<![CDATA[Purpose: This study aims to investigate the determinants of career exploration among Generation Z final-year students in Indonesia. While existing literature primarily focuses on Gen Y or Western retail contexts, this study addresses the research gap regarding how dual cognitive factors, job expectations and sector-specific perceptions interact to drive career exploration behavior among Gen Z in an emerging market. Research Methodology: This study utilized a quantitative survey design. Data were collected from a sample of 350 active students at the University of Bengkulu, Indonesia, selected using a purposive sampling technique. Questionnaire instruments were used to measure career expectations, perceptions of retail careers, and career exploration behavior, with the hypotheses tested using multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Both career expectations and perceptions of retail careers have a statistically significant positive influence, these factors explain 47.3% of the variance in career exploration students with clearer, well-defined job expectations and positive perceptions of the retail sector as a dynamic career path demonstrate more proactive and extensive career exploration. Conclusions: Generation Z's career exploration behavior in the retail sector is strongly driven by their initial expectations and industry perceptions. Cultivating positive views of the retail industry and helping students build realistic career expectations are vital to encouraging active career discovery among graduates Limitations: The study is subject to methodological limitations, including a cross-sectional design that restricts causal inference, reliance on self-reported survey data susceptible to social desirability bias, and a sample geographically restricted to a single institution (University of Bengkulu). Contributions: This study contributes to the literature on career development and human resource management by focusing on Generation Z within the Indonesian retail context. Practically, it guides universities to integrate accurate industry profiling into career curricula, while enabling retail industry stakeholders to rebrand their image and communicate clear career pathways to attract young talent]]>
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