Does Students’ Personality Play a Significant Role in Determining Their Career Adaptability and Employability?

Career construction theory (CCT) offers unique insights into how students gain career adaptability skills to become employable. Although universities provide the same education to their students, some students’ perceptions of employability may be lower than others’. This study examines the relationship between career adaptability and employability and the moderating role of personality within the context of CCT. The sample comprised 317 students from the economics and administrative sciences faculty at a state university in Türkiye. The measurement model and hypotheses were tested using convergent and discriminant validity, correlation, and regression analyses. Results showed that career adaptability significantly and positively affects perceptions of employability, and that consciousness and extroversion strengthened this relationship. Gaining career adaptability skills is especially essential for students low in consciousness and extroversion. The findings emphasize that personality traits serve as fine-tuning factors within the adaptive process, suggesting that tailored career guidance is particularly essential for students low in these traits to navigate challenging labor markets.