FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ENGLISH

--------***--------

GRADUATION THESIS
Major: Business English

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CAREER CHOICES

OF THE FRESH GRADUATES FROM THE
FACULTY OF BUSINESS ENGLISH, FOREIGN
TRADE UNIVERSITY

Student full name : Vu Pham Linh Chi

Student ID : 1917710538
Class : English 6 - FBE
Intake : 58
Supervisor : Ms. Le Thi Bich Thuy, M.A

Hanoi, June 2023

 FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF BUSINESS ENGLISH
--------***--------

GRADUATION THESIS
Major: Business English
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CAREER CHOICES
OF THE FRESH GRADUATES FROM THE
FACULTY OF BUSINESS ENGLISH, FOREIGN
TRADE UNIVERSITY
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN BUSINESS ENGLISH

Student full name : Vu Pham Linh Chi

Student ID : 1917710538
Class : English 6 - FBE
Intake : 58
Supervisor : Ms. Le Thi Bich Thuy, M.A

Hanoi, June 2023

 1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The thesis “Factors influencing the career choices of the fresh graduates from
the Faculty of Business English, Foreign Trade University” is an endeavor by me
and all relevant individuals who have been working relentlessly for the last ten
weeks, marking my completion of the Bachelor of Business English program at the
Faculty of Business English, Foreign Trade University.

I would not have been able to complete this thesis without the help of various
individuals to whom I would like to express my gratitude. First and foremost, I
would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Ms. Le Thi Bich Thuy
(M.A), for her unfailing support and her immense knowledge and teaching styles
have always been my motivation during university years. Without her guidance, I
would not have been confident enough to successfully get this work done. My
gratitude also extends to all the lecturers of the Faculty of Business English, who
have provided me with the knowledge and skills, which are essential for my
professional development.

Last but not least, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my

family, fellows and friends for their enthusiastic support that kept me on the right
track during the process. It was such a privilege of mine to be inspired and
motivated by my loved ones along the way. They are the endless motivation that
enabled me to push forward with the writing and the completion of this thesis.
 2

ABSTRACT

Career choice is one of the most crucial decisions for young people to make
after graduation. As a result, this study aims to investigate the factors that influence
the career choice of fresh graduates of the Faculty of Business English, Foreign
Trade University. A quantitative approach was applied in this study. Primary data
was collected through an online questionnaire. From the research findings, it is
revealed that the career choice of FBE fresh students is positively influenced by
such factors as influencers, interests, financial factors, self-capacity, and career
opportunities. Among these factors, financial benefits have the strongest impact on
the career choice of FBE fresh students, suggesting the students’ expectation to earn
high salary and bonuses from their chosen jobs. Based on the findings and
discussions, important recommendations are made for the students, companies and
universities.

Keyword: Foreign Trade University, Faculty of Business English, fresh

graduates, career choice
 3

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Table 2.1 Decision rules based on Cronbach’s alpha 39

Table 3.1 Sample description 42

Table 3.2 Cronbach’s alpha reliability test 45

Table 3.3 KMO & Bartlett’s test of independent variables 46

Table 3.4 KMO & Barlett’s test of dependent variables 47

Table 3.5 Total variance explained with dependent variables 47

Table 3.6 Results of correlation matrix 48

Table 3.7 Summary of multiple regression model 49

Table 3.8 The result of regression analysis 50

Table 3.9 Testing research hypotheses results 52

Figure 1.1 Core elements of the Expectancy theory 12

Figure 1.2 Model of social cognitive career theory 13

Figure 1.3 Career Development Model 17

Figure 1.4 The proposed research model 25

Figure 2.1 The research process 29

Figure 2.2 The sources of types of data 32

Figure 2.3 Variable coding and statements 34

Figure 3.1 The participants’ genders 43

Figure 3.2 The participants’ cohorts 43

Figure 3.3 The participants’ job status 44

Figure 3.4 The participants’ years of working experiences 44

Figure 3.5 Results of research model 53

 4

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

No. Abbreviation Meaning

1 FTU Foreign Trade University

2 FBE Faculty of Business English

3 EFA Exploratory Factor Analysis

4 KMO Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin

5 SCCT Social cognitive career theory

6 VIF Variance Inflation Factor

 1

INTRODUCTION

1. Research rationale

Nowadays, globalization is an ever-changing process, along with the advance

in technologies has driven the world to make enormous changes in every aspect of
human life. In the meantime, the economy and the job market are also shifting along
with the global change, resulting in a fluctuation in career choices, job market, work
content, as well as the job meaning and career goals. Moreover, due to the negative
impact of COVID-19 on the world in recent years, followed by the global economic
recession, the employment market has been much more tedious than ever before.
According to the data and statistics from the General Statistics Office, it has been
recorded that in Vietnam, in the first quarter of 2023, there were nearly 149
thousand workers who lost their jobs. As a result, it is apparent that the right career
choice profoundly affects not only individuals but also various aspects of life.

A large number of people establish a career to help them achieve certain goals,
such as making a living, enhancing the society development, having social status
and respectability. Sokro et al. (2011) believes that careers are one of the
fundamental means by which individuals pursue meaning, self-fulfillment and
satisfaction in their life. Without a meaningful career, most people will find the
feelings of unfulfillment, lack of self-esteem as well as social respectability and
acceptability. When it comes to a graduate student’s career choice, a great concern
in terms of determining the right career choices for fresh graduate students has been
going on for years. Igere. (2017) concluded that when it comes to the decision of
choosing a career, it is one of the most essential decisions for graduating students in
the final stage of their study as the career chosen profoundly affects individuals in
various life aspects such as professions, economics, and society. It is interdependent
with economic security, job satisfaction, and life fulfillment (Jusoh et al., 2011).
DeSimone et al. (2002) believed that career choice is the most crucial decision in a
fresh graduate’s life because this selection would lead to a dramatic transformation
in his/ her life. Lui et al. (2013) pointed out that the capacity to make the right
career choice is profoundly instrumental in success for fresh graduates during their
 2

first year entering the employment market. Jusoh et al. (2011) demonstrated that the
right career decisions made right after graduation may create a considerable impact
on the professional and personal development of fresh. Furthermore, good career
planning leads to life fulfillment (Akosha et al., 2018). Mashige and Oduntan.
(2011) believed that if career choices are not wisely chosen, individuals might have
to suffer tensions, unhappiness, and even burnout. Needless to say, career choices
play an important role in determining fresh graduates' success in their first years of
employment.

Based on evidence from previous literature about the importance of the right
career choice, understanding the factors that influence fresh graduates’ career
choices is essential as it can help FBE fresh graduates to determine the right career
path in order to achieve success in their future career. Moreover, understanding the
influential role of factors determining career choices of fresh graduates as well as
the significance of the impact of each factor on fresh graduates’ career choices can
provide fresh graduates, their parents, educators at academic institutions, other
researchers and all related individuals in this field with a new insight into career
choices in the specific context, which is the Faculty of Business English, Foreign
Trade University.

