A Study on the Mediating Effect of Career Resilience Moderated by Self-Direction in the Relationship between Satisfaction with Talent Volunteer Activities and Career Preparation Behavior of University Students

This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of career resilience in the relationship between university students’ satisfaction with talent-based volunteer activities and their career preparation behavior, and to examine whether self-directedness moderates this mediating effect. To achieve this, a survey was conducted with 284 university students in the Seoul metropolitan area. The results of the data analysis are as follows. First, career resilience was found to significantly mediate the relationship between satisfaction with talent-based volunteer activities and career preparation behavior. Second, self-directedness demonstrated a significant moderating effect on the relationship between career resilience and career preparation behavior, indicating that the positive influence of career resilience on career preparation behavior was stronger among students with higher levels of self-directedness. Third, the mediating effect of career resilience on the relationship between satisfaction with talent-based volunteer activities and career preparation behavior varied according to the level of self-directedness, revealing a moderated mediation effect. These findings suggest that career resilience and self-directedness are essential psychological resources that contribute to the career preparation behavior of university students. In particular, students with higher self-directedness are more likely to translate satisfaction with talent-based volunteer activities into enhanced career resilience, which in turn promotes more active engagement in career preparation.