International Journal of Research in Counseling
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026)

The Relationship Between Proactive Personality and Career Adaptability Among College Students: A Mediating Analysis of Career Decision-Making Self Efficacy

Maulida Hasni Istifadah (Semarang State University)
Dwi Yuwono Puji Sugiharto (Semarang State University)
Zakki Nurul Amin (Semarang State University)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Jun 2026

Abstract

This study examines the effect of proactive personality on career adaptability among students and the moderating role of career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) in this relationship, using PROCESS Macro analysis. The focus of this study is to deepen the theoretical understanding of the conditions that strengthen or weaken the relationship between proactive personality and student career adaptability. A correlational design with a quantitative approach was employed with 175 students at Semarang State University. Data were collected using three standardized instruments: the Proactive Personality Scale Short Version (PPS-SV), a CDMSE adapted from the Career and Educational Decision Self-Efficacy Inventory (CEDSIS), and the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS). The analysis shows that proactive personality has a positive and significant effect on career adaptability (B = .4013; p < .001), and CDMSE also has a significant positive effect (B = 2.0365; p < .001; r = .870). However, the interaction test indicates that CDMSE does not significantly moderate the effect of proactive personality on career adaptability (F(1,171) = 3.2734; p = .0722). This confirms that CDMSE functions as a strong direct predictor rather than a moderating variable. These findings enrich the literature on Indonesian students’ career adaptability and open up further research directions to explore other mediator or moderator variables.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijrc

Publisher

Subject

Education Social Sciences Other

Description

International Journal of Research in Counseling is an open-access and peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing novel research in the field of Counseling. Details on our focus and scope can be viewed here. International Journal of Research in Counseling is published 2 issues per year ...