With all the reasons above-mentioned and based on previous literature, this
paper, “Factors influencing the career choices of the fresh graduates from the
Faculty of Business English, Foreign Trade University” is designed to identify the
factors that affect the career choices of fresh graduates in the Faculty of Business
English, Foreign Trade University.

2. Previous study

Career choice has been the domain of interest for the researchers for years and
studies of determinants that affect career choices have been going on for decades. In
the past, Carpenter and Foster (1977) discovered that all factors influencing career
choices stem from either intrinsic (personal interest, work satisfaction) or extrinsic
(job availability, financial benefit) or interpersonal (family, peers and educators)
dimensions. In the modern times, fresh graduates prefer careers that provide
 3

challenges, self-satisfaction, self-worth, social status and financial resources (Choo

et al., 2012). Zhuang (2022) showed that COVID-19-related factors, personal
differences, college behaviors, family factors, and government decisions are all
important factors that affect the changes in college students’ career choices, of
which personal factors are one of the most determining factors. Also, Shahzad et al.,
(2014) found out other factors such as globalization, socio-economic background
while Najar (2019) mentioned social support, available resources (information and
financial).

Among these studies, it can be found out that five factors including
influencers, personal interests, financial benefits, career opportunities and self-
capability are suggested to have certain impacts on career choices based on its
frequencies of appearance among previous studies. Upon looking into the most
important factor influencing career choices in developed countries, researchers have
found varying results. In a study on the factors influencing career choice of
management students in India, Tanuja (2008) concluded that skills, competencies
and ability are the most important factors when it comes to influencers, most
participants were recorded to be most influenced by their fathers. Besides, D. C.
Koch et al., (2009) concluded that career choice is most influenced by interests,
which is also confirmed by Nguyen (2022), mentioning that personal interest is the
strongest factor in career choices. In contrast, Nguyen et al., (2023) demonstrated
that most job selections are made based on future employability; career
opportunities, thereby, is the most noticeable factor. It can be seen that the above
studies show mixed results about the influences of these factors. As a result, it is
challenging to conclude this issue merely based on previous literature.

What is more, very little research has been conducted at the undergraduate and
postgraduate level (Divyang, 2020). The previous studies seem to pay more
attention to the career choices of students and adolescents rather than fresh
graduates. Lastly, in Vietnam, in the case of FTU students, little emphasis has been
exerted to identify these factors affecting career choices of fresh graduates majoring
in Business English. As a result, the author firmly believes that more research on
 4

this matter will provide an in-depth understanding in terms of factors influencing

career choice, an issue that has drawn significant attention from the public at
present. In other words, it will serve as a reference for parents, graduates, career
counselors, researchers and all the involved individuals to have a new approach on
how career choice decisions are affected by various factors, and it also provides
businesses with suggestions to attract potential employees in the labor market.

Therefore, this study “Factors influencing the career choices of the fresh
graduates from the Faculty of Business English, Foreign Trade University” is
expected to partly narrow down the gap by providing a deeper understanding of
determinants influencing career choices within a specific context of the Faculty of
Business English at Foreign Trade University.

3. Research objectives and research questions

This study focuses on factors influencing career choice of fresh graduates of

the Faculty of Business English, Foreign Trade University. From the findings
withdrawn from the case study of the selected organization - the Faculty of Business
English, Foreign Trade University, this study is expected to be a reliable source in
terms of factors impacting career choices of FBE fresh graduates at FTU. Thus, this
study aims to:

1. Explore the factors influencing career choices of FBE fresh graduates.

2. Investigate the significance of the impact of each variable on the career

choices of fresh graduates.

3. Provide a crucial and reliable database for parents, graduates, career

counselors, employers, researchers and all the involved individuals to have a
new approach on the career choices of fresh graduates.

With the purpose of obtaining the above-mentioned objectives, this study

seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What factors influence the career choices of fresh graduates of the Faculty of
Business English?
 5

2. What are the relationships between these factors in influencing the career
choices of fresh graduates of the Faculty of Business English?

3. What are suggestions to attract and enhance the quality of human resources
in the employment market?

4. Research subject and scope of the study

The scope of the study is limited to all FBE fresh graduates who complete an
online questionnaire in the form of a survey. The data collection period lasts for a
maximum of ten days and ends when the period of ten days is passed.

The study is about the factors influencing the career choices of FBE fresh
graduates. Therefore, the research subject focuses on students of cohorts 57, 56, 55,
54 of FBE, who have just graduated from the Faculty of Business English, Foreign
Trade University in the last few years.

This study is conducted within the Faculty of Business English at Foreign

Trade University, in Hanoi, from April 2023 to June 2023.

5. Research methodology

A quantitative methodology is applied in this study. Research data is collected

through an online survey and is analyzed using the SPSS software. Such a design is
considered simple and budget-friendly. Moreover, variables in this study are
considered at a single time point, which makes the researcher's target become
convenient and suitable. Before sending a survey to participants, a survey
questionnaire was created, and Google form was the platform used in this study.
The author used Google Forms to create an online questionnaire because it is not
only time-saving but also convenient and questionnaires are believed to help in data
gathering. As the data was collected from involved participants, it was encrypted in
Microsoft Excel and then analyzed.

The questionnaire is divided into 2 sections: Section A includes questions

related to respondents’ demographic data, such as name, gender, cohorts and
employment status while Section B discusses variables that influence career choices
of fresh graduates, which requires participants to respond to questions based on a 5-
 6

point Likert scale, which is intended to measure the target respondents’ views of
variables influencing career choices of FBE fresh graduates at Foreign Trade
University. The scale ranges from 1 to 5, with “1” means “strongly disagree” and
“5” means “strongly agree”. Joshi et al., (2015) states that the basic and optimal
psychological measurement tool used in educational and social studies is usually the
Likert scale.

6. Research structure

This study consists of three chapters. The first chapter - Theoretical

background, covers a review of previous literature on the topic of fresh graduate’s
career choices along with some theoretical perspectives, then followed by the
theoretical framework to enable the hypothesis development.

The second chapter – Research methodology, explains the data collection and
analysis procedures in great detail, including descriptions of the research context,
research method, research process, description of research method, sampling
descriptions and data analysis.

And the last chapter of the study - Discussion, which presents the summary of
major findings, their implications, as well as points out limitations of the study,
along with some recommendations.
 7

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

1.1 Overview of fresh graduate’s career choice

1.1.1 Fresh graduates

When it comes to the term “graduate”, it can be defined that a graduate is a

person who has completed all the requirements to graduate from a college,
university is a person who has achieved a first degree from a university or an
academic institution. Or a graduate is a person who has just graduated from a
college or a university and has been out of school for less than three years.
According to the Cambridge dictionary (2022), a graduate is a person who has
earned a first degree from a university or an institution. McGaha (2005) stated that
an undergraduate is regarded as a graduate after he/she receives his/her bachelor’s
degree. Right when receiving the bachelor’s degree, a fresh graduate will go
through years of employment and enter the employment market.

