ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
With the expansion of higher education, competition for employment among university graduates has become increasingly intense, making career guidance courses a vital instrument for enhancing the quality of graduate employment. Grounded in social identity theory and self-determination theory, this study employs a mixed-methods approach—combining questionnaire surveys with semi-structured interviews—to analyze data from 432 valid graduate questionnaires and multiple interview transcripts collected across seven universities in eastern China. The research investigates the impact of university career guidance courses on employment quality, identifies key course components, and examines the mediating role of professional identity. The findings indicate that graduates who completed career guidance courses performed significantly better in terms of starting salary, employment stability, and satisfaction with career development prospects compared to those who did not. Practical components—such as resume optimization, mock interviews, and industry demand analysis—along with interactive pedagogical methods like case studies and group discussions, proved highly effective, whereas purely theoretical instruction yielded limited results. Professional identity serves as a significant mediator between career guidance courses and employment quality, accounting for 34.8% of the total effect. Furthermore, students from different academic disciplines exhibit varying needs regarding course content. This study contributes to the empirical research on career guidance courses and suggests that universities should increase the proportion of practical instruction and tailor course designs to specific academic disciplines. Additionally, it recommends that educational authorities refine standards for career guidance curricula and promote university-industry collaboration to enhance the efficacy of career guidance and improve the quality of graduate employment.
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