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ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XV, Issue V, May 2026
An Illuminative Analysis of College Students' Career Adaptability in
Relation to Their Internship
Experiences
Dr. Abhishek Sharma, Dr. Garima Singh
Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Bareilly College, Bareilly, Affiliated to
M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150500079
Received: 13 May 2026; Accepted: 18 May 2026; Published: 02 June 2026
ABSTRACT
There are a number of factors that contribute to the rising rate of unemployment among college graduates, one
of which is a discrepancy between technological and economic advancements and workforce readiness.
Individual career readiness is thought to assist businesses in locating such high-quality potential employees.
It is anticipated that an internship program for college students will provide students with some preparations
to enable them to successfully adjust to their workplace. Savickas (1997) defined career adaptability as an
individual's capacity to adjust to a workplace environment. This study aims to investigate college students
with internship experience's career adaptability. A quantitative descriptive method and a non-experimental
design were used in this study. This study used a quota sampling method to select 64 college students who had
completed an internship. The Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, developed by Savickas & Profelli (2012),
contained a questionnaire whose reliability was 0.948. The study found that 76.6 percent of college students
who had completed an internship exhibited high career adaptability. In addition, the profile of each aspect of
career adaptability demonstrated that the majority of college students who have completed an internship also
have a high profile in all aspects. It is possible to draw the conclusion that respondents already possess the
capability of future workplace adaptation.
Keywords: Flexibility in a career; Experiential Internship; Students at colleges.
INRODUCTION
According to Law No. 12 of 2012 on Higher Education, internships are one of the co-curricular activities that
college students can participate in to support the fundamental skills learned in intracurricular learning.
According to Munfaati (2017), the internship program enables college students to participate in work
experiences at organizations relevant to their chosen field of science. College students participate in an
internship program as part of their job training to enhance their practical skills and gain work experience. It
is anticipated that internship programs will serve as a venue for training and preparing students for
employment. However, it turns out that the number of people without jobs who have a college degree
remained high until 2018 (INDEF, 2019). According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS)'s data from the
National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas), one of the biggest factors in unemployment is the number of people
without jobs who have graduated from a university or other higher educational institution.
According to INDEF (2019), there are a number of factors that contribute to the rising rate of unemployment
among people with higher education. One of these is the discrepancy that exists between the advancement of
technology and the economy and the level of preparation provided by employers. Klehe et al. claim that (
2012), an individual's career adaptability may assist the business in determining the quality of an employer
candidate. In addition, Koen et al. claim that ( 2012), career adaptability is the mental preparation that can
influence an individual's job search (Klehe et al., 2012). This is contrary to the expectation that internship
programs should help college students. The internship program is one example of an effort to give college
students experience. Students are given opportunities to gain experience in order to better prepare them for
the demands of industry in the future. The qualifications of skills that a company seeks change as a result of
economic and technological development.
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Before entering the workforce, bachelor's degree holders must have a solid work history. College students
are motivated to begin acquiring work-ready experience by participating in the internship program. Work
readiness, according to World Bank Group (2019), is when an employer is able to solve problems, collaborate
with others, and adapt to the workplace. Savickas (1997) defines career adaptability as the capacity for
adaptability to the workplace. Career adaptability, according to Savickas (2013), is "the attitude and
individual competency used to adapt to the work environment."
Career concern, responsibility or control over one's career, curiosity about the work environment, and the
confidence to act appropriately with one's interest and ability are the four dimensions of career adaptability that
are identified by Savickas (1997). These dimensions are a person's adaptability strategy for dealing with tasks,
transitions, and traumatic workplace experiences now or in the future. According to research on career
adaptability, career adaptability is a crucial factor in an individual's career path (Klehe et al., 2011).
An individual with good career adaptability is influenced by adaptivity's antecedent factors. According to
Tolentino et al., adaptability includes a proactive personality and a positive outlook on one's future. 2014).