Another definition of fresh graduates is that someone who has just graduated
from a college or a university and has been out of school for less than three years
(Keenan and Newton, 1986; Graham and McKenzie, 1995; Wickramasinghe
andPerera, 2010). According to McGaha (2005), an undergraduate is considered a
graduate after he/she receives his/her bachelor’s degree. After receiving the
bachelor’s degree, a fresh graduate will experience immediate years of employment.
He/she will be regarded as a fresh graduate from one to three years (Keenan and
Newton, 1986; Graham and McKenzie, 1995; Wickramasinghe and Perera, 2010).

1.1.2 Career choice

During the development of the society, there are various ways of definition
when it comes to the term “career choice” as career choice has been a key domain
of interest for the researchers and academicians for a long time and the term
“career” needs to be understood precisely.

The term “career” originates from French and Latin. Geciki (2002) clarifies
career as the occupational, commercial or industrial activity which is adopted by a
person during his professional life or in some other part or till his death. In other
 8

words, career is also described as an individual trajectory in their career, workplace,

and position in a career from beginning to end. It is associated with the individual’s
continuous development in a career as they are engaged in a particular working
sector and gain important skills and experience to attain career growth (Ates, 2016)

Generally, the term “career” is a pattern in a person’s work-related activities

continued during his/her lifetime. “Career” is defined by Arnold (1997) as “the
sequence of employment-related positions, roles, activities, and experiences
encountered by a person”. In psychological perspective, the term “career" is defined
as “the individually perceived sequence of attitudes and behaviors associated with
work-related experiences and activities throughout the person’s life” (Hall, 2002).

The term “choice” is understood as the selection or separation from two or

more things which is more preferred. As a result, “career choice” can be regarded as
the choice of one occupation over one another. Career choice is built on self-
awareness and social factors to choose a suitable career for long-term work.
Deciding on a career needs to be deliberate as there is an opportunity cost (Bui,
2022). This is also supported by Ahmad et al., (2017) that career choice can be
divided to be affected by two main factors that are psychological factors and
social factors. Ozen (2011) defined social factors as the part of an individual’s
social bonds while psychological factors can be regarded as an individual’s
perception related to the forthcoming business environment. Besides, Maina
(2013) and Hartung (1995) defined “career choice” as the decision to follow a study
course which results in a certain profession based on a person’s interests, passions,
and skills which are influenced by familial, peers influences and role models.

Therefore, career choice is an important problem in the evolving lives of

teenagers since it is described to be connected with optimistic as well as detrimental
physical, psychological, and socioeconomic disparities that persevere well ahead of
the youthful age into an individual’s adult life (Bubic & Ivanis, 2016). Research
about career choice often suggests two fundamental conditions for it to take place:
the availability of options of alternative career and personal act or preference from
other available career options. The right career choice for students who enrolled in
 9

professional education is crucial as it has a tremendous influence on their future

professional life and future accomplishment. Career choices are prominent among
the most important factors that business students take into consideration since it will
support them in their future reflection (Ahmed, Sharif, & Ahmad, 2017)

1.1.3 The importance of determining the right career path

There is no denying that determining the right career path is of great

importance for many reasons. Firstly, it affects the level of achievements in the
future. Apparently, if the students land down a career that does not match with their
qualifications or potentials, it means that they are wasting their time and money on
something that does not make any meaning to their life. The consequence is clear to
see, their qualifications and potentials cannot be applied in the right job and
positions, which leads to the failure in obtaining achievements and social status in
their work life (Jusoh et al., 2011; DeSimone et al., 2002). For Watts (2006),
planning a career path can help individuals to decide their professional goals and
come up with a clear strategy for getting these goals. Selecting an appropriate career
path includes making an honest self-evaluation of people talents, abilities and
interests

Secondly, the wrong career choice also leads fresh graduates to an

inappropriate situation in which they cannot reach job satisfaction, hence, lack of
fulfillment in your personal life. It seems that there are a large number of people
who are not satisfied with their jobs as a result of choosing a wrong career path. Job
satisfaction leads to success in career as the passion for the job would motivate
him/her to work and contribute harder since they have the desire to see all the work
well completed. The success in career makes the employee keep on working even
when he/she has difficulties because career satisfaction gives him/her the inner
strengths and self-encouragement to do best in the job assigned. In contrast, if they
choose a career that is not their domain of interest or their core self, you will
definitely experience dissatisfaction or even self-doubt. Van den Bos & Lind,
(2010) clarifies self-doubt as the act or state of doubting oneself. Or the Oxford
 10

English Dictionary defines self-doubt as the (subjective) state of uncertainty with

regard to the truth or reality of anything, or the undecidedness of belief or opinion.

After graduating from an academic institution, suitable career decisions made

at the intermediate years of employment may have a major impact on fresh
graduates’ professional and personal growth (Jusoh et al., 2011). With the right
careers, they could accomplish their work in a positive and willing manner because
these careers are suitable for them. They will go to work happily and feel motivated
without feeling being forced or depressed. Secondly, the right careers also help
them to increase their life fulfilment and be a source of happiness for them. If the
career choices are made incorrectly and inappropriately, the workers might have to
experience unnecessary stress and dissatisfaction. If the choices are not made
appropriately, the workers might have to experience tension and unhappiness, and
even burnout (Mashige and Oduntan, 2011). Moss (2019) defines burnout as
fatigue, cynicism, or self-distance and lack of effectiveness and encouragement.
Lastly, the organization is benefited from the right career choices made by the
workers. Individuals with good career decision-making skills will be able to apply
for the right jobs, which lower the country’s unemployment rate (Lui et al., 2013).
In overall, it is undeniable about the importance of determining the right career path
to fresh graduates’ employment.

1.2 Theories perspective on career choices (XEM LẠI NỘI DUNG VÌ CÁC
THEORIES CHƯA LIÊN QUAN ĐẾN CAREER CHOICES)

1.2.1 Expectancy theory

Expectancy theory (Atkinson, 1964; Lawler, 1973; Vroom, 1964) has

probably been the dominant conceptual framework for understandinghuman
motivation in work organizations over the last 15 years. It hasbeen used to explain
how much effort is expended to do a job, howindividuals decide to enter or leave)
both occupations and organizations,and, less often, how satisfied people are with
their jobs. The expectation theory model is commonly used to help forecast people’s
opinions and career options (Mitchell & Beach, 1976).
 11

Expectancy theory (or expectancy theory of motivation) proposes that an

individual will behave or act in a certain way because they are motivated to select a
specific behavior over others due to what they expect the result of that selected
behavior will be (Oliver, 1974). In essence, the motivation of the behavior selection
is determined by the desirability of the outcome. However, at the core of the theory
is the cognitive process of how an individual processes the different motivational
elements. This is done before making the ultimate choice. The outcome is not the
sole determining factor in making the decision of how to behave (Vroom, 1964).
There are three elements of the expectancy theory as follows:

