Building Career Adaptability: The Impact Of Optimism And Career Aspirations Among New Employees In Semarang

Abstract

This study aims to determine the influence of optimism and career aspirations on career adaptability in new employees in Semarang City. Optimism in this study is understood as an individual's belief that positive things will happen in the future, so that individuals have hope and readiness to face challenges. Career aspirations refer to the goals, plans, and career directions that individuals want to achieve. Career adaptability is an individual's ability to adjust and respond to demands and changes in the work environment. The population in this study were new employees in various job sectors, with a sample of 116 respondents obtained through a purposive sampling technique. The measuring instruments used included the Optimism Scale, Career Aspiration Scale, and Career Adaptability Scale that had met the criteria for validity and reliability, and data analysis was carried out using multiple linear regression. The results of the study showed that optimism had a positive and significant effect on career adaptability with a regression coefficient of 1.531, t-value = 6.851, and p = 0.000 (p < 0.05). Career aspirations also had a positive and significant effect with a regression coefficient of 0.265, t-value = 3.731, and p = 0.000 (p < 0.05). The simultaneous test showed a calculated F value of 36.485 with p = 0.000 (p < 0.05) so that both variables together had a significant effect on career adaptability. This finding confirms that optimism and career aspirations provide an effective contribution to increasing career adaptability, with optimism being the most dominant variable.