Preparing Mass Communications Students for an Evolving Industry: The Influence of Emotional Intelligence and Extracurricular Involvement on Career Adaptability

Abstract

Career paths of entry-level professionals in media fields are more ambiguous and complex than ever before. To make a successful transition into their careers, graduates must possess career management skills; they should be career adaptable. Grounded in a social psychological approach, a survey of college students (N = 320) examined how emotional intelligence and extracurricular involvement influences career adaptability. Journalism and mass communications students were compared to other majors along these variables to bring insight into how career management training can be implemented. Results indicated a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and career adaptability, which was enhanced by extracurricular participation.

Keywords

emotional intelligence career adaptability Generation Z professional development career management

Introduction

Many of today’s college students are members of Generation Z (Gen Z), those born 1997 and later (Dimock, 2019). Organizations will soon be dramatically impacted as approximately 61 million people from this generation get ready to enter the workforce (Morris, 2018). Are college graduates prepared to make this transition? While they might be trained in the skills necessary to carry out job functions, many are hesitant about how to navigate their careers. Their outlook has been shaped by the financial crisis and they are anxious and stressed out about their futures (Benhamou, 2015).

A recent perspective on the state of higher education claims it is in an “exit era” where “the ultimate accomplishment [of college grads] will be the successful transition from college to life outside of college” (Busteed, 2016, para. 2). Institutions are under pressure to help students build a solid career foundation (Busteed, 2016). This “exit era” is particularly complex for college students in mass communications; they have a diverse range of career opportunities available to them and career paths are not well-defined (Lum, 2017).

Instead of assessing core competencies that make college graduates employable (i.e., writing proficiency and data analysis), this study builds on the premise that college graduates must possess career management skills, the “abilities required to proactively navigate the working world and successfully manage the career building process” (Bridgstock, 2009, p. 35). Successful career navigation and management is positively influenced when emotions are understood and utilized (Brown et al., 2003; Douglass & Duffy, 2015; Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). Grounded in a social psychological approach, this study examined how trait emotional intelligence (EI) (Petrides, 2011) influences college students’ career adaptability (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012) and assessed how journalism and mass communications students compare to other majors (i.e., business, agriculture, and engineering) along these variables to bring insight into how career management mentorship and training should be implemented.

Literature Review

The Need for Career Management Training

Media and communications careers are increasingly complex as technology, work environments, and industries continue to evolve (Lum, 2017). As such, the path from college to successful employment within the mass communications field looks different to almost every college graduate. Career paths of entry-level professionals have changed. Previous generations experienced a straight trajectory, whereas for Gen Z, “a career is more of a buffet” (Supiano, 2018, para. 11).

This next generation of media and communications professionals should know how to build, navigate, and manage a career long term (Bridgstock, 2009). Oftentimes soon-to-be graduates have a short-term focus on landing the “ideal” job after graduation. This type of fixed mind-set could actually limit career options (May, 2018), whereas a growth mind-set enables the pursuit of a variety of career interests and options, despite setbacks (O’Keefe et al., 2018). Therefore, a career management strategy involves being a lifelong learner and adaptive to situations and contexts. Career management strategies can help students confidently take charge of their careers (Raelin et al., 2011) and affords students the opportunity for self-reflection of their professional identity (Jackson & Wilton, 2016). Emotions guide individuals as they design their lives and purposefully construct their career identities (Hartung, 2011). Emotions are closely tied to how individuals transition into different career roles and manage their careers.

EI as It Relates to Careers

Much career and professional development research focuses on technical skills needed for new employees to be successful. An alternative approach to this research perspective puts the focus on emotions through the lens of emotionality. An individual’s level of emotionality—their perceptions of being emotionally and socially capable—influences their career decisions and workplace experiences (Di Fabio & Palazzeschi, 2009; Emmerling & Cherniss, 2003; Petrides & Furnham, 2006; Puffer, 2011). Emotionality can be conceptualized as EI, which has been studied in numerous contexts including leadership in the workplace (Goleman, 2004; Goleman & Boyatzis, 2008), gender in the workplace (Petrides & Furnham, 2006), and higher education (Liptak, 2005; Puffer, 2011; Sigmar et al., 2012). EI is a critical factor in determining career success (Goleman, 1995) and influences how people engage in career decision making and in workplace situations (Fosslien & Duffy, 2019). Those with high EI are better equipped to handle on-the-job stressors and ambiguity (Petrides & Furnham, 2006). EI also affects the career choice process (Brown et al., 2003; Emmerling & Cherniss, 2003; Puffer, 2011).

