Skill gaps, career anxiety, and the role of career counseling among social science undergraduates in Pakistan: A Social Cognitive Career Theory-based analysis

Abstract

The present study investigates the socio-psychological and structural factors that predict career anxiety among the final year social science undergraduate students of Lahore, Pakistan. The study is based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and focuses on the relationship between self-perceived employability skill gaps (analytical, technical, communication, and professional) and students' transition related distress, as well as the relationship between institutional career counseling exposure and students' transition-related distress. Data were collected from 400 final year undergraduate students of six leading public and private universities of Lahore using cross sectional multi-stage stratified quota sampling design. The results of the hierarchical multiple linear regression and path analysis models show that the self-perceived skill gaps have a strong and positive relationship with Career Choice Anxiety (β = 0.48, p < .001) and Family Influence Anxiety (β = Keywords Career Anxiety; Self Perceived Skill Gaps; Career Counseling; Social Cognitive Career Theory; Higher Education; Pakistan. 0.31, p < .001), which suggests that there is a significant threat to professional self-efficacy. On the other hand, career anxiety (β = -0.34, p < .001) and self-perceived skill deficits (β = -0.28, p < .001) are significantly decreased. A cross-sector comparative analysis reveals significant institutional differences, including greater digital skill gaps among public university students and less career service use among public university students, and greater absolute career anxiety among private university students due to family expectations. The results show that the graduate career anxiety is the result of institutional inequality, labor market uncertainty and collectivist family expectations.