Perceived social support, cognitive ability, self-esteem, individual self-evaluation of self-worth and abilities
(core self evaluation), and future orientation are additional factors that influence career adaptability (Rudolph
et al., 2017). Rudolph et al. say that ( 2017), these factors further assist an individual in adapting to challenges
related to their career. The ability to adapt one's career makes it easier to move from school to work (Negru-
Subtirica et al., 2015). Career adaptability has the potential to significantly aid individuals in achieving
optimal adaptation during career transitions. College students will experience career transition from their
studies to the workplace. According to Skorikov (2007), college students will be able to develop themselves
and their careers well if they have high career adaptability (Hirschi, 2009). On the other hand, if a person has
a low career adaptability, he or she will have trouble making the transition to a new career and will experience
emotions like pressure, pessimism, and doubt that can make the process of self-actualization and success in
life more difficult (Savickas, 2002).
The majority of respondents who have completed internships are more prepared and able to adapt to the
workplace in their future careers than respondents who have never completed an internship, according to
preliminary data collected on Bandung college students. According to the responses provided by the groups of
respondents who have completed internships, internships are also an effort to obtain experience to prepare for
future careers. According to the objectives of facilitating the internship program, the existence of an internship
program or activity for college students can help their career readiness.
Researchers are encouraged to examine the description of career adaptability in college students who have
joined internships based on the phenomenon of the gap between expectations of being held and facilitating
an internship program for college students and the large number of unemployed people with a higher
education background. Then, the specialist needed to make it explicit by looking at the portrayal of vocation
flexibility on undergrads in Bandung.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology employed in this research is characterized as a non-experimental approach, specifically
quantitative research, which is structured to avoid administering any specific treatments or interventions to the
sample (Christensen, 2007). The study's population comprises college students in Bandung who have
participated in an internship program. The sample characteristics include active college students who are
registered as interns in an organization or company. The sampling technique applied in this research is quota
sampling, wherein the researcher establishes the desired sample size or quota for the identified group,
followed by convenience sampling from that group (Christensen, 2010). The total number of respondents in
this study is 64.
The instrument utilized for measurement is the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) questionnaire
developed by Savickas & Profeli (2012), which has been previously employed and adapted in research
conducted by Alya Yasmin in 2018, targeting respondents with similar characteristics to those in this study,
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namely college students. This questionnaire comprises 24 items, each representing the dimensions of career
adaptability: career concern, career control, career curiosity, and career confidence. Respondents are
instructed to evaluate the extent of the strengths they have developed following their internship
experience by selecting one of five response options for each statement presented. The reliability of the
research data, assessed using the Cronbach's Alpha test, yielded a coefficient of 0.954, with reliability scores
for each dimension of career adaptability as follows: concern (.884), control (.837), curiosity (.906), and
confidence (.832). The validity of the instrument was tested using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
procedure, meeting the goodness of fit criterion of greater than 0.90, with a CFI index result of 0.97.
This measurement tool consists of 24 items, each accompanied by five response options. Respondents are
required to select one answer for each item based on their individual circumstances. The five answer choices are
provided along with their corresponding scores.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of processed research data are divided into general or overall career adaptability profile data and
career adaptability descriptions based on demographic data and cross tabulation between demographic data
and supporting data. Existing data are categorized based on predetermined categorization. Based on the
research data processing that has been done, the following results are obtained:
Table 1. Respondent Demographic Data
Variable
Category
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Gender
Male
10
15.6
Female
54
84.4
Class of
2016
55
85.9
2017
9
14.1
Age
20 years old
17
27.0
21 years old
40
63.5
22 years old
5
7.9
Frequency of Joining Internship
1 time
52
81.3
2 times
11
17.2
3 times
1
1.5
Year of Joining Internship
2017
1
1.3
2018
8
10.4
2019
68
88.3
Duration of Internship
Less than 1 month
5
6.5
1 month
37
48.1
More than 1 month
35
45.5
Alignment of Internship with Psychology
Yes
58
75.3
No
19
24.7
Based on the table above, it can be seen that the majority of respondents in this study were female, came from
the 2016 class, and were 21 years old. Then, related to their internship activities, the majority of respondents
had joined an internship once. It can be seen that the majority of respondents took part in their internship
activities in 2019. In addition, the respondents in this study were grouped according to the duration or length
of their internships, which were less than 1 month, 1 month, and more than 1 month. Finally, the majority of
respondents have joined internships that are in line with their scientific fields, namely psychology such as
assistant psychologists and human resources, while other respondents have joined internships that are not in
line with their scientific fields such as content writers, public relations staff, and baristas.
