Effectiveness of a Career Development Course on Students’ Job Search Skills and Self-Efficacy

In the current economic landscape, most college students’ primary goal for obtaining an undergraduate degree is an increase in job opportunities and salary potential. Additionally, the average combined result of graduates’ job searches is one of the primary factors in rankings of higher education institutions. In this study we assessed the effectiveness of a credit-bearing career course on students’ résumé writing, interviewing skills and job search self-efficacy (JSSE) compared to those in a control group of students not enrolled in the career course. Results revealed that being enrolled in the career development course had a significant effect on students’ résumé quality and interviewing skills, yet their JSSE, already high before the course, did not change significantly as a result of the class.