Explore the vast range of titles available.

Aim/Purpose: While scientists play a crucial role within modern knowledge societies, the attractiveness of scientific careers in Germany is moderate due to career uncertainty and the limited perspectives of long-term retention in academia. This study identifies (intra-individual) changes in the career intentions of early career researchers. Furthermore, supporting factors for the stability of research career intentions are shown. Background: Recent studies investigated early career researchers’ career intentions and predictors for their development in cross-section. These studies determine influences of individual factors, such as interests or self-efficacy beliefs, and organizational aspects like working and doctoral training conditions. By contrast, there is little knowledge about intra-individual changes in career intentions in the course of academic qualification. Methodology: Longitudinal data of 101 research associates at a German university were collected via survey questionnaires in 2016 and 2018. Descriptive analysis was used to investigate changes in career intentions in consideration of doctoral phases. Logistic regression was applied to predict the stability of research career intentions over time. Contribution: So far, research investigated the career intentions of early career researchers in Germany solely in cross-section. The present paper contributes in two ways. Firstly, intra-individual changes in career intentions are identified from a longitudinal perspective. Secondly, the stability of research career intentions is explained, considering various individual and contextual factors based on the Social Cognitive Model of Career Choice. Findings: Descriptive analyses illustrate the tendency of declining interest in scientific careers in the course of academic qualification. The stability of research career intentions is predicted by changes in attractiveness ratings of a professorship and subjective assessments of research abilities relative to peers. Changes in academic self-efficacy beliefs have no significant effect. Recommendations for Practitioners: Firstly, the attraction of and the path to a professorship must be structurally strengthened. Secondly, early career researchers should be supported in developing realistic assessments of their subjective research skills relative to peers. Mentoring in addition to academic supervision, mental support, or opportunities for peer counseling are expected to be valuable offers. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers seeking to explain the career intentions of early career researchers should be aware of their changeability. Hence, they should be investigated in extended longitudinal studies. Furthermore, impostor feelings as influencing factors on career intentions need further research. Impact on Society: Research and knowledge are the basis for innovation and progress. In today’s knowledge society, research is in direct competition with both other countries and the private sector. In order to attract the “brightest minds” for academia, universities and research institutes must gain a deeper understanding of factors influencing the stability of research career intentions. Future Research: Future research should focus on specific instruments of promoting early career researchers and how they affect the development of realistic assessments of individual research skills. Moreover, international ECRs should be explicitly considered since a researchers’ visa status potentially affects career prospects and individual career intentions.

Given the shortage of STEM workers, it is important to examine the factors associated with students' academic career intentions. However, the mechanism through which subjective norms influence academic career intentions has not been determined. Our study empirically tests a model identifying science identity as an intervening variable in this relationship. In a longitudinal survey study of master's and doctoral students from 17 research institutes in China, we found that science identity mediated the relationship between subjective norms and academic career intentions. In addition, creative self-efficacy, valuable to academic careers, moderated the relationship between science identity and academic career intentions. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).

Background Understanding students’ career intentions through evidence-based approaches is crucial for developing effective career guidance and intervention strategies. Although there has been considerable attention in this field, research remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia. These regions have unique socioeconomic conditions and cultural norms that potentially shape decision-making processes. This study provides insights into the career intentions of medical and nursing students and identifies the key determinants influencing their choices at a newly established private institution (VinUniversity) in Vietnam. Methods This study employs a mixed-methods design. The quantitative phase involved a survey of all undergraduate medical and nursing students. The qualitative phase consisted of in-depth 11 individual interviews with a purposive sample until data saturation. Results A total of 198 students (77%) participated in the quantitative phase. The majority of students (75.8%) expressed interest in clinical practice, with preferences notably high for surgical specialties (30.9%), internal medicine (10.1%), and pediatrics (10.1%). 22.7% of students expressed a desire to work overseas, and a significant number (70.7%) indicated the lack of a career guidance program. Qualitative data revealed that personal interest, family influence, financial stability, and societal appreciation were primary influencers in career choice. Discussion The study underscores the complex interplay between personal interests, family influence, financial considerations, and societal expectations in shaping career choices. The persistent low interest in family medicine and primary care continued to be a concern. Conclusion This study provides further insights into the career intentions and influencing factors among medical and nursing students at VinUniversity. The implications for practice include implementing tailored career guidance programs, offering diverse elective tracks that incorporate global health experiences, and establishing structured mentorship programs. It is also recommended to measure the impact of these interventions through longitudinal follow-up studies to enhance career satisfaction, better prepare future healthcare professionals, and contribute to the improvement of healthcare systems.

