Job-seeking self-efficacy: an Irish scale for assessing the guidance and coaching needs of job seekers

ABSTRACT

This field research was designed to establish what components contribute to the construct of job-seeking self-efficacy (JSSE). 430 active job seekers (219 males, 204 females, 7 non-disclosed) in Ireland volunteered to participate in a survey compiled from previously published sources. A 15-item scale for JSSE was reduced to 8 items (2 factors) after principle components analysis (PCA). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) found the scales hold respectable levels of reliability (α = .841, variance 65%). The Irish JSSE Scale presented good concurrent validity with other research studies and the primary component related to the cognisant and mindful awareness of JSSE. A second factor consisted of an affective/emotive component which was more impacted by the length of unemployment (a = .71). The Irish JSSE Scale should assist guidance counsellors and job coaches by enhancing the efficiency of the job-seeking process by facilitating more client-focused needs analysis.

KEYWORDS:

• Job-seeking self-efficacy
• subjective competency
• western mindfulness
• skill amnesia
• SDG 8 Decent work

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to [restrictions e.g. their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jerry Dixon

Jerry Dixon is an academic practitioner with over 25-year experience in the field of job coaching, career guidance and unemployment psychology. He is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Fellow of the Psychological Society of Ireland, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) and Associate Lecturer with the South East Technological University. Currently, his PhD research is examining the psycho-social traits that underlie effective job-seeking and the role of mindfulness in pro-active job-seeking behaviour for which the second author is the principal supervisor.

Joan Tiernan

Joan Tiernan is a lecturer in psychology (UCD) and fellow of the PSI. She is one of the founding members of the Division of Work and Organisational Psychology in the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). Her research interests lie in W/O Psychology, Positive Psychology and Health Psychology.