2009) Change driven by nature: A meta-analytic review of the proactive personality literature. Journal of Vocational Behavior75(3): 329–345.
16.
GongZXuZVan SwolL, et al. (2020) Proactive feedback seeking has a positive effect on career adaptability. Social Behavior and Personality48(1): 1–12.
17.
HanYZhuJLiL, et al. (2020) Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of anxiety sensitivity index-3 in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Frontiers in Psychology11: 12.
18.
HayesAF (2013) Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
19.
HouZJLeungSALiX, et al. (2012) Career Adaptabilities Scale—China form: Construction and initial validation. Journal of Vocational Behavior80(3): 686–691.
20.
JiangZ (2017) Proactive personality and career adaptability: The role of thriving at work. Journal of Vocational Behavior98: 85–97.
21.
KalaitzakiAETamiolakiARovithisM (2020) The healthcare professionals amidst COVID-19 pandemic: A perspective of resilience and posttraumatic growth. Asian Journal of Psychiatry52: 102172.
22.
KantenPUlkerFE (2012) A relational approach among perceived organizational support, proactive personality and voice behaviour. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences62: 1016–1022.
23.
KaratepeOMOlugbadeOA (2017) The effects of work social support and career adaptability on career satisfaction and turnover intentions. Journal of Management & Organization23(3): 337–355.
24.
KimBRheeEHaG, et al. (2016) Tolerance of uncertainty: Links to happenstance, career decision self-efficacy, and career satisfaction. The Career Development Quarterly64(2): 140–152.
25.
LeeJS (2019) Effect of resilience on intolerance of uncertainty in nursing university students. Nursing Forum54(1): 53–59.
26.
LiangLGaoTRenH, et al. (2020) Post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological distress in Chinese youths following the COVID-19 emergency. Journal of Health Psychology25(9): 1164–1175.
27.
LiCL (2020) College graduate employment under the impact of COVID-19: Employment pressure, psychological stress and employment choices. Educational Researcher41(7): 4–16.
28.
LiSLiLZhuX, et al. (2016) Comparison of characteristics of anxiety sensitivity across career stages and its relationship with nursing stress among female nurses in Hunan, China. BMJ Open6(5): e010829.
29.
LorenteLVeraMPeiróT (2021) Nurses´ stressors and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of coping and resilience. Journal of Advanced Nursing77(3): 1335–1344. DOI: 10.1111/jan.14695
30.
MaC (2020) Employment status of college students in COVID-19 epidemic and suggestion——From the perspective of career construction theory. China University Students Career Guide16: 34–39.
31.
MatiasTDominskiFHMarksDF (2020) Human needs in COVID-19 isolation. Journal of Health Psychology25(7): 871–882.
32.
NeterJWassermanmWKutnerMH (1985) Applied Linear Statistical Models: Regression, Analysis of Variance, and Experimental Designs, 2nd edn. Homewood, IL: Richard D. Irwin, Inc.
33.
OuimetAJKaneLTutinoJS (2016) Fear of anxiety or fear of emotions? Anxiety sensitivity is indirectly related to anxiety and depressive symptoms via emotion regulation. Cogent Psychology3(1): 249132.
34.
PaninaSVArkhipovaSNParnikovaTA, et al. (2020) Student career choices before and during quarantine measures. Journal of Education & Psychology8(3): e711.
35.
PanJGuanYWuJ, et al. (2018) The interplay of proactive personality and internship quality in Chinese university graduates’ job search success: The role of career adaptability. Journal of Vocational Behavior109: 14–26.
36.
PreacherKJHayesAF (2008) Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods40: 879–891.
37.
RogersAHBogiaizianDSalazarPL, et al. (2021) COVID-19 and anxiety sensitivity across two studies in Argentina: Associations with COVID-19 worry, symptom severity, anxiety, and functional impairment. Cognitive Therapy and Research45: 697–707.
38.
RuizFJ (2014) Psychological inflexibility mediates the effects of self-efficacy and anxiety sensitivity on worry. The Spanish Journal of Psychology17: E3.
39.
SadeghzadehMAbbasiMKhajaviY, et al. (2021) Psychological correlates of anxiety in response to COVID-19 outbreak among Iranian university students. Current Psychology. Epub ahead of print 6January2021. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-01237-7
40.
SavickasML (2005) The theory and practice of career construction. In: BrownSDLentRW (eds) Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, pp.42–70.
41.
SavickasML (2013) Career construction theory and practice. In: BrownSDLentRW (eds) Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work, 2nd edn.Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, pp.147–183.
42.
SavickasMLPorfeliEJ (2012) Career adapt-abilities scale: Construction, reliability, and measurement equivalence across 13 countries. Journal of Vocational Behavior80(3): 661–673.
43.
SeibertSECrantJMKraimerML (1999) Proactive personality and career success. Journal of Applied Psychology84(3): 416–427.
44.
SeibertSEKraimerMLHeslinPA (2016) Developing career resilience and adaptability. Organizational Dynamics45(3): 245–257.
45.
SmithBMTwohyAJSmithGS (2020) Psychological inflexibility and intolerance of uncertainty moderate the relationship between social isolation and mental health outcomes during COVID-19. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science18: 162–174.
46.
SmithBWDalenJWigginsK, et al. (2008) The brief resilience scale: Assessing the ability to bounce back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine15(3): 194–200.
47.
StewartSHZvolenskyMJEifertGH (2002) The relations of anxiety sensitivity, experiential avoidance, and alexithymic coping to young adults’ motivations for drinking. Behavior Modification26(2): 274–296.
48.
SuFZhangJ (2020) Proactive personality and innovative behavior: A moderated mediation model. Social Behavior and Personality48(3): 1–12.
49.
TaylorSZvolenskyMJCoxBJ, et al. (2007) Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: Development and initial validation of the anxiety sensitivity index-3. Psychological Assessment19(2): 176–188.
50.
VoitsidisPNikopoulouVAHolevaV, et al. (2021) The mediating role of fear of COVID-19 in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and depression. Psychology and Psychotherapy94(3): 884–893.
51.
WangDHouZJNiJ, et al. (2020) The effect of perfectionism on career adaptability and career decision-making difficulties. Journal of Career Development47(4): 469–483.
52.
WheatonMGDeaconBJMcGrathPB, et al. (2012) Dimensions of anxiety sensitivity in the anxiety disorders: Evaluation of the ASI-3. Journal of Anxiety Disorders26(3): 401–408.
53.
XuCGongXFuW, et al. (2020) The role of career adaptability and resilience in mental health problems in Chinese adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review112: 104893.
54.
XuHHouZJTraceyTJG, et al. (2016) Variations of career decision ambiguity tolerance between China and the United States and between high school and college. Journal of Vocational Behavior93: 120–128.
55.
YuYYuYHuJ (2021) COVID-19 among Chinese high school graduates: Psychological distress, growth, meaning in life and resilience. Journal of Health Psychology. 27(5): 1057–1069.
56.
ZhangYJSongJBGaoYT, et al. (2017) Reliability and validity of the intolerance of uncertainty scale-short form in university students. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology25(2): 285–288.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
