Shaping my own future: a latent profile analysis of how career resources influence future work self-salience among Chinese vocational students

Future work self-salience is critical for vocational college students in China to navigate the school-to-work transition effectively. However, there is limited research on the distinct profiles of career resources that shape these students’agency in envisioning and pursuing their professional identities. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of vocational college students based on their configuration of career resources (i.e., psychological, identity, and social resources) and to examine differences in future work self-efficacy and the mediating role of personal growth initiative across the identified profiles. The present study involved 1,093 first- and second-year vocational college students in China. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was conducted in Mplus to classify career resource profiles. The BCH method was applied to examine differences in future work self-salience across identified subgroups. Finally, relative mediation effect analysis was performed to assess the mediating role of personal growth initiative. The LPA results indicated that vocational college students can be classified into four distinct subgroups based on career resources: the deficient group, the relatively high external employability group, the sufficient group, and the balanced group. The sufficient group demonstrated the highest levels of personal growth, initiative, and future work self-salience. Moreover, personal growth initiative mediates the relationship between different subgroups and future work self-salience. These findings highlight the active role individuals play in translating resources into a clearer future work self. Despite limitations, this study contributed to the literature by offering implications for supporting the developmental transition of vocational students entering the workforce.