Career development for university students: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.5514Keywords:
career development, university students and graduates, happenstance learning theory, narrative career theory, COVID-19Abstract
Within the diverse worldwide population of university students and graduates, those who experience global lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the school-to-work transition may encounter particular challenges in their career development and job-seeking issues. These challenges include psychological impacts, career uncertainty, changes in academic and social life, and a lack of job opportunities due to the disruption of the labour market. The current article discusses these career challenges and focuses on two primary theoretical strategies to help students explore available resources, benefit from unplanned events, and construct and enact meaningful career narratives. The happenstance learning theory (HLT) and narrative career theory are applied regarding helping clients with their career development challenges. These theories address the challenges faced by university students who encountered the unplanned event of the pandemic, especially around career anxiety and uncertainty.
References
Abkhezr, P., & McMahon, M. (2017). Narrative career counselling for people with refugee backgrounds. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 39(2), 99-111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-017-9285-z
Akkermans, J., Richardson, J., & Kraimer, M. L. (2020). The COVID-19 crisis as a career shock: Implications for careers and vocational behavior. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 119, 103434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103434
American Psychological Association. (2020). Psychological impact of COVID-19. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/psychological-impact
Autin, K. L., Blustein, D. L., Ali, S. R., & Garriott, P. O. (2020). Career development impacts of COVID-19: Practice and policy recommendations. Journal of Career Development, 47(5), 487–494. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845320944486
Bakker, A., & Wagner, D. (2020). Pandemic: Lessons for today and tomorrow? Educational Studies in Mathematics, 104, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-020-09946-3
Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: Rapid review of the evidence. SSRN Electronic Journal, 395, 912-920. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3532534
Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research, 287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 29). How to Protect Yourself & Others. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
Chowdhury, U., Suvro, M. A. H., Farhan, S. M. D., & Uddin, M. J. (2022). Depression and stress regarding future career among university students during COVID-19 pandemic. PloS one, 17(4), e0266686. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266686
Clark, A. E., Nong, H., Zhu, H., & Zhu, R. (2021). Compensating for academic loss: Online learning and student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. China Economic Review, 68, 101629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2021.101629
Cochran, L. (1997). Career Counseling: A Narrative Approach. Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
Colombo, M., Romito, M., Vaira, M., & Visentin, M. (2022). Education and Emergency in Italy: How the Education System Reacted to the First Wave of Covid-19. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004523234
Conrad, C., Deng, Q., Caron, I., Shkurska, O., Skerrett, P., & Sundararajan, B. (2022). How student perceptions about online learning difficulty influenced their satisfaction during Canada's Covid-19 response. British journal of educational technology : journal of the Council for Educational Technology, 53(3), 534–557. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13206
Cubrich, M., Tengesdal, J. A., Ugueto-Rey, G., Stahl, R., & Crow Brauer, M. (2022). Pandemics and precarious work: Translating research to practice for marginalized workers. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 8, 416–430. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000327
Dang, H.-A. H., & Viet Nguyen, C. (2021). Gender inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic: Income, expenditure, savings, and job loss. World Development, 140, 105296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105296
Daniela, L., & Visvizi, A. (2022). Introduction: Remote learning as a mode of distance learning. In Daniela, L., & Visvizi, A. (Eds.), Remote Learning in Times of Pandemic: Issues, Implications and Best Practice (pp. 1–10). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003167594
De Vos, J. (2020). The effect of covid-19 and subsequent social distancing on travel behavior. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 5, 100121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100121
