Career adaptability and academic satisfaction: Examining work volition and self efficacy as mediators

The present study examined the relation between the four components of career adaptability – concern, control, curiosity, and confidence (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012) – and academic satisfaction. Drawing from a diverse sample of 412 undergraduate students, all four components moderately correlated with academic satisfaction. In an effort to explain these relations, work volition and career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) were examined as potential mediator variables. Using structural equation modeling, work volition significantly mediated the control to satisfaction relation and CDSE significantly mediated the concern, control, and confidence to satisfaction relations. After including all variables in the model, none of the career adaptability components significantly related with academic satisfaction. These results suggest that for undergraduate students, feeling adaptable in one's career may link to greater levels of academic satisfaction due, in part, to greater feelings of control and confidence in one's career decision making. •Examined the relation of career adaptability and academic satisfaction among a diverse sample of 412 undergraduate students•Found moderate correlations between each adaptability component and academic satisfaction•Used structural equation modeling to assess work volition and career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) as mediator variables•Work volition significantly mediated the control to satisfaction relation.•CDSE significantly mediated the concern, control, and confidence to satisfaction relations.