Undecided Careers among Agriculture Undergraduates an Analysis of Determinants

Abstract

Career indecision amongst university undergraduates is defined as an inability to select a university major or an occupation. Making a career decision, in fact is one of the paramount decisions that young adults are confronted in a crucial period of their life. Factors such as external locus of control, societal expectations and poor identity formation could lead to stress and anxiety in young adults in their pursuit of success in life in terms of the career. Career indecision is linked to issues related to career development and problems in making career related decisions. Self-efficacy, career counseling opportunities, family support, and personality traits may have an impact on the student's ability to make career choices. This study examined the level and differences in career indecision by evaluating the impact of self-efficacy, career counseling opportunities, family support and personality on career indecision. The big five personality model was used to examine the personality variable which tested the characteristics of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. For this study, simple random sampling technique was used and 150 Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the sample which consisted of third year male and female Agriculture undergraduates of University of Peradeniya. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant negative impact of self-efficacy, career counseling opportunities, family support and conscientiousness while there was a negative impact of extraversion, agreeableness and openness to experience in career indecision. Furthermore, the findings revealed that there was a positive impact of neuroticism on career indecision.