Career development outcomes of college student involvement in out- of-class activities: a liberal arts and sciences alumni follow-up study

Abstract

Career development theory suggests that the exploration process, an important stage of early adulthood, is facilitated by meaningful involvement in a variety of activities. This theoretical tenet is widely accepted, yet little empirical evidence exists to demonstrate the extent to which exploratory behaviors, as exhibited in undergraduate involvement in out-of-class activities, serve to enhance the career development process and, consequently, the quality of occupational choice after graduation. The purpose of this study was therefore to analyze the degree to which college student involvement in educational, work, and leisure out-of-class experiences related to career development status and three dimensions of the initial work experience-career satisfaction, career stability, and occupational mobility.

Survey data were collected from 243 liberal arts and sciences bachelor’s degree recipients in Spring of 1986 who did not pursue additional education or homemaking on a full-time basis (52.6 percent return rate). Step-wise multiple regression results demonstrated modest, yet significant, relationships between involvement in categorical and summed educational, work, and leisure activities, as well as academic factors (college major and QCA), and satisfaction in career progress, satisfaction in current employment, career stability, and occupational mobility (R-squares ranged from .01 to .18). Relatively low Differential Career Status Scores made it impossible to generate significant results for the career development status criterion. These results provided little assistance in helping to define exploratory behaviors.

In contrast, participation (a critical component of involvement) in specific undergraduate activities indicated strong, yet curious, relationships with all criteria variables when compared to those who did not participate. Interestingly, t-tests demonstrated that former students who met with career counselors, referred to career-related written materials, used computer assistance programs, and attended related seminars were less satisfied with their current employment, less stable, and more mobile. Conversely, those who were members of professional and social organizations, employed in internships, and engaged in intramural sports, and enrolled in the Cooperative Education and ROTC Programs experienced opposite results. Participation in various activities, therefore, may serve to facilitate or inhibit aspects of the career development process.