Mass communications college graduates may be able to assertively address their career concerns and defend their career choices if they have a better grasp of their emotional tendencies and how to utilize their emotions, resulting in increased efficacy for career-related decisions (Brown et al., 2003).

Trait EI

The version of EI adopted for this study comes from Petrides (2009, 2011) Trait Emotional Intelligence (Trait EI), conceptualized as a personality trait instead of a cognitive ability. Trait EI is also referred to as “emotional self-efficacy” (Petrides, 2011, p. 657) because it relates to people’s personal perspectives of their own emotional abilities. Essentially, if someone perceives him or herself as being emotionally capable, they have the confidence and ability to properly harness those emotions in situations of uncertainty. Trait EI is appropriate for use in this study because the focus is on students’ self-efficacy of the use of their own emotions to manage their careers. Trait EI consists of four factors: emotionality, sociability, self-control, and well-being. Those who perceive themselves as being emotionally capable (emotionality), tend to also believe they are socially capable (sociability), have more willpower (self-control), and are better adapted overall (well-being) (Petrides, 2009).

Career Adaptability

College students’ career trajectories are not influenced by a single career decision. Being comfortable navigating a complex job market and developing a long-term career outlook that changes over time is a skill that’s especially important for today’s college graduates. In essence, graduates must be adaptive and equipped to self-manage their career trajectories (Bridgstock, 2009). An adaptable approach toward career planning is essential for successful career development (Douglass & Duffy, 2015).

Career adaptability is based on career construction theory (Savickas, 1997, 2005) and defined as, “a psychosocial construct that denotes an individual’s resources for coping with current and anticipated tasks, transitions, traumas in their occupational roles that, to some degree large or small, alter their social integration” (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012, p. 662). The career adaptability construct consists of four domains: (a) career concern, (b) career control, (c) career curiosity, and (d) career confidence. When occupational transitions occur, career-adaptable individuals are concerned about their vocational future, take control of being prepared for their vocational future, have curiosity by exploring potential scenarios, and have confidence when pursuing career aspirations (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). This view of career building is especially prominent for mass communications college students, as they develop their professional identities and use these identities to differentiate themselves as job seekers.

Emotions influence how individuals adapt to situations of uncertainty involving their careers (Puffer, 2011; Schutte et al., 2008). Individuals vary in how they use emotions to discover and satisfy their career goals and interests. College students, in particular, can benefit from understanding their emotional states and how their emotional tendencies influence their ability to be agile when navigating the job market (Emmerling & Cherniss, 2003).

Participation in Extracurricular Activities

College students have the opportunity to experience real-world group decision making and exercise their emotional self-awareness by participating in extracurricular activities. It is suggested that students who have self-awareness about their emotions and how to use them are better equipped to collaborate with others in team-based settings (Sigmar et al., 2012). Emotional development also encourages team-building efforts and cooperative learning experiences (Welch, 2003). Those with high EI are also comfortable in collaborative, team-based settings (Clarke, 2010; Goleman & Boyatzis, 2008). For college students specifically, team-based collaboration facilitates confidence when making career decisions and facing uncertainty (Jackson & Wilton, 2016; Raelin et al., 2011).

Hypotheses and Research Questions

Knowledge of how college students rate themselves along the different factors of Trait EI could inform career management training and mentoring. However, research in this area shows inconsistent results. McCorkindale (2017) found that entry-level professionals rated themselves lowest in the emotionality dimension, whereas a separate study reported college students in the social sciences scored highest in emotionality and lowest in self-control (Sánchez-Ruiz et al., 2011). Thus, the first research question is as follows:

RQ1: Of all the four Trait EI factors of emotionality, sociability, self-control, and well-being, which will be strongest among college students?

Emotional tendencies play a significant role in how individuals make career decisions and handle career transitions (Emmerling & Cherniss, 2003; Puffer, 2011). Previous research demonstrates a strong relationship between EI and career adaptability (Coetzee & Harry, 2014). Although this study concerns college students not currently in their professional careers, many are proactively (or not proactively) constructing their perceptions of their career trajectories. These underlying beliefs relate to self-efficacy toward the dimensions of career adaptability as students consider their future careers. Thus, we predict that perceived career adaptability is, in fact, an indicator of future career adaptability and posit:

H1: Trait EI will positively predict college students’ perceived career adaptability overall.