Furthermore, the researcher describes the general career adaptability profile and an overview of each
dimension of the respondent's career adaptability. The percentage results of the number of respondents were
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obtained as follows:
Table 2. Overview of Respondents' Career Adaptability Profile in General
Profil Category
Career Adaptability
Dimensi Career Adaptability
Concern
Control
Curiosity
Confidence
Low
4.7
4.7
3.1
6.3
1.6
Medium
18.8
17.2
26.6
20.3
37.5
High
76.6
78.1
70.3
73.4
60.9
The data presented in the table indicates that the college students who participated in internships exhibit career
adaptability profiles predominantly in the high category (76.6%), followed by the medium category (18.8%),
and the low category (4.7%). This suggests that a significant majority of respondents are classified within the
high adaptability category. Specifically, 76.6% of participants in this study demonstrate readiness to
confront the tasks and challenges that may arise in their future careers. They are perceived as capable of
adjusting to the work environment, possessing psychosocial resources such as attitudes and competencies
essential for managing tasks within their professional settings.
Moreover, an examination of the profiles across the various dimensions of career adaptability—namely
concern, control, curiosity, and confidence—reveals that most college students who have engaged in
internships also display high adaptability in these areas. This suggests that the majority of respondents possess
adequate resources to navigate future assignments, transitions, and challenges in their prospective job roles,
largely attributed to their internship experiences.
Notably, the concern dimension is rated higher than the others, indicating that respondents are already
invested in their future careers. This inclination likely enhances their propensity for thorough exploration,
strong commitment, and information gathering (Negru-Subtirica, Pop, & Crocetti, 2015). These findings
align with the responses to questions regarding future orientation, where most participants expressed clarity
about their future plans. However, it is worth noting that 3.1% of respondents reported uncertainty, indicating
confusion about whether to pursue postgraduate studies or enter the workforce.
In the control dimension, a significant number of college students who participated in internships also
demonstrate a high adaptability profile.
Table 3. Overview of Respondents Career Adaptability Profile based on Demographic Data
Demographic Data
Category
Profile
Career
Adaptability
Concern
Control
Curiosity
Confidence
Gender
Male
Low
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Medium
20.0
20.0
10.0
10.0
High
80.0
80.0
90.0
90.0
Female
Low
5.6
5.6
3.7
7.4
Medium
18.5
16.7
29.6
22.2
High
75.9
77.8
66.7
70.4
Frequency of Joining
Internship
1 time
Low
3.8
5.8
1.9
5.8
Medium
19.2
15.4
26.9
21.2
High
76.9
78.8
71.2
73.1
More than 1
time
Low
8.3
0.0
8.3
8.3
Medium
16.7
25.0
35.0
16.7
High
75.0
75.0
66.7
75.0
Duration of
Internship
Less than 1
month
Low
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
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Medium
20.0
0.0
40.0
20.0
High
80.0
100.0
60.0
80.0
1 month
Low
5.4
5.4
2.7
8.1
Medium
21.6
18.9
37.8
18.9
High
73.0
75.7
59.5
73.0
More than 1
month
Low
5.7
2.9
5.7
5.7
Medium
14.3
20.0
14.3
20.0
High
80.0
77.1
80.0
74.3
Alignment of
Internship with
Psychology
Yes
Low
3.4
1.7
3.4
5.2
Medium
17.2
19.0
31.0
20.7
High
79.3
79.3
65.5
74.1
No
Low
10.5
10.5
5.3
10.5
Medium
21.1
15.8
15.8
15.8
High
68.4
73.7
78.9
73.7
Note. Values are expressed as percentages (%). Career adaptability and its dimensions are categorized
into Low, Medium, and High levels. The dimensions of career adaptability include Concern, Control,
Curiosity, and Confidence.
