Anxiety about job application in senior undergraduate students.

Abstract

Objective : The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study is to explore the level of anxiety and its associated factors regarding job application in senior undergraduate students of Chulalongkorn University.

Materials and Methods : Four hundred senior undergraduate students who are searching for jobs after graduation, not in pursuit of a Master Degree or those who already have reserved work. The research instruments were, namely: a demographic questionnaire, and a questionnaire on anxiety about job application.

Results : The results showed mean and SD regarding the anxiety about job application score were 58.9 and 12.96 respectively. The possible score range from 25-125. When using standard Mean ± 1 SD to set the level of the anxiety of job application, 15.5 % of the population sample had high level of anxiety, with score higher than 72. Factors associated with increased anxiety about job application were female gender (B = 3.308, p = 0.018), incompetence in English (B =-2.754, p = 0.035) and discrepancy between the job requirement and the major subjects they have taken (B =-2.687, p = 0.039).

Conclusion : Minority of students has high level of anxiety about job application. Sex, competency in English, and consistency between the job requirement and the major subjects taken are significantly associated with anxiety about job application. The findings can be used by institution as a guidance for psychological health promotion and management of anxiety about job application in senior undergraduate students.