Previous research supports the notion that EI is related to success in the workplace and group collaboration (Clarke, 2010; Petrides & Furnham, 2006; Sigmar et al., 2012). In addition, cooperative learning opportunities help college students understand the dynamics of the world of work and its demands (Raelin et al., 2011). It is posited that college students’ EI is also positively associated with their participation in extracurricular activities and that this participation will mediate the relationship between EI and career adaptability.

H2: Trait EI will positively predict student participation in extracurricular activities.

H3: Emotional intelligence has a positive, indirect effect on career adaptability through extracurricular activities.

A key aim of this study was to understand how students in journalism and mass communication compared to other majors along the variables of EI, career adaptability, and participation in extracurricular activities.

RQ2a-c: Do majors in journalism and mass communications differ from other majors in (a) emotional intelligence, (b) career adaptability, and (c) participation in extracurricular activities?

Method

To address study hypotheses and research questions, an online survey was conducted via Qualtrics survey software using students at a large, Midwestern, public university. Students majoring in journalism and mass communication were recruited via emails sent by instructors in their journalism and mass communication courses. Students were offered extra credit in exchange for participation. In addition, the survey was sent to a sample of 5,440 students from other undergraduate majors within the university, which resulted in 148 responses. There was a total of 482 responses to the survey, including journalism and mass communication majors. A total of 114 survey responses were deleted listwise due to failure to reach the end of the survey; 25 cases were deleted for repeat responses, and 23 cases were deleted for failing a survey attention check.

The final survey sample consisted of 320 complete responses. The sample was 27.8% male (n = 89) and 72.2% female (n = 231). About 23.2% of the sample was 18 to 19 years old (n = 74), 23.8% of the sample was 20 years old (n = 76), 25.6% of the sample was 21 years old (n = 82), and 18.4% of the sample was 22 years old (n = 59). The remaining 9.1% of the sample was 23 to 25 years old (n = 29). The academic standing of the sample was 14.1% freshman (n = 45), 21.3% sophomore (n = 68), 25.6% junior (n = 82), and 35.6% senior (n = 114). Second-year seniors were 3.4% of the sample (n = 11). Regarding ethnic background, the sample was 92.5% Caucasian (n = 296), 2.5% African American (n = 8), 2.8% Hispanic or Latino (n = 9), 1.3% Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 4), and 0.9% other races (n = 3). Around 15.9% of the sample were first-generation college students (n = 51), and 39.1% of the sample were journalism and mass communication majors (n = 125).

Measures

Trait EI was assessed using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Short Form (TEIQ-SF, Petrides, 2009; M = 5.11, SD = .68, α = .88). The TEIQ-SF consists of 30 items and is a valid and reliable scale for assessing emotional self-efficacy (Siegling et al., 2015; Zampetakis, 2011). Participants responded using a 7-point completely agree/completely disagree scale. Six questions (e.g., “On the whole, I’m pleased with my life.”) measured the well-being factor (M = 5.76, SD = .91, α = .84). Six questions (e.g., “I’m usually able to find ways to control my emotions when I want to.”) measured self control (M = 4.61, SD = .94, α = .69). Eight questions (e.g., “Expressing emotions with words is not a problem for me.”) measured emotionality (M = 5.07, SD = .90, α = .71). Finally, six questions (e.g., “I can deal effectively with people.”) measured sociability (M = 4.94, SD = .84, α = .66).

Perceived career adaptability was measured using Savickas and Porfeli (2012) Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (M = 6.0, SD = .54, α = .89) consisting of 23 items. The items were adapted to reflect that participants consider their careers after graduation (their future careers) as they answered questions measured on a 7-point strongly disagree to strongly agree scale. Six questions (e.g., “I realize that today’s choices shape my future.”) measured the career concern factor (M = 6.22, SD = .65, α = .79). One item, “I am concerned about my career,” was eliminated from the final scale to improve the reliability of this measure. Five items (e.g., “In regards to my future career I’m making decisions by myself.”) measured career control (M = 6.02, SD = .71, α = .76). Six questions (e.g., “In regards to my future career I’m exploring my surroundings.”) measured career curiosity (M = 5.94, SD = .68, α = .79). Six questions (e.g., “In regards to preparing for my career search I’m performing tasks efficiently.”) measured career confidence (M = 5.95, SD = .74, α = .88).

