作者信息表（姚弘，已填）
| 作者排序 | 姓名 | 性别 | 职称 | 学历 | 邮箱 | 单位信息 |
| 第1作者 | 姚弘 (Yao Hong) | 男 (Male) | 讲师 / 党总支书记 | 本科，硕士 | [email protected] | 南通职业大学药品与环境工程学院，江苏省南通市 School of Pharmaceutical and Environmental Engineering, Nantong Vocational University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China |
研究方向：就业与学生管理研究
个人简历扩展：
– 南通市青年就业宣导团专家、职业指导师、江苏省就业创业指导骨干教师
– 主持省级课题《长江经济带战略下大学生就业效力与产业结构关系研究》(JCKT-B-2019203, 已结题)
– 2018–2021年任《南通市人才质量报告》副主编
– 主编高职高专江苏省“十三五”规划教材《大学生创业思维与实践》
– 主编高职高专教材《大学生职业规划与就业指导》
– 主持2022年南通市青少年工作研究课题《“双循环”新格局下南通高校毕业生高质量就业研究》
基金支持（Project Support）：
– 《长江经济带战略下大学生就业效力与产业结构关系研究》(JCKT-B-2019203，已结题)
– 南通市青少年工作研究课题《“双循环”新格局下南通高校毕业生高质量就业研究》
通讯作者以前发表过的文章（Previous Publications by Corresponding Author）：
（请通讯作者补充代表性文章，如无可留空）
Invoice信息（Invoice Information）：
Name: Yao Hong
Institution: Nantong Vocational University
Full Address: School of Pharmaceutical and Environmental Engineering, Nantong Vocational University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
Postal Code: （请确认）
Abstract
Career counselling programs have become central to universities’ efforts to enhance graduate employability in increasingly competitive labour markets. This study aims to examine the impact of career guidance workshops, internship and job placement support, and Resume/interview preparation services on employment outcomes for graduating students. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed, using data from 300 final-year students, analysed through descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlations, and regression in SPSS. Results revealed strong positive correlations, with internship and placement support emerging as the strongest predictor of employment outcomes (β = 0.403, R² = 0.717). The study concludes that career counselling programs significantly improve graduates’ employment prospects. Recommendations emphasize embedding workshops in curricula, expanding internship access, and innovating Resume/interview training. The findings imply that multidimensional counselling enhances employability capital and labour-market readiness. Limitations include reliance on self-reported, cross-sectional data, suggesting future longitudinal and multi-institutional research.
Keywords: Career counselling, employability, internship support, Resume preparation, employment outcomes
1. Introduction
1.1. Background of the Study
In recent years, higher education institutions increasingly incorporate career counselling and coaching interventions to support graduating students’ transition into the labor market (van der Baan et al., 2024). Such programs typically offer structured workshops, one-on-one coaching, resume and interview preparation, employer networking events, and placement support (van der Baan et al., 2024). Empirical evidence suggests that career coaching is positively associated with the development of employability competences, such as career planning, self-efficacy, and adaptability, which in turn enhance job attainment and job relevance (van der Baan et al., 2024). In a meta-analysis of individual career counselling, Milot-Lapointe et al. (2021) report meaningful effect sizes for career intervention on career and mental health outcomes, implying that counselling can yield sustainable benefits for clients beyond short-term gains.
Furthermore, quantitative research in Vietnam demonstrated that career development learning (a close analogue to counselling or structured career education) significantly enhances students’ perceived employability, with human capital (e.g., knowledge, skills) mediating the effect (Ho et al., 2023). In addition, broader “career and employability enhancement” programs across multiple national contexts show that 20–40 % of participants secure employment or education within 2–3 months post-program, and a large majority of those obtain “decent work” (e.g., permanent roles) (Okolie et al., 2022). These findings suggest that career counselling may play a quantifiable role in shaping employment outcomes.
1.2. Problem Statement
Despite growing investment in career counselling services at universities, there remains insufficient evidence on which components of these programs most strongly drive employment outcomes among graduating students. Many existing studies focus on overall “counselling vs. no counselling” comparisons without disaggregating the relative contributions of workshops, placement support, or interview training (Milot-Lapointe et al., 2021; Jackson & Cook, 2025). Moreover, in some institutional settings, students report low satisfaction or limited awareness of the variety of services offered, raising concerns about program uptake and effectiveness (Moore, 2025). In contexts with constrained resources, identifying which interventions yield the greatest return in employment outcomes is critical for decision makers.
