From Cap and Gown to career Crown: Unlocking employability with career adaptability and regulatory focus for a successful transition

Abstract

Throughout their educational journey, for college juniors and seniors, enhancing employability is crucial for boosting confidence and career prospects. Recent hospitality labor market challenges have limited job opportunities, increasing the need for educators to provide resources for career launch readiness. This study draws on data from 334 undergraduate hospitality management students in the U.S. The findings make a unique contribution by integrating Conservation of Resources theory and Regulatory Focus Theory to develop and empirically validate a novel, resource-based school-to-work transition model specifically for hospitality management students. Notably, this study identifies perceived employability as a key driver of readiness for the school-to-work transition, with career adaptability and promotion focus serving as critical mediators. The findings contribute to research on career launch transitions, offering valuable insights for educators. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Author Keywords

Career adaptability Perceived employability Readiness for school-to-work transition Regulatory focus

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations

The Collins College of Hospitality Management, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, CA, United States

School of Foundations, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States

Funding & Acknowledgements

No funding information

References 10 References

1 Akkermans, Jos, The best of both worlds: The role of career adaptability and career competencies in students' well-being and performance, Frontiers in Psychology, 9, SEP, (2018)

2 Álvarez-González, Paula, Perceived employability in university students: developing an integrated model, Career Development International, 22, 3, pp. 280-299, (2017)

3 Linkedin, (2024)

4 Atitsogbe, Kokou Amenyona, Perceived employability and entrepreneurial intentions across university students and job seekers in Togo: The effect of career adaptability and self-efficacy, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, FEB, (2019)

5 Ayvaz, Ahmet, From Perseverance of Effort to Perceived Employability in First-Generation College Students: The Mediating Role of Career Adaptability and Career Engagement, Journal of Career Assessment, 34, 1, pp. 62-79, (2026)

6 Baluku, Martin Mabunda, Psychological Capital and Career Outcomes among Final Year University Students: the Mediating Role of Career Engagement and Perceived Employability, International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 6, 1, pp. 55-80, (2021)

7 Bargsted, Mariana, Career success is not always an outcome: its mediating role between competence employability model and perceived employability, Career Development International, 26, 2, pp. 119-139, (2021)

8 Bauer, Talya N., Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods, Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 3, pp. 707-721, (2007)

9 Blair, Clancy B., School readiness and self-regulation: A developmental psychobiological approach, Annual Review of Psychology, 66, pp. 711-731, (2015)

10 Blokker, Rowena, Organizing School-to-Work Transition Research from a Sustainable Career Perspective: A Review and Research Agenda, Work, Aging and Retirement, 9, 3, pp. 239-261, (2023)

From Cap and Gown to career Crown: Unlocking employability with career adaptability and regulatory focus for a successful transition

How to Cite