Background Career intentions have a significant influence on the decision-making process regarding the graduation destination and future development prospects of nursing undergraduates. Concurrently, caring ability, self-directed learning ability, and critical thinking are of paramount importance in enhancing the competitiveness and adaptability of nursing professionals. A paucity of research has been conducted on the career intentions of nursing undergraduates and the factors that influence these intentions. The objective of this study was to investigate the career intentions of Chinese nursing undergraduates and to assess the associations of demographic characteristics and core competencies—including caring, self-directed learning, and critical thinking—with these intentions. Methods A total of 566 nursing undergraduates from three public medical schools located in the northern, southern, and western regions of China were surveyed in this study. Data were collected using the Self-Directed Learning Instrument, the Caring Ability Inventory, and the Critical Thinking Scale. Descriptive analysis, chi-square tests, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted using SPSS 28.0. Results Of the 566 nursing undergraduates, 59.2% indicated their intention to pursue graduate education, 25.3% planned to choose full-time employment upon graduation, and 15.5% expressed uncertainty about their career intentions. Multiple logistic regression showed that grade level ( p  < 0.001), class cadre experience ( p  < 0.001), social/volunteer experience ( p  < 0.05), family income level ( p  < 0.05), career preference ( p  < 0.001), caring ability ( p  < 0.05), self-directed learning ability ( p  < 0.001), and critical thinking ( p  < 0.05) all significantly impacted career intentions. Conclusions This study highlights that more than half of the surveyed nursing undergraduates intend to pursue graduate education. The key influencing factors include grade level, student leadership experience, social practice/volunteer experience, family income level, and career preferences, alongside three core competencies: caring, self-directed learning, and critical thinking. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted educational and career support that aligns with the aspirations of nursing undergraduates. Such support is conducive to improving the quality of nursing education and promoting the professional development of the nursing profession.

PurposeWhile there has been growing interest in how personal and work-related factors shape employees’ careers, we know little about how family demands affect career intentions. Drawing from role theory and boundary theory, we examine the indirect effect of family-role overload on career intentions via family-interferes-with-work (FIW), as well as the conditional indirect effect of boundary management on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing two waves of panel data that were collected in the third and fourth waves of the pandemic in Canada (n = 433), we conducted a structural equation model to test our hypotheses.FindingsOur analysis reveals that FIW mediates the relationship between family-role overload and (1) career change intention and (2) job turnover intention. The results also indicate that the effect of family-role overload on career intentions via FIW strengthens for employees with a low ability to enact preferred boundaries.Originality/valueThis research shows the indirect effect of family-role overload on career intentions via FIW. This research also highlights how boundary management can buffer the effects of family-role overload on career intentions.

This study investigated how avoidance motivation, which entails a fear of failure and focus on avoiding negative outcomes, influences adolescents’ aspirations toward scientific research careers. Participants consisted of 245 high school students participating in a summer science enrichment program. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that failure avoidance relative to the conduct of scientific tasks was a significant negative predictor of research career intentions after controlling for academic ability, cognitive capacity to regulate general interest, and online versus in‐person programming implemented before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results of post hoc probing also revealed a significant interaction between failure avoidance and inconsistency of interest whereby participants with low inconsistency of interest and high failure avoidance reported the lowest level of research career intentions. Our findings aim to inform strategies to support sustained engagement and motivation among prospective science undergraduates, contributing to the broader discourse on science career development.

PurposeIn the digital age, the development of students’ career intentions requires serious concentration since these are associated with the students’ future employment and, ultimately, their survival. This study attempted to demonstrate in Pakistan’s Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) the role of soft skills towards the students' career development (CD) and their future career intentions (CI).Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the researchers used a quantitative approach and a questionnaire to collect the data from the surveyed participants. Finally, the researchers based this study’s findings on 392 useable samples.FindingsBy employing the structural equation model (SEM), this study’s findings show that soft skills, such as Creative Self-Efficacy (CSE), Problem-Solving Confidence (PSC) and Teamwork (TW) have a positive and significant effect on CD and CI. However, while Critical thinking and Creativity (CRC) has a positive and significant effect on CD, it has no effect on CI. In addition, this study’s findings confirm, also, that CD has a positive and significant effect on CI.Practical implicationsThis study’s findings assist policymakers and university administrators to understand the importance of soft skills in creating CD and CI. These promote the development of employability skills and fulfill its part in preparing graduates for the unpredictable job market. This study’s findings help, also, to develop logical reasoning in making decisions and in dealing with complex organizational issues.Originality/valueIn a practical way, in Pakistan, this study’s findings confirm the role of soft skills towards students' CD and CI.