Figure 1.1 Core elements of the Expectancy theory

Source: Vroom, 1964

The first element is expectancy, which is the belief that if an individual raises
their efforts, their reward may rise as well. Expectancy is what motivates a person
to gather the right tools to get the job done, which could include raw materials and
resources, skills to perform the job and support and information from supervisors
(Atkinson, 1964; Lawler, 1973)

Second, instrumentality is the belief that the reward you receive depends on
your performance in the workplace. An employee’s performance at work can lead to
 12

many different types of rewards. Some of the most common rewards include a pay
increase, a promotion, recognition or a sense of accomplishment. Generally,
instrumentality increases if you feel that you have more control as to how, why or
when you may receive rewards (Lent et al., 1989)

And third, valence is the importance you place on the expected outcome of
your performance. This often depends on your individual needs, goals, values and
sources of motivation. For example, if you expect to be one of the top performers on
your team, you may place high importance on achieving that goal (Buthelezi et al.,
2010).

As shown in the expectation theory, the determinants of a people’ career

choice include parental influence, friends’ and teachers’ impact, social position, and
economic factors, such as employment opportunity, wage amount, and work-life
balance (Baliyan & Baliyan, 2016).

1.2.2 Social cognitive career theory (SCCT)

Derived from Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory and General Social

Cognitive Theory (Lent, 2013), SCCT develops into a comprehensive career theory
that argues that an individual’s career path results from the interaction between
multiple career elements since it was proposed by Lent et al. (1994). General social
cognitive theory assumes that people are the product of a dynamic interaction
between external environmental factors, internal subjectivity factors, as well as past
and present behavior (Bandura, 1986). Self-efficacy depends on four main factors:
personal performance accomplishments, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and
physiological and affective states (Bandura, 1997).

Figure 1.2 Model of social cognitive career theory

 13

Source: Lent, 2013

Drawing on Bandura’s three-factor causal model, SCCT constructs a three-

factor interaction model of career, in which Self-efficacy (Can I do this?), outcome
expectations (what will happen if I do this?) and personal goals (how much do I
want to do this?) are the three core concepts (Buthelezi et al., 2010). Rooted in
learning experiences influenced by personal successes and failures experiences,
vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and affective states (Lent et al., 2017), self-
efficacy and outcome expectations greatly influence one’s interests, which in turn
influence career choices and achievement performance (Lent et al., 1989).

Lent et al. (1994) indicated that contextual variables influence individuals’

career interests and choices by shaping learning experiences in SCCT. The
contextual variables of SCCT include the background contextual affordance and
contextual influences proximal to choose behavior that affects career choice
behavior. Among them, the background contextual affordance helps individuals to
form interests and self-perceptions, while contextual influences play a role in the
career decisions (Lent et al., 1994). The two types of contextual variables contain
elements that overlap with each other, such as family and other social factors, these
factors contribute to an individual’s academic and career performance differently at
different stages. More social support and specific personality traits predict more
occupationally engaged behavior (Hirschi et al., 2011). The Big Five personality
 14

stands out in previous studies on personal traits. It is a significant predictor of an

individual’s choice behavior.

Schaub and Tokar (2005) verified the relationship between Big Five
personality, career learning experiences, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and
interest. The study showed that personality affects career interest directly and
indirectly through career learning experiences and self-efficacy. When students
present themselves as more extroverted, they seem more likely to choose a career,
and when they held favorable level of conscientiousness, they experience less
discomfort with decision making. Extraversion and neuroticism may influence
people’s interpretation of how they deal with past decisions (Penn and Lent, 2019).

The theory introduces the mechanism of the interaction of individual,

behavioral and environmental factors into the career field. Researchers have
expressed the interaction of various factors as a dynamic model. Social cognitive
career theory initially included three interrelated models: the career interest
development model, the choice-making model, and the career performance and
persistence model (Lent et al., 1994), and was later expanded to include two
additional models, one focusing on satisfaction and well-being model in educational
and vocational settings (Lent and Brown, 2008), and the other the career self-
management model, which emphasizes the process of career self-management
across the lifespan (Lent and Brown, 2013).

1.2.3 Career Development Theories

In an era of a changing global marketplace, the vocational structure and

diversity of curriculum are necessary to produce graduates that are prepared for the
workplace (Sprecker & Rudd, 1997). A study by Hackett, Lent, and Greenhaus
(1991) looked at theoretical models of and streams of inquiry on vocational
behavior during the 1970s and 1980s. “There is a clear need to expand our
repertoire of methods to more adequately respond to important research questions
and to profit from technical advances” (Hackett, et al., 1991).

The study of careers is an interdisciplinary subject comprising research from

multiple areas, including psychology (Betz, et al., 1989), sociology (Barley, 1989),
 15

labor economics (Brecker, 1975) and organizational behavior (Hackett, et al., 1991).
There are different approaches to studying careers within these areas. Career
development theories are derived from the disciplines of organizational behavior
and cognitive psychology. Super (1981) summarized the career development
theories derived from psychology as follows:

Differential psychologists are concerned with occupational choice, matching

and selecting theories ranging from those which focus on aptitudes and interests that
make for differential choice of and success in occupations, through personality
theories that view infant and child development as the key determinants, to
situational or social-structural theories that tend to treat social class and the
opportunity structure as the principal or even sufficient determinants of
occupational choice or assignment. These approaches merge, in varying degree, in
what might be called “socialized-individual” approaches which themselves vary
from treating the individual as the organizer of his experiences to viewing him as
one who is socialized to become what society wants him/her to be (Super, 1981;
Betz, et al., 1989).

Developmental psychologists, while not rejecting the differential theories,

treat them as an insufficient basis for career guidance. This is because studies of the
life span and life space have made it clear that occupational choice or assignment is
not something that happens once in a lifetime on leaving school. These theories
hold that people and situation develop, and that a career decision tends to be a series
of mini decisions of varying degrees of importance (Super, 1975). They hold that
these mini decisions add up to a series of occupational choices, which represent
flexible maxi decisions. Subsequently, cognitive psychologists are concerned with
the processes in which the mini- and maxi-career decisions are made. Constructed
first as a theory of differential determinants and then as a theory of developmental
stages at which determinants must be considered, career decision making (CDM)
theory has broadened to include decision processes, both descriptive and
prescriptive. The CDM theories discuss the dynamic interaction of individual and
 16

environmental influences on the career decisions made through out an individual’s

life span (Smart & Peterson, 1997).

