From values to choices: the mediating role of career adaptability of university engineering students

Introduction: Career choice is a complex and consequential process for university students, and it shapes their long-term career trajectories. This study examines the impact of career values on university engineering students' career choices and investigates the mediating role of career adaptability in this process. Methods: Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with eleven university students, the findings identify two clusters of career values: intrinsic career readiness (e.g., foundational mindsets, professional knowledge as a career pillar), and extrinsic career aspirations (e.g., pursuing leadership, career achievement). Results: These values map onto four key career choice considerations: personal growth opportunities, identity construction, work compensation, and life pursuit. Career adaptability, comprising concern, control, curiosity, and confidence, emerged as a psychological mechanism that enables students to translate career values into informed and strategic career decisions. It helps them manage career uncertainties, pursue self-directed goals, and align their choices with both personal meaning and external demands. Discussion: By highlighting this value-adaptability-choice pathway, this study contributes to career construction theory and extends the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), particularly in the context of collectivist cultures. It also offers practical insights for educators and career advisors aiming to design interventions that foster value clarification and adaptability development among undergraduate engineering students.