Psychological predictors of work readiness among music students: The roles of career self-efficacy, career adaptability, and self-perceived employability

Background In recent years, music graduates have faced increasing challenges in the job market, with insufficient work readiness identified as one of the key influencing factors. However, empirical research on the antecedents of work readiness among music students in the Chinese context remains limited. This study aims to explore the effects of career self-efficacy, career adaptability, and self-perceived employability on the work readiness of Chinese undergraduate music students. Methods Using a cross-sectional survey design, stratified convenience sampling was conducted across eight universities in China. A total of 427 questionnaires were collected, with 414 valid responses retained after excluding invalid ones. To investigate the relationship between various psychological variables and work readiness, as well as their relative explanatory power, this study employed descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis to examine predictive relationships and the relative contributions of variables. Results The findings revealed that all three variables were significantly associated with work readiness and explained a substantial proportion of its variance, with self-perceived employability showing the strongest predictive effect. Conclusion At the curricular level, this study proposes that integrating career planning modules and mock interviews into the curriculum can enhance music students' awareness of their employability. Furthermore, the study emphasises that universities should align their curriculum design more closely with market demands, thereby improving students' self-perceived employability and facilitating their smooth transition into the labour market. These findings contribute to informing music curriculum design and career guidance practices for music students in China.