Di Renzo, L., Gualtieri, P., Pivari, F., Soldati, L., Attinà, A., Cinelli, G., Leggeri, C., Caparello, G., Barrea, L., Scerbo, F., Esposito, E., & De Lorenzo, A. (2020). Eating habits and lifestyle changes during COVID-19 lockdown: An Italian survey. Journal of Translational Medicine, 18(229). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02399-5
Elflein, J. (2021, November 26) Percentage of respondents worldwide who felt COVID-19 posed a high level of threat to their job or business as of March 14, 2020, by country. statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109095/level-of-threat-from-coronavirus-job-or-business-worldwide-by-country/
Elmer, T., Mepham, K., & Stadtfeld, C. (2020). Students under lockdown: Comparisons of students’ social networks and mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis in Switzerland. PLOS ONE, 15(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236337
Ghebreyesus, T. A. (2020, March 11). WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020
Gopal, R., Singh, V., & Aggarwal, A. (2021). Impact of online classes on the satisfaction and performance of students during the pandemic period of COVID 19. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 6923–6947. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10523-1
Gopinath, G. (2020, April 14). The Great Lockdown: Worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. International Momentary Fund (IMF). https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2020/04/14/blog-weo-the-great-lockdown-worst-economic-downturn-since-the-great-depression
Hirschmann, R. (2021, April 7). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work and studies in Singapore as of March 2020. statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1112253/singapore-impact-on-jobs-and-studies-during-covid-19/
Kaliris, A., & Issari, P. (2022). Exploring narrative ideas in career counseling. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 10, 365-380. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2022.102026
Khaira, F., & Sari, L. (2022). Perceived severity of COVID-19, social support, and pandemic-related stress associated with lifestyle changes among undergraduate students in Indonesia. Journal of Public Health Research, 11(2), 22799036221103384. https://doi.org/10.1177/22799036221103382
Krumboltz, J. D. (2009). The happenstance learning theory. Journal of Career Assessment, 17(2), 135-154. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072708328861
Krumboltz, J. D. (2011). Capitalizing on happenstance. Journal of Employment Counseling, 48(4), 156-158. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2011.tb01101.x
Krumboltz, J. D., Foley, P. F., & Cotter, E. W. (2013). Applying the Happenstance Learning Theory to Involuntary Career Transitions. The Career Development Quarterly, 61(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2013.00032.x
Krumboltz, J. D., Mitchell, A. M., & Jones, G. B. (1976). A social learning theory of career selection. The Counseling Psychologist, 6(1), 71-81. https://doi.org/10.1177/001100007600600117
Kwok, C. Y. (2018). Managing uncertainty in the Career Development of emerging adults: Implications for undergraduate students. Australian Journal of Career Development, 27(3), 137-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/1038416217744216
Lambovska, M., Sardinha, B., & Belas, Jr., J. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth unemployment in the European Union. Ekonomicko-Manazerske Spektrum, 15(1), 55-63. https://doi.org/10.26552/ems.2021.1.55-63
Lengelle, R., Meijers, F., Poell, R., & Post, M. (2014). Career writing: Creative, expressive and reflective approaches to narrative identity formation in students in higher education. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85(1), 75-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.05.001
Lent, R. W., & Brown, S. D. (2002). Social cognitive career theory and adult career development. In S. G. Niles (Ed.), Adult career development concepts, issues, and practices (3rd ed., pp. 78–97). Columbus, OH: National Career Development Association.
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45, 79–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027
Linnekaste J. J. (2021). Trauma-informed career counselling to address work traumas resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. African Journal of Career Development, 3(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.4102/ajcd.v3i1.42
Liu, X., Liu, J., & Zhong, X. (2020). Psychological state of college students during COVID-19 epidemic. SSRN Electronic Journal, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3552814
Lofquist, L. H., & Dawis, R. V. (1984). A psychological theory of work adjustment: An individual-differences model and its applications. University of Minnesota Press.