This study examines whether the Theory of Planned Behaviour operates symmetrically when rural youth evaluate two competing career paths: entrepreneurship and civil service employment. This comparison is especially relevant in rural contexts characterised by structural constraints and limited professional alternatives. Using survey data from 599 students enrolled at a rural higher education institution in Spain, we estimate structural equation models linking entrepreneurial attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control to both entrepreneurial and civil service career intentions. Entrepreneurial intentions are positively and significantly driven by entrepreneurial attitudes and perceived behavioural control, while subjective norms are not significant. In contrast, civil service intentions are negatively associated with perceived behavioural control and show no significant relationship with entrepreneurial attitudes or subjective norms. Overall, the findings indicate that the Theory of Planned Behaviour operates asymmetrically across vocational domains in rural contexts, with perceived behavioural control acting as a key discriminator between autonomy-oriented and stability-oriented career trajectories. The study contributes to entrepreneurship-intention research by clarifying the boundary conditions of the Theory of Planned Behaviour across competing vocational domains. The study also offers policy-relevant implications for rural youth employment strategies. Highlights Compares entrepreneurial and civil service career intentions using a unified TPB framework in a rural context. Entrepreneurial attitudes and perceived behavioural control positively predict entrepreneurial intentions, while subjective norms are non-significant. Civil service intentions are negatively related to perceived behavioural control, indicating an asymmetric TPB pattern across career paths.

Background Undergraduate medical (UM) students faced the difficulties inherent in medical careers due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Thus, imperative containment measures might affect UM students’ career intentions. Information on the factors that may be associated with these students’ career change intentions is limited. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in August 2020 to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on career intention and the associated factors in UM students. Univariate analyses and logistic regression analysis were performed to identify said factors. Results A total of 2040 medical students from the Hubei University of Medicine were surveyed. Univariate analyses showed that grade, attitude towards healthcare, and the degree of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the students’ lives were associated with changes in career choice ( P <0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that Grade 2, Grade 5, attitude towards a medical career, and having relatives with a medical background were associated with changes in career choice. The degree of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact was a common and significant factor associated with career preference, career perspective, and ideal workplace. Conclusions Changes in career intentions were particularly influenced by grade, attitude towards being a health worker, and the degree of COVID-19’s impact on the participants’ lives. Treating large-scale public health emergencies rationally, setting up correct views of occupation choice, and building reasonable career planning may reduce the loss of medical talent.

Objectives To investigate differences in students’ career intentions between UK medical schools. Design Cross-sectional, mixed-methods online survey. Setting The primary study included all 44 UK medical schools, with this analysis comprising 42 medical schools. Participants Ten thousand four hundred eighty-six UK medical students. Main outcome measures Career intentions of medical students, focusing on differences between medical schools. Secondary outcomes included variation in medical students’ satisfaction with a prospective career in the NHS, by medical school. Results 2.89% of students intended to leave medicine altogether, with Cambridge Medical School having the highest proportion of such respondents. 32.35% of respondents planned to emigrate for practice, with Ulster medical students being the most likely. Of those intending to emigrate, the University of Central Lancashire saw the highest proportion stating no intentions to return. Cardiff Medical School had the greatest percentage of students intending to assume non-training clinical posts after completing FY2. 35.23% of participating medical students intended to leave the NHS within 2 years of graduating, with Brighton and Sussex holding the highest proportion of these respondents. Only 17.26% were satisfied with the prospect of working in the NHS, with considerable variation nationally; Barts and the London medical students had the highest rates of dissatisfaction. Conclusions This study reveals variability in students’ career sentiment across UK medical schools, emphasising the need for attention to factors influencing these trends. A concerning proportion of students intend to exit the NHS within 2 years of graduating, with substantial variation between institutions. Students’ intentions may be shaped by various factors, including curriculum focus and recruitment practices. It is imperative to re-evaluate these aspects within medical schools, whilst considering the wider national context, to improve student perceptions towards an NHS career. Future research should target underlying causes for these disparities to facilitate improvements to career satisfaction and retention.