Additionally, there is a methodological gap: few studies employ a rigorous quantitative design that treats components of career counselling as separate independent variables measured against a common dependent variable (employment outcomes). The long-term sustainability of effects is also underexplored outside psychological well-being or decision satisfaction (Milot-Lapointe et al. 2021). Hence, a focused quantitative study that decomposes counselling into component interventions and links them directly to employment metrics (e.g., job attainment rate, time to employment, job–field match) is warranted.
1.3. Aim and Research Objective
This study aims to examine the impact of career counselling programs on employment outcomes for graduating students by analysing the effectiveness of specific program components.
- To evaluate the effect of career guidance workshops on employment outcomes of graduating students.
- To assess the influence of internship and job placement support provided through career counselling programs on employment outcomes of graduating students.
- To determine the impact of resume-building and interview preparation services within career counselling programs on employment outcomes of graduating students.
1.4. Significance of the Study
This study holds both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, it refines prior counselling research by disaggregating program components rather than treating counselling as a monolithic treatment. This provides greater precision in modelling how specific interventions influence employment transitions. Practically, the findings can guide university career centers, educational policymakers, and institutional planners to allocate limited resources toward the program elements that most effectively boost graduates’ job outcomes. In resource-constrained higher education settings, this targeted insight is especially valuable. Also, the study contributes to evidence-based practice in career development, offering empirical justification for particular counselling services. Finally, by linking counselling components to measurable employment indicators (e.g., job attainment rate, time to employment, job relevance), the findings can foster accountability and continuous improvement in career services programming.
2. Literature Review
Universities have expanded career counselling to improve graduate employability and labour-market transitions, yet evidence is uneven on which program components yield measurable gains in employment outcomes. Recent studies emphasise decomposing “career services” into specific interventions, skills workshops, work-integrated learning and placement support, and Resume/interview preparation, to understand their distinct effects and the mechanisms through which they operate (Hong et al., 2023; Scandurra et al., 2024). Building on this direction, the review below aligns with the three research objectives and culminates in a theory-driven framework and an identified literature gap.
2.1. Career Guidance Workshops and Graduate Employment
Career guidance workshops are a ubiquitous feature of university counselling, typically covering career exploration, labour-market information, networking, professional identity, and job-search strategy. Contemporary research links workshop participation to the development of employability competences (e.g., career self-management, adaptability, networking efficacy) that are empirically associated with higher-quality job transitions (van der Baan et al., 2024; Jackson & Cook, 2025). In a two-study investigation, van der Baan et al. (2024) show that structured career coaching and workshop-like activities significantly predict students’ growth in employability competences, suggesting a proximal pathway from programmed learning to labour-market readiness. Complementing this, Jackson et al. (2024) reports that graduates’ career resources (including career management and social capital built through guided activities) are positively related to securing “quality work,” underscoring that workshops are valuable when they explicitly cultivate such resources rather than deliver generic advice.
Beyond individual competences, systems-level analyses of employability models argue for mapping workshop content to validated constructs, human capital, social capital, and career adaptability, so that outcome evaluation can move from satisfaction measures to behavioural and employment metrics (Hong et al., 2023; Tight, 2023). Workshops that embed assessment, feedback, and authentic tasks (e.g., labour-market mapping or targeted networking plans) appear more likely to translate into job outcomes, because they foster purposeful career behaviours and stronger job–field matches (Phusavat et al., 2025). Curricular embedding also matters: Koseda (2025) highlights that treating employability as an educational goal requires alignment with teaching, learning and assessment; freestanding workshops may underperform unless integrated with subject learning and assessed outputs. Taken together, recent literature supports the proposition that well-designed guidance workshops, especially when competency-based and curriculum-integrated, contribute to improved employment outcomes via strengthened career self-management, labour-market knowledge, and professional networks (Hong et al., 2023; Koseda, 2025; Tight, 2023; van der Baan et al., 2024).
2.2. Internship and Job-Placement Support and Employment Outcomes
Work-integrated learning (WIL), internships, placement years, and formal placement-office support constitute a second, empirically robust pillar of career counselling. Recent studies consistently find that participation in WIL or structured placement support is associated with higher employment rates, faster transitions, and earnings premiums (Delis & Jones, 2023; Scandurra et al., 2024). Using administrative data, Delis and Jones (2023) show that completing a work placement is linked to higher starting salaries after controlling for observables, while Jackson et al. (2024) documents positive short-term employment impacts for HASS students participating in WIL. At the institutional support layer, placement cells that broker internships, liaise with employers, and scaffold preparation can facilitate smoother school-to-work transitions, particularly in settings where students lack industry ties (Panakaje et al., 2024).
