Introduction.
In line with the Career Sustainability Framework, higher education represents a crucial learning environment where individuals begin to shape their future career trajectories. From this perspective, academic success can be considered an early indicator of sustainable career success, encompassing dimensions of productivity (e.g., number of exams), happiness (e.g., satisfaction), and health (e.g., psychological well-being). Although previous research has highlighted the importance of career self-management in promoting sustainable careers, the specific role of career resources in fostering sustainable outcomes during university years remains underexplored.
Purpose.
This study examined the extent to which three key career resources (i.e., career clarity, self-exploration, and career exploration) predict changes in academic performance (i.e., GPA), well-being, and satisfaction over the course of one academic year. Furthermore, we investigated the interdependence among changes in these outcome variables.
Method.
A sample of 846 university students (53.4% female; M = 20.5, SD = 2.11) completed an online questionnaire at two time points, one year apart. A Latent Change Score Model was employed to estimate the effects of Time 1 (T1) career resources on changes in outcomes between T1 and T2.
Results.
All three career resources positively predicted at least one indicator of sustainable academic success. Specifically, self-exploration at T1 predicted increases in the number of exams completed, well-being, and satisfaction, whereas career clarity predicted increases in satisfaction. Conversely, career exploration negatively predicted the number of exams completed, suggesting that extensive engagement in exploration activities may temporarily redirect students' efforts away from academic performance.
Conclusions.
These findings underscore the importance of fostering students' career resources as a means of promoting sustainable academic and career development. Interventions aimed at enhancing self-exploration and career clarity could strengthen students' well-being, satisfaction, and academic engagement, thereby laying the foundations for sustainable career growth from the earliest stages of higher education.