This study investigated personal and situational variables related to job-search behaviors. Participants were 253 college students at the end of their undergraduate courses. Respondents completed scales of locus of control, self-efficacy, social support, independence, and motivation in career transitions, as well as measures of financial need, career values, personal evaluation of the labor market and job-search behaviors. Regression analysis showed that locus of control, social support and financial need were predictors of job-search behaviors. Individuals who valued job tenure as a top career value exhibited greater levels of financial need, external locus of control, and job-search behavior. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
job search; career development; college students