However, the benefits are not evenly distributed. Divan et al. (2022) analyse a six-year dataset and reveal inequities in access to placement-year opportunities, with implications for graduate prospects. Scandurra et al.’s (2024) systematic review likewise notes that program effects vary by discipline, institution, and student background, calling for granular evaluation of placement design (duration, supervision quality, employer engagement, and assessment). At the meso-level, broader employability discourse urges caution against over-reliance on “skills lists,” advocating frameworks that account for structural factors (e.g., hiring practices, internship pay, and network effects) which can amplify or mute the efficacy of placement support (Hong et al., 2023; Tight, 2023). Recent studies also point to labour-market conditions as moderators of program impact; when hiring tightens, university ties and networks can play a larger role in early labour-market outcomes (Ma et al., 2023). Overall, contemporary evidence supports the RO2 expectation that internship and placement support improve employment outcomes, while highlighting equity, design quality, and labour-market context as critical boundary conditions (Delis & Jones, 2023; Divan et al., 2022; Jackson et al., 2024; Scandurra et al., 2024).
2.3. Resume-Building and Interview-Preparation Services and Employment Outcomes
Another strand is about job-search performance: Quality of resumes, targeting applications, and performance on interviews. Empirical research is starting to go beyond perceptions to investigate the process of skill acquisition and behavioural consequences. Anaza et al. (2023) show that an interview assignment in a mock-interview format led to a greater improvement in students in interview skills and career readiness, which means that training based on structured and well-feedback practise can shift job-search behaviour in quantifiable manners. Particularly interesting evidence can be the form of randomised and quasi-experimental studies of job-interview training using virtual reality (VR-JIT), which Last et al. (2022) report has led to better interviewing, and Cascullos et al. (2024), in a hybrid, multi-sites study, demonstrate the feasibility and attitudes towards interview anxiety, with transferable implications to the student counselling case (Last et al., 2022). Qualitative study also sheds light on mechanisms, deliberate practise, immediate feedback, and regulation of anxiety, by which interview training is converted to the impactful functioning during a real interview (Blajeski et al., 2023).
In addition to interviews, disciplinary domain specific Resume review and analytics research (e.g., bio medical engineering) demonstrates that specifically matching Resume evidence to recruiter-valued skills can be learned and audited to enhance signalling and shortlisting probability (Wang et al., 2024). Research on the programmatic level claims that Resume and interview services would be the most effective when incorporated into a scaffolded career curriculum integrating labour-market knowledge, networking, and reflective learning, thus allowing students to transform better artefacts of application and interview skills into employment (Kang et al., 2023; Jackson & Cook, 2025). Together, they support RO3: high-fidelity Resume and interview preparation services, in particular, application of practice-plus-feedback and simulated assessment, are connected with better employment, which is based on the improved signalling quality, competence among applicants, and reduced performance anxiety (Anaza et al., 2023; Blajeski et al., 2023; Smith et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2024).
2.4. Theoretical Framework
Two complementary perspectives ground the hypothesised relationships between program components and employment outcomes.
Human capital theory posits that education and training increase productivity and earnings through knowledge and skill accumulation. Contemporary employability scholarship extends this to a multidimensional “employability capital” view that integrates human, social, and psychological capitals alongside career self-management (Akkermans et al., 2024; Donald et al., 2024). Workshops contribute by developing career self-management and labour-market knowledge (human/psychological capital), internships and placement support expand networks and experience (human/social capital), and Resume/interview training enhances signalling and conversion of capital into offers. Donald et al. (2024) provide an operationalised model that maps these capitals to measurable outcomes, offering a template for variable construction in quantitative designs. This integrated perspective predicts positive effects of each component on employment outcomes via distinct but complementary capital pathways (Akkermans et al., 2024; Donald et al., 2024).
SCCT explains how self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals, shaped by contextual supports, drive career behaviours and outcomes. Recent applications show that educational supports elevate employability by strengthening self-efficacy and promoting adaptive behaviours (e.g., targeted job search, persistence) (Liu et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2022). In this study’s context, workshops can raise job-search self-efficacy and crystallise goals; internships/placement support increase outcome expectations through mastery experiences and employer feedback; and interview training reduces anxiety while boosting efficacy for performance tasks. SCCT thus provides a process model linking program components to employment outcomes via cognitive-motivational mediators (Liu et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2022). Combining SCCT with employability capital enables a dual-lens explanation: interventions build capital stocks and activate efficacy-driven behaviours required to convert those stocks into employment.
