Methods of job search : how university students search for part-time jobs

Abstract

This study examined the job search process of 176 undergraduate students employed in part-time jobs. Specifically, the relationships between job search methods, job search intensity, and employment quality (as measured by job satisfaction and starting salary) were investigated. In addition, this study used the Big Five personality framework to explore the relationships between personality traits and individuals' tendencies to apply effort to various methods of job search. Factor analytic results suggested that a four-factor solution was appropriate to classify job search methods into groups (i.e., personal contacts, job ads, university-related methods, and direct applications). Using personal contacts and university-related methods were positively associated with greater levels of job satisfaction, and applying directly to employers was negatively related to job satisfaction. Regression analyses showed that using university-related methods and direct applications were the only methods that contributed to variability in job satisfaction. None of the five personality traits were associated with any of the job search methods. Findings revealed interrelations between the use of various methods of job search and have implications for further conceptualizations of job search.