Participation in extracurricular activities was measured by adapting the Clubs and Organizations subset of the College Student Experiences Questionnaire, Fourth Edition (Gonyea et al., 2003; M = 2.37, SD = .65, α = .75). Participants were asked to reflect on their experience at their institution during the current school year and rate seven statements on a 4-point scale (very often to never). The scale consisted of statements such as “Attended a meeting of a campus club, organization, or student government group” and “Worked on a campus committee, student organization, or project (publications, special events, etc.).”

Demographic information collected included age, gender, academic standing, ethnicity, first-generation college student status, and current major/area of study. In addition, knowing that first-generation college students’ perceptions of their career outlook and professional readiness are vastly different than non–first-generation students (Tate et al., 2015), first-generation college student status was also included as a demographic variable.

Results

RQ1 asked which of the four Trait EI factors—emotionality, sociability, self-control, or well-being—would be the strongest among college students. To address this question, a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. For the ANOVA, Mauchly’s test of sphericity indicated that the assumption of sphericity had not been violated, χ² (5) = 6.58, p > .05. There were statistically significant differences between the four Trait EI factors, F (3, 948) = 157.33, p < .001, partial η² = .33. Post hoc testing revealed that college students reported a stronger sense of well-being (M = 5.75, SE = .05) than self-control (M = 4.61, SE = .05), p < .001. Well-being also outperformed emotionality (M = 5.07, SE = .05), p < .001, and sociability (M = 4.94, SE = .05), p < .001. Self-control had the lowest score, below emotionality (p < .001) and sociability (p < .001). The difference between emotionality and sociability was not statistically significant (p > .05). To address RQ1, well-being was the strongest Trait EI factor, with self-control having the lowest score.

H1 suggested Trait EI would positively predict perceived career adaptability overall, which was tested using a linear regression. The first step of the regression entered controls, specifically age, gender (dummy coded with female as the reference), year in school (dummy coded with freshman as the reference), ethnic background (dummy coded with Caucasian as the reference), and first-generation college status (dummy coded with non–first generation as the reference). The second step of the regression entered Trait EI. The introduction of the controls in Step 1 of the regression was not statistically significant and explained 4% of the variance, F (10, 305) = 1.17, p > .05. The introduction of Trait EI in Step 2 explained an additional 21% of the variance, ΔF (1, 304) = 83.22, p < .001. While controlling for demographic factors, Trait EI was a statistically significant predictor of career adaptability, B = .37, SE = .04, β = .46, p < .001. H1 was confirmed.

H2 posited that Trait EI would positively predict student participation in extracurricular activities. To address the hypothesis, a linear regression was employed. The first step of the regression entered the controls utilized in the previous regression (age, gender, year in school, ethnic background, and first-generation college status). The second step of the regression entered Trait EI. The introduction of the controls in Step 1 of the regression was not statistically significant and explained 3.4% of the variance, F (10, 305) = 1.07, p > .05. The introduction of Trait EI in Step 2 explained an additional 3% of the variance, ΔF (1, 304) = 8.80, p < .01. While Trait EI was a statistically significant predictor of participation in extracurricular activities (B = .16, SE = .05, β = .17, p < .01), this variable explained a small amount of the variance, and being female was not far behind Trait EI in predicting extracurricular participation (B = −.17, SE = .08, β = −.12, p < .05). As such, H2 had marginal support.

H3 posited EI would have a positive, indirect effect on perceived career adaptability through extracurricular participation. To address this hypothesis, Model 4 of the PROCESS macro by Hayes (2013) was employed to test for mediation. The relation between EI and college organization involvement was statistically significant, B = .16, SE = .05, β = .17, p < .01, as was the relation between college organization involvement and perceived career adaptability, B = .15, SE = .04, β = .18, p < .001. The unstandardized indirect effect was (.16)(.15) = .02. Using 5,000 bootstrap estimates to construct the 95% confidence interval, it was determined that the indirect effect was significant, as the confidence interval (CI) excluded zero, upper CI = .05, lower CI = .007. However, the direct effect of EI on perceived career adaptability was also significant, B = .34, SE = .04, β = .43, p < .001. This suggests partial mediation. The relationship between EI and career adaptability was partially mediated by extracurricular participation.