2.5. Literature Gap
Although the literature increasingly recognises the heterogeneity of career counselling, most studies still evaluate “career services” as an aggregate or examine singular interventions without modelling their relative contributions to employment outcomes using a common design and outcome set. Recent reviews call for operational clarity and theory-aligned measurement that distinguishes capital accumulation (what students gain) from conversion (how gains produce jobs) (Hong et al., 2023; Akkermans et al., 2024; Donald et al., 2024). Moreover, while WIL and placement participation show robust average benefits, equity of access and program design quality are uneven, and moderating roles of labour-market conditions and student background remain under-specified (Divan et al., 2022; Scandurra et al., 2024). Evidence on Resume/interview services is promising but fragmented, with relatively few studies linking these supports directly to objective employment outcomes (e.g., time-to-employment, job-field match, earnings) in student samples using multivariate models alongside workshops and placement supports. Accordingly, there is a clear need for a component-level, theory-informed, quantitative study that treats (a) guidance workshops, (b) internship/placement support, and (c) Resume/interview preparation as distinct independent variables predicting a common set of employment outcomes, while testing capital- and SCCT-based mediators and accounting for equity and context moderators.
3. Research Methodology
This study adopts a quantitative approach to systematically investigate the impact of career counselling programs on employment outcomes for graduating students. Quantitative research allows the use of measurable indicators, statistical tools, and hypothesis testing to establish relationships between independent and dependent variables (Creswell, 2009). The following subsections outline the research method and design, data collection strategies, data analysis procedures, and ethical considerations guiding the study.
3.1. Research Method and Research Design
The research employs a quantitative method with a cross-sectional survey design. Quantitative designs are appropriate when the purpose is to test relationships between defined variables and generate statistically valid findings (Queirós et al., 2017). In this study, the independent variables are the components of career counselling programs, career guidance workshops, internship and placement support, and Resume/interview preparation services, while the dependent variable is employment outcomes.
A questionnaire survey is chosen as the primary instrument because it facilitates the collection of standardized responses from a relatively large sample in a cost-effective manner (Saunders et al., 2019). Structured questionnaires are widely used in educational and employability research as they provide reliable data for quantitative analysis (Taherdoost, 2020). The cross-sectional nature of the design means data was collected at one point in time, which is suitable for examining immediate associations between counselling services and employment outcomes among graduating students (Cohen et al., 2002). This design allows the researcher to identify trends and patterns without the cost and complexity of longitudinal tracking.
3.2. Data Collection
The target group involves final-year undergraduate students who are studying in universities because they have the highest probability of benefiting in career counselling programmes, and are soon entering the job markets. The targeted population means that the information will be able to reflect the views and experience of those in the crucial school-to-work transition period (Jackson & Cook, 2025). A population was sampled of 300 students because this allows an adequate level of statistical power and generalizability. As the guidelines of the social science research state, medium effect sizes should be found within the sample of 200-400 in order to analyse regression results (Hair et al., 2019). This is consistent with the formula proposed by Krejcie and Morgan (1970) that recommended the sample of 300 respondents. The study utilised stratified random sampling in order to be representative in various faculties or disciplines. Stratification minimises sampling error and improves representativeness by introducing diversity in the backgrounds of the students that may affect both exposures to career counselling and the chances of employment (Etikan and Bala, 2017). Institutional email and student networks were used to identify participants and the survey was conducted online to ensure the survey was as accessible and reachable as possible.
3.3. Data Analysis Method
The SPSS (Statistical Package of the Social Sciences) was used to analyse the data, and this software is commonly used in quantitative educational and social research (Pallant, 2020). This was analysed in three steps. The first one was descriptive statistics, where requencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were employed to describe demographic factors and respondents levels of involvement in career counselling activities (Suraci et al., 2021). This step gives a clear picture of data set and confirms assumptions concerning sample representativeness. The second one is correlation analysis; Pearson correlation coefficient was utilised to test the strength and direction of relationships between independent variables (career counselling components) and the dependent variable (employment outcomes). Correlation assists to determine the existence of a positive relationship between increased involvement in a component and better outcomes (Schober and Schwarte, 2018). The third is regression analysis, multiple regression test the predictability of individual careers counselling elements on the outcomes in terms of employment held at the expense of demographic variables of (gender, discipline or prior employment experience). The regression is appropriate in determining the contribution of each independent variable relative to others and in determining which of the counselling services is most influential (Hair et al., 2019). The findings served as evidences to the research goals of the study and give out policy and practise recommendations. Correlation and regression contribute to the strength of outputs, going beyond the correlation to the measurement of the predictive effects (Field, 2024).