Mahmud, M. S., Talukder, M. U., & Rahman, S. M. (2021). Does ‘fear of COVID-19’ trigger future career anxiety? An empirical investigation considering depression from COVID-19 as a mediator. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 67(1), 35-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020935488
Manuoğlu, E., & Güngör, E. (2023). Predictors and mediators of pressure/tension in university students’ distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: A self-determination theory perspective. Oxford Review of Education, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2023.2197203
Maree, J. G. (2021). Innovating and contextualising career counselling for young people during the Covid-19 pandemic. South African Journal of Psychology, 51(2), 244–255. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246321999507
Maree, J. G. (2022). Rekindling hope and purpose in resource-constrained areas during COVID-19: The merits of counselling for career construction. South African Journal of Science, 118(5/6). https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2022/13091
McMahon, M., & Watson, M. (2012). Story crafting: Strategies for facilitating narrative career counselling. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 12(3), 211-224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-012-9228-5
Mishra, P., & Cousik, R. (2021). Making pandemic response disability inclusive: Challenges and opportunities for organizations. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 14(1–2), 76–80. Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2021.19
Mouratidou, M., & Grabarski, M. K. (2022). In the Eye of the Hurricane: Careers under Lockdown. Sustainability, 14(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215098
Nguyen, O, T, K., & Balakrishnan, V. D. (2020). International students in Australia – during and after COVID-19. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(7), 1372-1376. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1825346
Owusu-Fordjour, C., Koomson, C. K., & Hanson, D. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on learning - The perspective of the Ghanaian student. European Journal of Education Studies, 7(3), 88-101. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3753586
Pan, H. (2020). A glimpse of university students’ family life amidst the covid-19 virus. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 25(6-7), 594-597. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2020.1750194
Pappas, S. (2020, April 6). How will people react to the new financial crisis? American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/financial-crisis-covid-19
Parola, A. (2020). Novel coronavirus outbreak and career development: A narrative approach into the meaning for Italian university graduates. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(2255), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02255
Peila-Shuste, J. J. (2016). Supporting student transitions: Integrating life design, career construction, happenstance, and hope. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(3), 54-67. https://doi.org/10.20853/30-3-633
Perugini, C., & Vladisavljević, M. (2021). Social stability challenged by Covid-19: Pandemics, inequality and policy responses. Journal of Policy Modeling, 43(1), 146–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2020.10.004
Radwan, H., Al Kitbi, M., Hasan, H., Al Hilali, M., Abbas, N., Hamadeh, R., Saif, E. R., & Naja, F. (2021). Indirect health effects of COVID-19: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors during the lockdown in the United Arab Emirates. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 1964. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041964
Reuge, N., Jenkins, R., Brossard, M., Soobrayan, B., Mizunoya, S., Ackers, J., Jones, L., & Taulo, W. G. (2021). Education response to COVID 19 pandemic, a special issue proposed by UNICEF: Editorial review. International Journal of Educational Development, 87, 102485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102485
Reyes, N. S. (2019). Happenstance learning theory and career development of executive Latinas in higher education. Texas State University.
Salta, K., Paschalidou, K., Tsetseri, M., & Koulougliotis, D. (2022). Shift from a traditional to a distance learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Science & Education, 31(1), 93–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00234-x
Sava, J. A. (2020, May 12). Most important limitations of online education during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Romania in 2020. statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115173/romania-limitations-ofonline-education-during-covid-19/
Savickas, M. L. (2011). New questions for vocational psychology: Premises, paradigms, and practices. Journal of Career Assessment, 19(3), 251-258. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072710395532
Stevanović, A., Božić, R., & Radović, S. (2021). Higher education students’ experiences and opinion about distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(6), 1682–1693. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12613
Super, D.E. (1980). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16(3), p. 282-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(80)90056-1
Svabova, L., Metzker, Z., & Pisula, T. (2020). Development of unemployment in Slovakia in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ekonomicko-Manazerske Spektrum, 14(2), 114-123. https://doi.org/10.26552/ems.2020.2.114-123
Tsang, S., Avery, A. R., & Duncan, G. E. (2021). Fear and depression linked to COVID-19 exposure A study of adult twins during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry research, 296, 113699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113699
Ulas-Kilic, O., Demirtas-Zorbaz, S., & Kizildag, S. (2020). University students’ perceptions of unplanned events as a factor in the process of career choice. Canadian Journal of Career Development, 19(1), 14-24. https://cjcd-rcdc.ceric.ca/index.php/cjcd/article/view/21
UNESCO. (2023, June 6). UNESCO’s education response to COVID-19. https://www.unesco.org/en/covid-19/education-response/initiatives
Weir, K. (2020, March 16). Seven crucial research findings that can help people deal with COVID-19. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/03/covid-19-research-findings
World Health Organization. (2022, April 18). COVID-19: symptoms and severity. https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19/information/asymptomatic-covid-19
Zheng, M., Bender, D., & Lyon, C. (2021). Online learning during COVID-19 produced equivalent or better student course performance as compared with pre-pandemic: Empirical evidence from a school-wide comparative study. BMC Medical Education, 21(1), 495. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02909-z
Zhou, T., Bao, Y., Guo, D., Bai, Y., Wang, R., Cao, X., Li, H., & Hua, Y. (2022). Intolerance of uncertainty and future career anxiety among Chinese undergraduate students during COVID-19 period: Fear of COVID-19 and depression as mediators. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1015446
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Charles P. Chen, Xiaoqing Guo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