RQ2 asked if majors in journalism and mass communication differed from other majors in (a) Trait EI, (b) perceived career adaptability, and (c) participation in extracurricular activities. To address this research question, a series of t-tests were conducted. For Trait EI, there was no difference between mass communication (M = 5.08, SD = .65) and other majors (M = 5.13, SD = .70), t (314) = −.70, p > .05. Likewise, for perceived career adaptability, there was no difference between mass communication (M = 5.96, SD = .58) and other majors (M = 6.02, SD = .51), t (318) = −.98, p > .05. There was also no difference in extracurricular participation for mass communication (M = 2.44, SD = .64) and other majors (M = 2.33, SD = .65), t (318) = 1.44, p > .05. To address RQ2, there were no differences between journalism and mass communication majors and majors from other programs in terms of EI, perceived career adaptability, and extracurricular participation.

Discussion

This study examined how Trait EI influences perceived career adaptability in college students. Through existing research, it is known that having a strong EI is essential to be successful in the workplace (Di Fabio & Palazzeschi, 2009; Emmerling & Cherniss, 2003; Petrides & Furnham, 2006; Puffer, 2011). By understanding what these different traits look like among current college students, and how Trait EI influences their perceived career adaptability, educators can be better equipped to provide tailored mentorship and extracurricular programming to undergraduate students preparing to enter the workforce.

Of the four measures of Trait EI, well-being was ranked the highest and self-control ranked lowest among the respondents. Although McCorkindale (2017) found that entry-level public relations professionals rated themselves lowest in the emotionality, another study of college students found self-control ranked lowest as well (Sánchez-Ruiz et al., 2011). This illuminates the fact that institutions should focus on providing tools and strategies so students feel more confident in their willpower (self-control). For example, time management programming can provide tools that develop and maintain self-discipline and self-restraint (as it relates to willpower) when beginning their career as a full-time working professional.

In addition, survey results indicated that Trait EI positively predicts students’ overall perceived career adaptability, which is significant for several reasons. Institutions must consider EI when investing in curriculum and program development that helps students understand how to leverage their emotionality in ways that make them more adaptable when they enter the workforce. By being self-aware of specific Trait EI, students can enter the workforce with an understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, which in turn can help them be more adaptable when encountering various transitions in their careers. In addition, results suggest that not any one career adaptability factor is more important or significant than the others; therefore, all should be taken into consideration when mentoring and training.

Previous research indicated that a strong EI helps students communicate in groups more effectively (Raelin et al., 2011). For this reason, it was predicted that a higher EI would lend itself to a higher inclination to participate in team-type activities, such as extracurriculars. Consistent with this research, survey results showed that the relationship between EI and perceived career adaptability was partially mediated by extracurricular activities. A direct and significant relationship among EI, perceived career adaptability and extracurricular activities suggests that colleges and faculty should recommend college organization involvement to students as a method of professional development. The resulting career adaptability levels in socially and emotionally capable students further emphasizes the influence of extracurricular activities. Finally, the results showed that journalism and mass communications majors do not differ from other majors when examining Trait EI, career adaptability and participation in extracurriculars. An important practical implication of this relates to current budget concerns in higher education; there is not a strong argument for developing mass communication-specific career adaptability and EI training. Collaboration across campuses and utilizing a broad, interdisciplinary approach can and should occur as a cost-saving measure.

This study has several limitations. First, the study’s sample was primarily female. A more diverse sample could yield better implications reflective of both male and female students. In addition, the lack of face-to-face conversation with participants leaves room for a more in-depth analysis of the student responses. Finally, the sample was limited to students from a single university; expanding it to include students from multiple institutions may yield different results.

Despite its limitations, this study provides a framework for helping institutions move forward in preparing students to be confident and adaptable in an evolving workforce. Future research could explore how the industry can best support new professionals. Expanding upon this study, a longitudinal examination of these students through their first years in the workplace could provide a deeper understanding of how they adapt to change and manage stressors. Another avenue for future research could be to explore undergraduates’ extracurricular activities on a deeper level. The survey used did not address the specific types of activities students were involved with.

In summary, the purpose of this study was to both understand how Trait EI influences undergraduate students’ perceived career adaptability and how the college experience can impact that adaptability, in addition to exploring whether or not journalism and mass communications majors differed from other students in these areas. The results illustrate the importance of learning to be emotionally and socially capable as an undergraduate, and the positive impact this can have on career adaptability. Furthermore, the impact of extracurricular involvement cannot be emphasized enough as a positive indicator of both EI and career adaptability. Resources should be combined across departments to prepare students for a workforce that demands flexibility and confidence in navigating challenges. These findings provide a framework that will help institutions equip students from a social psychological perspective to navigate the career field after graduation.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iDs

Danielle LaGree

Alec Tefertiller

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