3.4. Ethical Considerations
The findings of this study were conducted according to the usual ethics in order to achieve honesty and to safeguard the participants. Participation was made informed with a guarantee that information could be employed in academic use only. The respondents were made to know that they may withdraw at any time without being penalised. The anonymity and confidentiality ensured in this study was through removal of identifiable features of responses, and storage of data in secure locations with limited accessibility. Research ethics committee of the university were consulted concerning ethical approval to proceed with data collection.
4. Data Analysis
To investigate the relationship between career counselling programmes and employment, the data in this chapter comes as a result of the survey conducted on 300 students who are graduating. The analysis involves descriptive statistics to describe the demographic profiles, reliability analysis to study internal consistency of the scales, normality tests to study the data distribution, correlation analysis to study relationship among study variables and regression analysis to identify predictors of employment outcomes. The results are discussed in terms of research objectives, and their interpretation correlates the results obtained statistically with the theoretical context of the study and the existing literature.
4.1. Descriptive Statistics
The demographic profile of the respondents is summarized in Table 1. The gender distribution shows that 168 participants (56.0%) were male, while 132 (44.0%) were female. This near balance ensures gender representativeness, thereby reducing the likelihood of gender bias in perceptions of career counselling and employment outcomes.
Table 1: Gender Distribution
| Gender | |||||
| Frequency | Percent | Valid Percent | Cumulative Percent | ||
| Valid | Male | 168 | 56.0 | 56.0 | 56.0 |
| Female | 132 | 44.0 | 44.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | 300 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
Age distribution, shown in Table 2, indicates that 91 respondents (30.3%) were between 20–22 years, 105 (35.0%) were between 23–25 years, and 104 (34.7%) were above 25 years. The spread across categories suggests that respondents represented both traditional undergraduates and slightly older students, potentially capturing a range of experiences with career support services.
Table 2: Age Group Distribution
| Age Group | |||||
| Frequency | Percent | Valid Percent | Cumulative Percent | ||
| Valid | 20–22 years | 91 | 30.3 | 30.3 | 30.3 |
| 23–25 years | 105 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 65.3 | |
| Above 25 years | 104 | 34.7 | 34.7 | 100.0 | |
| Total | 300 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
The field of study distribution, presented in Table 3, shows that students came from diverse academic backgrounds: Business/Management (21.3%), Engineering/Technology (21.0%), Social Sciences (23.7%), Health Sciences (23.3%), and Others (10.7%). This balanced representation enhances the generalizability of findings across disciplines, as employability support needs may differ by faculty.
Table 3: Faculty/Field of Study Distribution
| Faculty/Field of Study | |||||
| Frequency | Percent | Valid Percent | Cumulative Percent | ||
| Valid | Business/Management | 64 | 21.3 | 21.3 | 21.3 |
| Engineering/Technology | 63 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 42.3 | |
| Social Sciences | 71 | 23.7 | 23.7 | 66.0 | |
| Health Sciences | 70 | 23.3 | 23.3 | 89.3 | |
| Others | 32 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 100.0 | |
| Total | 300 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
The descriptive results demonstrate a well-distributed demographic profile, which enhances the credibility of the subsequent analyses.
4.2. Reliability Analysis
To establish the internal consistency of the scales, Cronbach’s Alpha values were calculated for each construct. Table 4 shows that all four scales achieved alpha values above the recommended threshold of 0.70, indicating high reliability. Specifically, Career Guidance Workshops yielded α = 0.829, Internship and Job Placement Support α = 0.806, Resume and Interview Preparation α = 0.808, and Employment Outcomes α = 0.826. These results confirm that the measurement items for each construct were consistent and suitable for further statistical analysis.
Table 4: Reliability Analysis
| Scale | Cronbach’s Alpha | N of Items |
| Career Guidance Workshops | 0.829 | 5 |
| Internship and Job Placement Support | 0.806 | 5 |
| Resume-Building and Interview Preparation | 0.808 | 5 |
| Employment Outcomes | 0.826 | 5 |
4.3. Normality Analysis
The Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests were used to assess normality. Table 5 indicates that all variables had significance values less than 0.05, suggesting deviations from normal distribution.
Table 5: Normal Tests
| Tests of Normality | ||||||
| Kolmogorov-Smirnova | Shapiro-Wilk | |||||
| Statistic | df | Sig. | Statistic | df | Sig. | |
| Career Guidance Workshops | .120 | 300 | .000 | .934 | 300 | .000 |
| Internship and Job Placement Support | .134 | 300 | .000 | .941 | 300 | .000 |
| Resume-Building and Interview Preparation Services | .122 | 300 | .000 | .944 | 300 | .000 |
| Employment Outcomes | .133 | 300 | .000 | .935 | 300 | .000 |
| a. Lilliefors Significance Correction | ||||||
Although the significance values indicate non-normality, the large sample size (n = 300) reduces the practical impact of this violation. According to the Central Limit Theorem, parametric tests such as regression remain robust when sample sizes exceed 30. Additionally, Spearman’s rho was chosen for correlation analysis to accommodate non-normal distributions.