The career decision-making process is a social process. Thus, the social

context and, in particular, the people who provide the decision-maker with advice
during the job search process can affect the likelihood of career change (Higgins,
2001). Higgins (2001) stated that for individuals operating in this new employment
context, change in one’s career can be experienced in multiple ways; it may yield a
sense of renewal and personal growth or, alternatively, a sense of inconsistency and
even confusion regarding one’s own goals and work values. The present research
does not offer a position on whether (or when) changing careers is necessarily
desirable, but rather attempts to uncover some of the factors that contribute to an
individual’s decision to do so (Higgins, 2001).
 17

Figure 1.3 Career Development Model

Source: Super, 1981

Developmental career theories focus on human development across an entire

life. Theorists in this category recognize changes that people go through as they
grow up. People seek career satisfaction through work roles in which they can
express themselves and can implement and develop their self-concept (Smart &
Peterson, 1997; Higgins, 2001

1.3 Review of previous studies

1.3.1 Previous international studies

Career choice is an area of interest for the researchers and academicians since
long. Carpenter and Foster (1977) found that all career-influencing factors derive
from either intrinsic (personal interest in a job, work satisfaction) or extrinsic (the
availability of the job, salary) or interpersonal (family, friends and teachers)
dimensions. Researchers also considered globalisation, socio-economic background
(Shahzad et al., 2014), social support, available resources such as information and
financial (Najar and Yousuf, 2019), living environment (Igere, 2017) and education
achievement (Igere, 2017; Shahzad et al., 2014) as factors influencing career choice
decision of graduates. Further, career choice research are dominated by studies
 18

conducted at primary- and secondary-level students (Amin et al., 2018; Bojuwoye

and Mbanjwa, 2006; Nazli, 2007; Xu, 2012). And very few research has been
conducted at the undergraduate- and postgraduate level. Although few studies are
reported, they are focusing on students choosing a further degree (Davey et al.,
2006; Jagacinski et al., 1985; Ray et al., 2020; Swinhoe, 1967), specialisation
(Wiener-Ogilvie et al., 2015; Koch et al., 2009; Sugahara and Boland, 2009) or
working professionals (Glueck, 1974; Ahmadi et al., 1995; Choo et al., 2012;
Jackson, 2013; Ji et al., 2015; Lämsä and Hiillos, 2008).

Few studies have examined the factors that influence career choice. Previous
studies have identified a number of varied factors that influence students’ career
choice (Ginzberg, 1951; Super, 1957; O’Connor and Kinnane, 1961; Paolillo and
Estes, 1982; Felton et al., 1994). The most widely used classification in career
choice studies is the three-dimensional framework by Carpenter and Foster (1977)
and Beyon et al. (1998). The three factors are: (1) intrinsic (interest in the job,
personally satisfying work); (2) extrinsic (availability of jobs, well-paying
occupations); and (3) interpersonal (influence of parents and significant others).
Some research evidence exists to show that sociocultural, economic, and political
changes affect the career choices of young people. Bai (1998) found that the market
economy changed the values of university students who put self-interest before
societal interests, and rated money and power as the primary motivators in finding a
job. The relative influence of various factors on the career choice of students has
been found to vary across cultures (Ozbilgin et al., 2005). Kazi and Akhlaq (2017)
found that young people are easily impressed, swayed by their peers, and influenced
by the media when choosing a career. They emphasise the role of teachers to
motivate and inspire students. The working environment is also a factor that attracts
students toward a career. Research has also shown that students are not influenced
by their parents’ occupations.

According to Kaygin and Gulluce (2013), a student’s career choice is

influenced by a variety of contextual and organizational variables. However, Gati et
al. (2011) suggested that emotional and personality factors may make career
 19

decisions challenging for all students. Most research on career choice has been
conducted on occupational groups such as accountants and healthcare professionals
(Carpenter and Strawser, 1970; Paolillo and Estes, 1982; Gul et al., 1989; Bundy
and Norris, 1992; Auyeung and Sands, 1997; Morrison, 2004). Barring a few
studies (Simmering and Wilcox, 1995; Moy and Lee, 2002; Sturges et al., 2003;
Ozbilgin et al., 2005; Pines and Baruch, 2007), the career “choice” of MBA
students and the factors influencing this choice have rarely been addressed. The
subject matter is worth exploring since the MBA degree has raised management to
professional status, offering management graduates a gate to a fast-track managerial
career. There is no data about the factors that influence career choice of fresh
students in a Vietnam university, especially FBE students at Foreign Trade
University.

In summary, it is clear that international researchers have successfully

explored the factors that influence fresh graduates’ career choices in some specific
countries, coming along with their negative and positive effects. Most of the studies
focus on the development of conceptual models to present the impacts of
determined factors and the career choices, and the application of qualitative and
quantitative research methods to provide empirical findings on the research issues.

1.3.2 Previous Vietnamese studies

Nguyen Trong Luan et al. (2023) conducted the study to determine the factors
affecting the career choices of economic students in Vietnam. The research focuses
on analyzing six factors to determine the relationship between variables that help
explain students’ compatibility and their chosen majors. A survey questionnaire
using simple random sampling collected 309 data points from economics students at
a private university in Vietnam. Methodologies such as Cronbach’s Alpha,
exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, regression, and structural
equation modelling were employed using SPSS and Amos software to check the
correlation between factors and draw conclusions about factors affecting students’
career choices. The results revealed that influencers, interests, financial resources
 20

and career opportunities were critical elements that influenced students’ decisions in
choosing a major.

In the context of students majoring in business and economics, the research by

Nguyen Thu Giang & Duong Thi Hoai Nhung (2022) identified and analyzed
factors that affect the career choices of fresh graduates majoring in business and
economics. The proposed model of the study consists of four independent variables,
which are family factors, personal interests, financial benefits, and peer influences.
The results from the exploratory factor analysis and the multiple regression analysis
with data collected from 198 fresh graduates show that family factors have no
relationship with career choices. Personal interests have the strongest influence on
career choices, which are followed by financial benefits. Peer influences show a
negative relationship with career choices. Based on these results, recommendations
are proposed for fresh graduates, parents, academic institutions and educators, and
businesses.

Another study by Bui Ha Phuong et al. (2020) presents literature review of

students’ career orientation. By using the questionnaire, this paper also analyzes
some factors impacting on the career orientation of students at Faculty of Library
and Information Science, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam
National University, Ho Chi Minh City. Then, the paper proposes a number of
measures to improve the effectiveness of career orientation for students majored in
Library and Information Science.

Vu (2020) also studied the factors affecting the career choices of tourism
students in Da Nang, Vietnam. The author suggested that the main factors affecting
students’ career choices include belief in self-efficacy, career opportunities, culture,
intellect, and the influence of others.

Based on the aforementioned research, it can be concluded that most of the

scholars in Vietnam focus on their investigation into the influencing factors on fresh
graduates’ career choices in different majors and universities. There are hardly any
scholars learning the determinants of career choices from the perspectives of FBE
 21

graduate students at FTU. Hence, the study is expected to fill the research gaps in
the related literature on Vietnam.
 22

1.4 Hypothesis development

1.4.1 There is a significant relationship between influencers and career choices

of FBE fresh students.

