More Than Information: The Mediating Role of Professional Skill Development in Career Planning Competency: Evidence from Chinese Master‘s Students in a Collectivist Context

Zhen Xia

doi:10.54691/qx76sv34

Authors

Zhen Xia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/qx76sv34

Keywords:

Graduate students; career planning; higher education in China; professional skill development; mediation analysis.

Abstract

Effective career planning is essential for master’s students’ transition from academia to the labor market, yet many lack systematic planning skills. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this cross-sectional study surveyed 1223 full-time master’s students from five universities in East China using a validated 24-item career planning competency scale and a theory-based predictor questionnaire. Multiple linear regression with bootstrapping showed that professional skill improvement was the strongest positive predictor (β = .518, p < .001), followed by family/friend support (β = .121, p < .001), career lectures (β = .082, p = .023), career expectations (β = .059, p = .021), and supervisor guidance (β = .051, p = .041). Five of the six predictors were significant, with professional skill improvement showing the strongest effect, and the model accounted for 48.6% of the variance. Small demographic differences were found by discipline, degree type (professional > academic), geographic origin (urban > rural), and parental education, but not by gender or grade. An exploratory mediation analysis revealed that the effect of vocational information access on career planning competency is not merely direct but fully mediated through professional skill improvement, highlighting the critical role of translating information into skill mastery. The findings highlight the primacy of mastery experiences and the culturally amplified role of family support in the Chinese context. Universities should prioritize skill‑based interventions and targeted support for disadvantaged groups rather than relying solely on information dissemination.

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