4.4. Correlation Analysis
The Spearman’s rho correlation matrix in Table 6 highlights strong, positive, and significant associations among all variables. Career Guidance Workshops correlated strongly with Employment Outcomes (ρ = 0.771, p < 0.01), Internship and Job Placement Support showed an even stronger relationship (ρ = 0.813, p < 0.01), and Resume/Interview Preparation also demonstrated a robust link (ρ = 0.785, p < 0.01).
Table 6: Correlation Matrix (Spearman’s rho)
| Correlations | |||||
| Career Guidance Workshops | Internship and Job Placement Support | Resume-Building and Interview Preparation Services | |||
| Spearman’s rho | Employment Outcomes | Correlation Coefficient | .771** | .813** | .785** |
| Sig. (2-tailed) | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
| N | 300 | 300 | 300 | ||
| **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). | |||||
These findings suggest that all dimensions of career counselling are positively interrelated and strongly connected to employment outcomes. This aligns with prior research highlighting the integrated role of workshops, internships, and interview preparation in shaping employability (Jackson et al., 2024).
4.5. Regression Analysis
Table 7 demonstrates that the regression model explains 71.7% of the variance in Employment Outcomes (R² = 0.717, Adjusted R² = 0.714). The high R value (0.847) indicates a strong collective predictive relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable.
Table 7: Model Summary
| Model Summary | ||||
| Model | R | R Square | Adjusted R Square | Std. Error of the Estimate |
| 1 | .847a | .717 | .714 | .575 |
| a. Predictors: (Constant), Resume-Building and Interview Preparation Services, Career Guidance Workshops, Internship and Job Placement Support | ||||
The ANOVA results in Table 8 show that the model is statistically significant (F = 249.907, p < 0.001), confirming that Career Guidance Workshops, Internship Support, and Resume/Interview Services jointly predict Employment Outcomes.
Table 8: ANOVA
| ANOVAa | ||||||
| Model | Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. | |
| 1 | Regression | 248.728 | 3 | 82.909 | 249.907 | .000b |
| Residual | 98.201 | 296 | .332 | |||
| Total | 346.929 | 299 | ||||
| a. Dependent Variable: Employment Outcomes | ||||||
| b. Predictors: (Constant), Resume-Building and Interview Preparation Services, Career Guidance Workshops, Internship and Job Placement Support | ||||||
Table 9 presents the coefficients for each independent variable. All predictors were statistically significant. Internship and Job Placement Support emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.403, p < 0.001), followed by Resume/Interview Preparation (β = 0.257, p < 0.001) and Career Guidance Workshops (β = 0.244, p < 0.001).
Table 9: Coefficients
| Coefficientsa | ||||||
| Model | Unstandardized Coefficients | Standardized Coefficients | t | Sig. | ||
| B | Std. Error | Beta | ||||
| 1 | (Constant) | .308 | .113 | 2.728 | .007 | |
| Career Guidance Workshops | .240 | .056 | .244 | 4.322 | .000 | |
| Internship and Job Placement Support | .407 | .064 | .403 | 6.363 | .000 | |
| Resume-Building and Interview Preparation Services | .262 | .058 | .257 | 4.474 | .000 | |
| a. Dependent Variable: Employment Outcomes | ||||||
The interpretation of these results suggests that all three components of career counselling significantly enhance employment outcomes. The finding that internship and placement support is the strongest predictor underscores the importance of practical experience and employer linkages in securing employment. Resume and interview preparation services also have a meaningful effect, emphasizing the role of presentation and confidence during recruitment. Finally, career workshops contribute significantly, although to a lesser extent, by equipping students with career planning and decision-making skills.
4.6. Chapter Summary
This chapter presented detailed statistical analyses addressing the research objectives. The demographic distribution confirmed diversity in gender, age, and discipline, ensuring broad representation. Reliability analysis confirmed the internal consistency of all scales. Normality tests indicated non-normal distributions, but the robustness of the statistical methods justified proceeding with nonparametric and parametric analyses. Correlation results revealed strong positive associations between all independent variables and employment outcomes. Regression analysis identified Internship and Placement Support as the most influential predictor, followed by Resume/Interview Services and Career Guidance Workshops. These findings collectively confirm that career counselling programs significantly influence employment outcomes, with each component playing a distinct but complementary role.