Influencers factors have gained great attention from researchers (Whiston and
Keller, 2004). Most young adults appear to choose vocations based on the advice of
their parents, instructors, and family elders (Ayaz, Khan & Khan, 2016). According
to Wright et al. (2014), parents are the most important individuals who have a more
direct effect on career choice making by their children than other contextual
variables, particularly throughout adolescence. The influences of family refer to the
advice, guidance, wish, expectations, and support from family members (Fouad et
al., 2015). The profession of parents, their knowledge and income level in various
professional areas, the norms, beliefs, information about modern occupations, the
spotlight on the local and international job market, and the skills they acquire can all
influence children’s career choices (Saleem et al., 2014; Wright et al., 2014).

In addition, Herren et al. (2011) find that parents have the most influential role
on students when choosing job in the agricultural field. Besides, many students
select a career orientation based on their friends’ recommendations (Istiqomah et
al., 2018); family and peers also have an important influence on determining
students’ major choices (Kumara et al., 2019). Furthermore, the job advice,
particularly from professionals, helps decide on a major for career choice (Herren et
al., 2011). Generally speaking, influencers factors have exerted a significant impact
on career choices in most studies. Therefore, the hypothesis H1 is advanced as
follows:

H1: There is a significant relationship between influencers and career choices

of FBE fresh students.

1.4.2 There is a significant relationship between interest and career choices of

FBE fresh students.

Personal interests refer to regular hobbies or habitual activities which could

make people’s minds comfortable, happy, joyful, and encouraging (Liaw et a.,
 23

2017). Individuals select work settings that best suit their personality and interests,
according to the idea of career typology (Holland, 1966). Personal interests are
formed during upbringing, education, and their contact with friendships, and life
experiences. People are more likely to do the activities they like when they are
motivated by their interests. A strong and inspiring passion in anything will
encourage individuals to reach their full potential.

Pablo-Lerchundi et al. (2015) indicate that interest is a major factor affecting

students’ career choices in engineering. In addition, Gokuladas (2010) argues that
students from metropolitan regions are more likely to prioritize their personal
interests above social objectives when making career decisions. According to
Atitsogbe et al. (2018), personal interests have a greater effect on Swiss pupils. In
the computer and information technology industry, Alexander et al. (2011) highlight
that personal interest is the most important factor affecting the career choices of
students. Ahmed et al. (2017) illustrate that interest in the subject has the strongest
linkage with the student’s career choice.

Based on that, the second hypothesis can be stated as follows:

H2: There is a significant relationship between interest and career choices of

FBE fresh students.

1.4.3 There is a significant relationship between financial resources and career

choices of FBE fresh students.

Financial benefits refer to the salary and bonus payment that a person gets for
adding value to a company (Fizer, 2013). The yearly amount of money that a
company pays to an employee, particularly a professional or white-collar worker, is
referred to as salary. An employer provides a regular payment to an employee,
which is referred to as an annual payment. Bonus payment is a supplement to an
employee’s basic salary or an hourly rate of compensation (Fizer, 2013).

Financial remuneration, known as financial benefits, has been proved to be the

most influential extrinsic factor in career choice decisions (Akosah-Twumasi et al.,
2018). Financial remuneration refers to income, which is regarded as the most
 24

critical component of a young individual’s life whose level of individualism is high

(Agarwala, 2008). Al-Abri and Kooli (2018) suggest that Omani graduates take
financial benefits as the most important determinant of the career choices. Wust and
Simic (2017) indicate that high income is the most decisive factor for German
students to choose a job. German students agree that high financial benefits and
high social status are their top priority when selecting a career and evaluating their
success. In Croatian culture, Wust and Simic (2017) point out that high income is of
lower importance to young Croatians than young German because the Croatian
society values collectivism. Hence, financial benefits have exerted a significant
impact on career choices. According to Agarwala (2008), Indian students, whose
major is management, agree that financial remuneration has a strong relation with
career choice. Thus, following hypothesis is proposed to test the accuracy of
financial factors on career choices:

H3: There is a significant relationship between financial resources and career

choices of FBE fresh students.

1.4.4 There is a significant relationship between self - capacity and career

choices of FBE fresh students.

Alexander et al. (2011) projected that there was a relationship between self-
efficacy and career choice, therefore, the capability to make conceivable careers.
Furthermore, it was ascertained that students’ apparent self-efficacy affected their
career advantages, capacities, objectives, and certainty in scanning for a desired
career. Taylor and Popma (1990) inferred that career investigation capacities were
anticipated by the amount of general self-efficacy, whereas Bergeron and Romano
(1994) mentioned that self-efficacy convictions impact the choice of majors and
career decisions of undergraduate students (Atta et al., 2013). The research findings
highlighted the significance of the concept of self-efficacy and emphasized that
students developed their self-efficacy according to their characteristics and
occupations (Ghuangpeng, 2011). Besides, the search for or exploration of career
information is an attempt to obtain information about one’s self-characteristics to
achieve appropriate career goals (Zhang & Huang, 2018). Therefore, self-capacity
 25

are also proved to have a relationship with career choices in previous studies.
Schunk & Usher (2019) indicates that self-efficacy in career decision-making will
be conceptualized because of the psychological motivation aspect that is necessary
for career decision-making.

H4: There is a significant relationship between self-capacity and career

choices of FBE fresh students.

1.4.5 There is a significant relationship between career opportunities and

career choices of FBE fresh students.

Students’ perceptions regarding job opportunities may influence their field

selection. The wider the field offers job opportunities, the more likely students are
to choose that field (Uyar et al., 2011). According to Ahmed et al. (2017), numerous
influences exist in an individual’s job selection, with the strongest influence being
the ability to obtain a respected social position and income and make a difference in
society. These influences shape the future of society, as an individual’s career
choice decisions are important to society. However, Ahmed et al. (2017) studied
business students and found that ease in grades, financial outcomes, and future job
opportunities was less related or had a minor impact on students’ decisions.

H5: There is a significant relationship between career opportunities and

career choices of FBE fresh students.

