Predicting Career Adaptability From Positive Psychological Traits

This study investigated positive psychological traits as predictors of career adaptability in a group of emerging adults. A total of 415 undergraduate students (185 men, 230 women) from a large state-funded university in Turkey responded to Turkish versions of the Career Adaptability subscale of the Career Futures Inventory (Rottinghaus et al., 2005), the Dispositional Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1991), the Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1985), and the Ego Resiliency Scale (Block & Kremen, 1996). Results indicated moderate to strong correlations among the variables and suggested that students who are more resilient, hopeful, and optimistic are more likely to perceive themselves as more adaptable in their careers. Simultaneous multiple regression analysis indicated that career adaptability was significantly predicted by hope, resilience, and optimism. In light of these results, when designing career interventions to enhance the career adaptability of emerging adults, counselors should integrate various strategies to foster hope, resilience, and optimism.