5. Discussion
This chapter interprets the results presented in Chapter 4 and aligns them with prior literature. The discussion is organized according to the three research objectives, focusing on the effect of career guidance workshops, internship and placement support, and Resume/interview preparation services on employment outcomes.
5.1. Career Guidance Workshops and Employment Outcomes
These results showed that career guidance workshops and employment outcomes have a large positive correlation (r = 0.771, p < 0.01). This implies that attending organised workshops prepares the students with better labour-market knowledge, decision-making techniques, and career self-management skills, which translate to better job opportunities. This is in line with the research conducted by van der Baan et al. (2024) that proved that employability competences become significantly more powerful via workshops and career coaching interventions. In the same way, Jackson et al. (2024) has highlighted that career services and resources that are attained in workshops like career planning and networking have a close relationship with quality employment. The validity of workshops in the formulation of employment paths is also supported by Hong et al. (2023) who claimed that competency-based training entrenched in career direction is better able to produce outcomes in the employment context than general advisory sessions. Furthermore, Koseda (2025) and Tight (2023) emphasised that employability-oriented workshops can be complemented by curriculum changes to make them more effective since the former integrates career development in education. The findings in these arguments coincide with those of the current study, as they establish the fact that workshops are a significant tool in ensuring that theoretical learning is enhanced through practical career preparation.
5.2. Internship and Job Placement Support and Employment Outcomes
The regression analysis revealed that internship and job placement support had greatest predictive power of the employment outcomes (b = 0.403, p < 0.001). This outcome underscores the role played by experiential learning and employer networks in the process of helping people enter labour markets. In line with this, Delis and Jones (2023) have set that work placements result in increased starting salaries and expedited employment transitions whereas Jackson and Cook (2024) found that work-integrated learning participation also increases employment outcomes, especially in humanities and social sciences. The present results are also consistent with the work of Divan et al. (2022) who found that the impact of placement opportunities on graduate employment is important but not equal among groups of students. Scandurra et al. (2024) also confirmed that effectively designed employability programs such as internships imply quantifiable benefits in employment, yet results may be different based on the design of the program and the demographics of students. More so, Ilyes and Kezdi (2023) have indicated that the relationship between universities and employers boosts employment opportunities in the unpredictable state of the labour-market, which gives credence to the notion that placement support services are instrumental in making graduates resilient. Collectively, the findings of this research align with the previous empirical data stating that internships and placement assistance are the most effective strategies in career counselling programme in improving employability. This highlights the importance of long term cooperation between institutions of higher education and industries in a way that students are not just equipped but given real chances of accessing the job market.
5.3. Resume and Interview Preparation Services and Employment Outcomes
There were also resume-building and interview preparation services that were found to have a significant influence in predicting employment outcomes (b = 0.257, p < 0.001). This shows that in addition to acquiring skills and networks, how one can effectively present themselves to the employers will still be a determining factor in the job achievement. Such results are consistent with those of Anaza et al. (2023) who demonstrated that mock interviews lead to students feeling more confident in their interviews and becoming career-ready. Likewise, Last et al. (2022) and Smith et al. (2024) have discovered that training virtual reality interviews enhanced the skills of interviewing and minimised performance anxiety, which contributes to employment success. Additional arguments are provided by Wang et al. (2024), who emphasised that target Minute reviews enhance signalling to employers, which enhance the chances of being shortlisted. Blajeski et al. (2023) also included that student interviewees who undergo interview training, rich in feedback, give them the confidence to act effectively in a stressful environment, which plays a vital role in recruitment research. Kang et al. (2023) also underlined that Resume and interview preparation should be a part of a more extensive career curriculum so that the skills acquired could be transferred into the success in real jobs. These studies are consistent with the current findings, and this consistency demonstrates that Resume and interview preparation services are not peripheral, but rather form vital elements of career counselling programmes. These services increase the chances that any other gains in workshops and internships can be transformed into employment outcomes because students are prepared with good application documents and skills in their interview performance presentation.
6. Conclusion and Recommendation
6.1. Conclusion
This paper aimed at exploring the differences in employment outcomes between the graduating students with three particular segments of the career counselling programmes namely; career guidance classes, internship and placement services, and Resume/interview services classes. The evaluation showed that the three dimensions are important factors that reflect in the favour of enhanced employment, and internship and placement support were identified as the most powerful predictors or surpassing the Resume/interview preparation and career guidance workshops. The results support theoretical models like Human Capital Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory by showing the effectiveness of interventions in increasing employability capital (knowledge, networks and skills) and increasing self-efficacy in negotiating the labour market. More significantly, the findings indicate that career counselling is not a unidimensional one but a multidimensional intervention and all aspects work in different ways to enhance the employment opportunities of the students. This study is evidence-based in its justification of future investment in structured career counselling services because it empirically illustrates the importance of the various components in the programme. It indicates the significance of matching career provision in educational institutions with the requirements of the labour-market to ensure that post graduates are not merely qualified but are also practically prepared to take meaningful jobs.