Based on that, the conceptual framework can be shown in the following

figure:

The dependent variable - FBE fresh graduates’ career choices

The independent variables: Influencers, Interest, Financial resources, Self-

capacity, Career opportunities.
 26

Influencers

Interest

Financial resources FBE fresh graduates’ career

choices

Self-capacity

Career opportunities

Figure 1.4 The proposed research model

Source: Nguyen Trong Luan et al. (2023)
 27

CHAP 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 Context of research

In the light of global research and practical cases, it is undeniable that

career choice is one of the major interests with fresh students. With these
students, career orientation plays an important role in helping them to choose
the right career path (Herren et al., 2011). (CAREER CHOICE KHÁC VỚI
CAREER ORIENTATION) According to the statistics provided by Vietnam
Ministry of Education and Training (2021), the number of graduates choosing the
career aligning with their major accounts for 56%, and about 44% are not
related to their professionals. In the second quarter of 2022, the recruitment
trend of the labor market for university graduates is 49.7%, college and
intermediate level is 30.5%; Meanwhile, the demand of job seekers with
university degree is 61.1%, college and intermediate level is 33%... (Vietnam
Ministry of Education and Training, 2022). (KHÔNG THẤY TRONG REF)
(KHÔNG THẤY SỰ PHÙ HỢP GIỮA STATISTICS VÀ PHẦN DIỄN GIẢI)

The above statistics reflects that there is a significant difference between the
supply and demand for labor both in terms of qualification structure and training
expertise. This partly reveals the inadequacies in career guidance and streamlining
in educational institutions as well as the self-direction and career choices of fresh
graduates in Vietnam (Nguyen Trong Luan et al., 2023). As a consequence, lack of
career orientation or wrong choices of career have been the main reasons for the
unemployment of graduates, which can cause difficulties for them in seeking the
appropriate job. Hence, it is important for fresh graduates to be supported with
proper career guidance and orientation (Nguyen Thu Giang & Duong Thi Hoai
Nhung, 2022).

In order to equip FBE graduated students with a deep understanding of the

determinants of their career choices, this research is designed to provide empirical
findings and propose necessary recommendations and suggestions. The research
entitled “A research on factors that influence FBE fresh graduates’ career choices:
A case at Foreign Trade University” is mainly focusing on investigating the
 28

perspectives of FBE students graduated from Foreign Trade University on the

influencing factors on FBE fresh students’ career choice. The purpose of this
chapter is to present the process of data collection and analysis which can help the
researcher to fulfill the research goals with the practical evidence. Hence, the
research instruments, collection process and sample description and data analyses
would also be clarified in this chapter.

2.2 Research approach

Creswell (2014) defined a research approach as the plan or strategy guiding

the researcher in collecting and analyzing data for a study. According to Cohen et
al. (2018), the conceptualization of the research approach was the systematic and
disciplined process of collecting and analyzing information to increase
understanding and knowledge. Hence, it can be said that a research approach refers
to the general strategy adopted by the researcher to conduct research, collect and
analyze data, then draw conclusions. Amongst, the qualitative approach facilitates
scholars with an in-depth understanding of a concept or a phenomenon, a new topic,
or a topic that has never been addressed with a certain group of people. The
quantitative approach, on the other hand, is often applied when scholars desire to
identify factors that influence or best predict an outcome or determine the utility of
an intervention. (Creswell, 2023). In order to fulfill the research objective of
identifying factors affecting FBE fresh graduates’ career choice, which is not a new
topic in both Vietnam and the global context, the current study adopts a quantitative
approach.
According to Alan Bryman (2016), there are two main types of research
approaches: the deductive and the inductive approaches. Regarding that the study
employs quantitative methodology, the deductive approach is used in this study
because it is the most effective when describing the nature of the connection
between theory and data. The deductive research approach will ascertain the factors
that affect FBE fresh graduates’ career choice.
The deductive research approach begins with a theory or hypothesis and then
tests it through data collection and analysis to see if it is supported or not, which
means that collected data will be quantified. For the purpose of gathering data,
structured processes and tools such as questionnaires and testing instruments were
used. The collected data would be measured using SPSS software, which is
commonly used for econometric and sociological investigations. Cronbach’s α
reliability testing tool is performed to evaluate the internal consistency of the
variable structures. Finally, linear regression analysis is carried out to test the settled
hypotheses.
2.3 Research process

2.3.1 Overview of Research Process

 29

Research design mentions a framework of methods and techniques determined

by a researcher to combine different components of research reasonably; hence, the
research problem could be dealt with efficiently. In the thesis, there are two phases
of conducting the research: (1) preliminary research and (2) formal study, which are
brief as follows:

Preliminary research: Preliminary research is the process of examining

available documents, for instance, scientific research papers, articles, statistics, or
websites with reliable sources and sometimes related essays and dissertations to
acknowledge overall information on the topic. Throughout the preliminary research
process, the author shall obtain guidance to revise as well as improve the quality of
the thesis. Furthermore, the author should implement an analyzing and synthesizing
process to extend theoretical frameworks, develop research models, and design
samples for the next steps.

Formal study: Formal research was carried out by collecting data from an
online survey that was published on social media from 25th March 2023 to 25 April
2023. Data were collected from 180 FBE students who have graduated from Hanoi
Foreign Trade University. The regression analysis has been used to test the
hypotheses and deliver the results and recommendations for the study. ???

Figure 2.1 The research process

Literature Review Research

model Group discussion

Data Collection Measurement Questionnaire

scale adaptation adaptaton
 30

Source: Summarized by the authors

2.3.2. Detailed Description of Research Process

2.3.2.1 Literature review and research model

To build the theoretical framework for the research, the author conducted
literature reviews and proposed the research model to illustrate the determinants of
fresh students’ career choices. And based on the previous studies, the research gaps
are also identified, which would be contributed by the empirical findings from the
study.

2.3.2.2 Group discussion

In order to conduct preliminary research, the group discussion is implemented

for the formation of questionnaire and measurement scales. Churchill (1979) stated
that focus group discussion is one of the appropriate tools to correct and supplement
 31

the scale. The discussion begins by posing exploratory open-ended questions for
members to express their opinions and discuss the issues raised by the question.
Accordingly, they have discovered or added anything to the study on the influence
of employer brand on intention to choose a workplace. Then, the author relied on
the original questions to ask participants whether they completely agree or not or
have to adjust it to be more appropriate. The author could record the comments
from the participants to then adjust the scale to suit the research. The results of the
discussion showed that the participants in the group discussion, through
suggestions, all brought up elements of the employer brand similar to the model
proposed above. In addition, they contributed to adjusting the original scale to make
it more relevant and easier to understand (Steewart & Shamdasani, 1990)

2.3.2.3 Measurement and Questionnaire adaptation

This study was based on the measurement scale used in the previous studies,
which would be adjusted to be appropriate with the research situation. They are
also the scales that have high reliability and have been tested in the previous
research. Based on that, the selection of measurement scale can ensure the
reliability and validity of the research. After that, the questionnaire was also adapted
on the determined measurement scales which would be distributed in the form of
survey online for collecting data among FBE students graduated from Foreign
Trade University.

2.3.2.4 Data collection

In this research, primary data was collected from the online survey including
180 FBE graduated students in Foreign Trade University. The questionnaires were
delivered via Google Form sent to the respondents via Internet such as social
networking sites like Facebook or Zalo. Only the questionnaires with enough
answers are kept for data collection.

2.3.2.5 Data analysis and Hypothesis Testing

To provide the empirical findings from the survey, quantitative analysis

techniques were conducted by the author with support of SPSS Statistics 20
 32

Software. The steps in data analysis consist of Descriptive Statistics Analysis,

Reliability Testing (Cronbach’s Alpha), Exploratory Factor Analysis, Correlation
Matrix, Multivariate regression analysis.

