Linking Mentoring and Job Search Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

The present research aims to explore the impact of mentoring relationship on college graduates’ job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students by examining the mediator of job search intention and the moderator of job search self-efficacy. A two-wave survey study was conducted in China ( N = 594). Our findings show a positive indirect relation between mentoring and college graduates’ job search behaviors through job search intention. The graduates’ job search self-efficacy positively moderated the indirect relationship such that when job search self-efficacy was higher, the influence of mentoring on behavior via job search intention was stronger. These findings extend the literature by clarifying how and when mentoring facilitates graduates’ job search behaviors and provide practical implications for facilitating a smooth school-to-work transition in China. As the first study that empirically clarifies why (through job search intention) and when (job search self-efficacy) mentoring function is positively related to job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students, the present study contributes to the existing mentoring and job search literature. Future research is encouraged to extend the findings by integrating theory of planned behavior (TPB) with self-regulation theory toward deepening current understanding of how and when mentoring can contribute to a student’s success in job search behavior.

Do employee perceptions of needs–supply fit impact job satisfaction and job search behavior?

In this study, a job characteristics profile is developed to calculate indirect measures of needs–supply (N-S) fit. Two surveys were conducted with employees in Taiwan, to test N-S fit, employee job satisfaction, intention to leave, and job search behavior. The findings show that employee perceptions of indirect N-S fit are significantly related to job satisfaction and negatively related to intention to leave and job search behavior. We find that an individual’s desires, needs, and subjective “fit” perceptions can impact considerably on how the individual thinks and feels about their job and their inclinations to leave. In addition to contributing empirical evidence of how employee perceptions of N-S fit can affect employee intentions to leave, we conclude that it is of practical importance for practitioners to assess the congruence between an employee’s perceptions of what he or she needs in a job and their subjective perceptions of what is supplied.

Long-term effects of a job search intervention for transition-age youth with visual impairments

BACKGROUND: Research supports the short-term benefits of a job search intervention for youth with visual impairments, but its effectiveness over time has not been explored. OBJECTIVE: We examined the long-term effects of a research-based job search intervention on job search knowledge, job search behavior, job search self-efficacy, and employment outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study with 92 youth with visual impairments using a two-group, quasi-experimental repeated-measures design. The intervention group received 35–40 hours of job search skills training, and the comparison group received usual services. Data collection included telephone surveys at pretest, posttest, 8-month follow-up, and 14-month follow-up. RESULTS: Intervention group participants had increases in job search knowledge, job search behavior, and job search behavior self-efficacy at posttest; they maintained increases in knowledge and self-efficacy, but not behavior. Comparison group participants also had increases in job search behavior and job search behavior self-efficacy at the end of the study. Changes in job search outcomes self-efficacy were not evident for either group; neither were differences in post-intervention employment. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention had lasting effects on job search knowledge, but findings for other outcomes over time were mixed. Both groups had low employment rates throughout the study.

The Role of Emotion in Job Search Behavior Among College Students

Korean college students preparing to enter the world of work are going through a long-term process of job searching. During the process, individuals experience various emotions, which can motivate (or demotivate) them to keep going. The present study, grounded in motivational systems theory, examined the roles of emotions in job search behavior. A sample of 116 college students, who were seeking a job for the first time, participated. Using three-wave longitudinal data and multilevel modeling, within- and between-person-level associations were examined. The outcome variables were job search behavior and the number of resumes submitted. The results showed that individuals who experience more positive emotions and negative emotions were more likely to engage in job search behavior at both the within- and between-person levels. However, the number of resumes submitted was not significantly related to positive or negative emotions. The implications of the study were discussed.