6.2. Implications
6.2.1. Theoretical Implications
The results also add to the body of employability literature because the study validates the multi-dimensionality of career counselling programmes. By developing the line of research based on the employability capital framework (Akkermans et al., 2024; Donald et al., 2024), it is possible to note that diverse types of capital,human (workshops), social (internships), and psychological (interview preparation), make a collective forecast of employment. Furthermore, the research is an extension of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (Liu et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2022) since it shows that counselling interventions positively contribute to self-efficacy and outcome expectations, which result in a better job achievement. The study therefore contributes to the body of theory by demonstrating the interaction between individual programme components that have enhanced graduate employability.
6.2.2. Practical Implications
In practical terms, the research highlights the fact that internship and placement opportunities are the most effective interventions that universities should focus on to help their graduates get jobs. Besides, incorporating Resume and interview preparation into curricula means students will be able to translate the gained skills and experiences into an actual offer. The findings also focus on the importance of skills-based workshops that offer work-based knowledge and networking. To policy makers, the results imply that institutional and fair career counselling service provision can enhance graduate employability, lower levels of unemployment among young professionals and reinforce the industry-academia partnerships.
6.3. Recommendation
According to the findings, the holistic model of career counselling should be implemented in universities considering workshops, internships and Resume/interview training as complementary strategies. To start with, career guidance workshops must be competency based and incorporated in curricula so that it maintains connexions with academic learning. Second, the institutions need to increase collaborations with industries to develop ready and high quality internship and placement courses, with special care to inequities in access. Third, innovative techniques must be introduced in Resume and interview preparation services including virtual simulation, exercise with a lot of feedback, and customised coaching. Lastly, career services ought to put in place an ongoing evaluation system to determine the effectiveness of the programmes making sure that resources are directed to interventions that have the greatest impact. Through this combined approach, the universities will be able to improve the employability of graduates thus closing the gap that remains to exist between higher education and labour market.
6.4. Limitation and Future Work
Irrespective of its input, this research is limited in a number of ways. To begin with, cross-sectional type only indicates associations at a particular time hence constraint on causation. It would be possible in future studies to follow longitudinal designs to trace changes in employment patterns among time. Second, self-reported data was employed in the analysis and therefore, open to social desirability bias, this can be addressed by the inclusion of employer feedback and objective employment records to increase validity. Third, the researchers only studied one sample of 300 students, and this study could be restricted to generalisation in other cultural or institutional settings. Future research essay needs to incorporate comparative research between universities and nations to determine disparities in context. Also, by testing the mediating factors like self-efficacy and networking behaviours, there would be more information about the impact of career counselling programmes on employment outcomes. These extensions would also be an addition to the theoretical and practical input of this research.
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Questionnaire Survey
Section A: Demographic Information
Gender
- Male
- Female
Age Group
- 20–22 years
- 23–25 years
- Above 25 years
Faculty/Field of Study
- Business/Management
- Engineering/Technology
- Social Sciences
- Health Sciences
- Others
Section B: Research Variables (5-point Likert scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree)
Career Guidance Workshops
- The career workshops at my university improved my understanding of job market trends.
- Participation in workshops enhanced my ability to set realistic career goals.
- The workshops increased my confidence in making career-related decisions.
- I gained useful networking opportunities through career workshops.
- Overall, the workshops contributed positively to my employability.
Internship and Job Placement Support
- My university provides sufficient opportunities for internships and placements.
- Internship experiences have strengthened my practical job-related skills.
- Placement support has improved my chances of securing employment.
- Career services effectively connect students with relevant employers.
- Overall, internship and placement support enhanced my employability.
Resume-Building and Interview Preparation Services
- The resume-building services improved the quality of my job applications.
- Mock interviews boosted my confidence in handling real job interviews.
- I feel better prepared for the recruitment process due to interview training.
- The feedback provided during Resume and interview sessions was valuable.
- Overall, Resume and interview preparation services increased my job readiness.
Employment Outcomes
- I feel confident about securing employment after graduation.
- Career counselling activities have improved my job search effectiveness.
- I believe my chances of obtaining a job relevant to my field have increased.
- My employability skills (e.g., communication, adaptability) improved through counselling services.
- Overall, career counselling programs positively influence my employment prospects.