The data presented in the table indicates that the college student respondents who engaged in internships exhibit
strong career adaptability profiles across all demographic categories. Analyzing the gender distribution, it is
evident that 75.9% of female respondents and 80% of male respondents possess high career adaptability profiles.
This finding aligns with research conducted in China, which suggests that men demonstrate greater career
adaptability than women (Hou et al., 2012 in Rudolph et al., 2017). While the career adaptability dimensions for
female respondents show a predominance of high profiles, they do not reach the levels observed in their male
counterparts. This suggests that although female respondents possess the capability to adapt to changes in their
work environments, their adaptability is not as pronounced as that of male respondents.
Additionally, when examining the career adaptability profiles of respondents based on their internship
participation, the results reveal minimal differences between those who completed a single internship and those
who undertook multiple internships. Supporting data indicates that both groups express confidence in their ability
to tackle challenges within the professional realm. Therefore, it can be concluded that whether participating in
one internship or several, respondents demonstrate readiness and competence to navigate challenges and changes
in their work environments. This conclusion is consistent with findings from Creed and Patton (2002), which
assert that individuals with work experience exhibit higher career maturity than those without (Creed et al.,
2009). Furthermore, an analysis of each dimension reveals that respondents who participated in more than one
internship tend to explore their future careers more actively and display greater confidence in overcoming
obstacles.
The analysis of internship duration reveals that each category is predominantly represented by high-profile
individuals, with respective percentages of 80%, 73%, and 80%. The findings indicate that there is minimal
variation among respondents who completed internships lasting less than one month, one month, and more
than one month. Furthermore, across all dimensions, it can be concluded that the majority of respondents,
regardless of whether their internship lasted less than one month, one month, or more than one month, exhibit
a high level of readiness and adaptability to the work environment in their prospective careers.
Additionally, when examining the alignment of internships with the field of psychology, the results indicate
that both groups of respondents—those whose internships were aligned with their academic discipline and
those whose internships were not—demonstrate a high level of career adaptability. However, a closer look
reveals that 79.3% of the aligned group falls within the high adaptability category, compared to 68.4% of
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the non-aligned group. Moreover, the percentage of respondents in the low adaptability category is higher
among those whose internships were not aligned with their field. This suggests that the aligned group
possesses greater resources to facilitate their adaptation to future work environments (Savickas & Profeli,
2012). Furthermore, an examination of the dimensions indicates that the majority of college students who
undertook internships relevant to psychology are more engaged in planning for their futures, while those in
unrelated internships exhibit greater confidence in their ability to meet future work demands.
CONCLUSION
The analysis and discussion of the descriptive research data indicate that a significant number of college
students in Bandung who participated in internships exhibit a readiness to adjust to their future work
environments. Overall, these students demonstrate the ability to plan their careers effectively, take
responsibility for their career decisions, explore their surroundings, gather information regarding career
options, and navigate challenges that arise during their professional development. To enhance future research
on career adaptability, the following recommendations are proposed:
Expand the sample size to ensure a more representative distribution of results across various
respondent categories;
Examine the career adaptability profile considering additional factors not addressed in this study that
may influence the dynamics of respondents' career adaptability;
Conduct further investigations into the differences in career adaptability profiles between students
who have completed internships and those who have not, to gain a clearer understanding of the
distinctions between these two groups.
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