THE ROLE OF CAREER COMPETENCIES ON CAREER ADAPTABILITY OF EARLY CAREER EMPLOYEES: SPECIAL REFERENCE OF RECENT GRADUATES OF FACULTY OF COMMERCE AND MANAGEMENT, EASTERN UNIVERSITY, SRI LANKA

Abstract

In addition to acquiring occupation, specific knowledge and skills, students need to develop a set of career competencies or resources that helps them to successfully maneuverer the various career-related challenges they face and that stimulate their wellbeing, engagement, and performance in studying tasks and beyond that. Enhancing career adaptability plays a vital role in shaping the career development of students, especially early career employees. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between career competencies and career adaptability among recent graduates of Faculty of Commerce and Management, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. This research is quantitative research which uses a self-administered questionnaire as the instrument to collect data. A total of 213 respondents responded to a set of electronic questionnaires from recent graduates who had less than five years of work experience in local context. The data collected were then evaluated using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Version 23. A measurement model and hypotheses testing were also conducted using SPSS software. The univariate analysis revealed that the level of career competencies and career adaptability were high. Further the Pearson Correlation analysis revealed that there were positive significant relationships between career competencies and career adaptability. Regression analysis showed that career competencies have become the most influential factor toward career adaptability. This study makes contributions to the growing understanding of career construction by emphasizing the important role of career skills for early career employees. The study also suggests that universities should prioritize the development and expansion of vocational education initiatives. They should not only help undergraduates establish clear career goals, but also develop a positive and flexible outlook on life to help them adapt to the various changes that may arise throughout their life journeys.