2.3.2.6 Findings and Discussion

In this stage, the survey results and findings were discussed and compared
with the findings of the previous studies to investigate the similarities and conflicts.
Furthermore, the research limitations are also mentioned, along with further
suggestions for the future studies.

2.3.2.7 Conclusion and Recommendations

The aim of this step is to conclude and summarize all the findings and
discussion from the research results. And based on that, the recommendations are
also proposed for the students and companies. Both theoretical and practical
implications are also provided in the stage.

2.4 Description of the research method

2.4.1 The choice of primary data

Two most common types of data are primary data and secondary data. The
differences sources between them will be listed in figure 3.1 in the following:

Figure 2.2 The sources of types of data

Source: Saunders et al (2009)

 33

This thesis will employ the former data for some reasons. First of all, as
Saunders et al (2009) admitted that although secondary data “have been already
collected for another purpose, perhaps processed and subsequently stored”, cost
saving and timely availability, there are still limitations in this case of study. As
noted in the beginning chapter, there is a lack of primary studies and useful
databases for determining the factors influencing the career choices of FBE fresh
students Therefore, it is better to use primary data rather than secondary data.
Secondly, the updated characteristic of data could be an obstacle in secondary data.
This is because this type of data had been collected in the previous period, it might
only show its effects on the past or some stage of past (Hox and Boeje, 2005).
Primary data, thus, will ensure the update of the study.

2.4.2 Description of questionnaire

A good questionnaire structure will make a great contribution to the success of

online surveys. The structure of the online survey will be presented as follows:

The introduction will give a brief about the context of the questionnaire,
including the background of the researcher, the purpose of doing these questions,
the time to participate, the declaration of anonymity for participants, and
confidentiality for participating in the survey. And the first part will collect the
demographic data of participants, which includes names, gender (male or female),
ages, cohort and job status.

The second part includes several questions examining the level of agreement
of people about the factors influencing the career choices of FBE fresh graduate
students. The five-point Likert scale will be used for measuring either negative or
positive responses to a statement, allowing individuals to express how much they
agree or disagree with particular statements. These five options will be mutually
exclusive and given to respondents in each observed variable, including “Strongly
Agree” (coded 5), “Agree” (coded 4), “Neutral” (coded 3), “Disagree” (coded 2)
and “Strongly Disagree (coded 1).

The questions are employed to measure the five independent variables

including Influencers (INF), Interests (INT), Self-capacity (CAP), Financial
 34

factors (FIN), Career opportunities (OPP). And the dependent variable is

CAREER, which is coded for FBE fresh students’ career choices. Accordingly,
the questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese to help participants better
their understanding when answering the questions. (THAM KHẢO QUY
TRÌNH DỰNG QS TRONG NGHIÊN CỨU. NÊN MÔ TẢ RÕ QUY TRÌNH)

2.4.3 Procedure

Regarding to the research procedures, the variables and statements are

presented in the below table, which also presents variable coding as follows:

The dependent variables:

CAREER - FBE fresh students’ career choices

The independent variables:

INF – Influencers

INT – Interests

FIN - Financial factors

CAP - Self-capacity

OPP - Career opportunities

Figure 2.3 Variable coding and statements

Coded
Statements Sources
variable

INFLUENCERS (INF)

My family provided guidance on which Saleem et al. (2014),

INF1
careers would be best for me. Wright et al. (2014),
and Fouad et al.
My parents influence my decision to
INF2 (2015)
choose the future career.

INF3 My teachers suggest me with useful advice

 35

in choosing the career.

Relatives give me advice on choosing a

INF4
career.

My friends’ recommendations have an

INF5
important influence on my career choices.

I chose a career that is similar to my

INF6
friends.

Interests (INT)

I would choose careers that match my

INT1
interests.

I would get greater satisfaction and

INT2 happiness when working in the field of Pablo-Lerchundi et al.
interests. (2015); Gokuladas
(2010); Atitsogbe et
The interesting factor is one of the al. (2018)
INT3
important factors for me to choose a career

I constantly looking for what make me

INT4
happy in career choice.

Financial factors (FIN)

FIN1 Salary and bounces have the most Fizer (2013); Akosah-
significant influence in choosing my Twumasi et al. (2018)
career path. Wust & Simic (2017)

FIN2 My chosen career is expected to help me

earn high salary after graduation.

FIN3 I consider financial benefits are the most

 36

significant motivator for career choice.

FIN4 The career I choose will have good

starting salary in the future.

FIN5 Having a high salary after graduates will

motive me to choose the career.

Self-capacity (CAP)

CAP1 I will choose the career based on my

current skills and qualification.

CAP2 The learnt knowledge on my university

can provide directions for my career
choice. Taylor & Popma
(1990); Atta et al.
CAP3 I am confident that my soft skills and
(2013); Schunk &
knowledge are applied well with my
Usher (2019)
chosen job.

CAP4 I have enough self-capability to choose the

future career

CAP5 The current job I have chosen is based on

my ability

Career opportunities (OPP)

OPP1 My chosen career can have a lot of Uyar et al. (2011);

promotion opportunities in the future Ahmed et al., 2017

OPP2 The career I choose will make it easier for

me to get promoted and develop

OPP3 With the chosen career, I can take on

 37

many positions in many different fields

OPP4 My job field is potential and expected to

develop strongly in the future.

Career choices (CAREER)

CAREER1 In my opinion, career choice is one of the

most important decisions.

CAREER2 In my opinion, career choice influence

enormously my personal growth. Jusoh et al., 2011;

CAREER3 I carefully consider career choices before DeSimone et al., 2002

taking a job.

CAREER4 It is a must for me to fully understand the

job before choosing it.

Source: Summarized by the authors

 38

2.5 Sampling description

2.5.1 Sampling technique

According to Saunders et al. (2012), sampling techniques can be classified

into two main types of sampling methods including probability and non-probability
sampling (or convenience sampling). In the case of this research, non-probability
sampling is chosen as a suitable sampling method for the following reasons: First of
all, according to Gunay and Baker (2011), this is used widely by many authors due
to its convenience in collecting the sample. Second, a larger number of FBE
graduate students will be a challenge for probability sampling. Besides, non-
probability sampling does not require a complete survey frame, thus it is a fast,
easy, and inexpensive way of obtaining data. However, there are indeed a few
limitations of convenience sampling. Due to the use of the sample, the data might
not be representative of the entire group, consequently, the generality of research
findings might not be ensured, and this becomes the concern of which many
researchers need to be aware.

With non-probability sampling techniques, different types of this method

including quota, judgment, volunteer, haphazard, network, and crowdsourcing are
considered for application (Statistics Canada, 2020). Therefore, quota sampling is
used in this research. As one of the common forms of non-probability sampling, the
quotas are also most preferred because they can force the inclusion of members of
different subpopulations. Since it is necessary to identify the effects of influencing
factors on career choices, FBE graduated students from FTU who 22 years are
above old and are the target participants in the survey.

2.5.2 Sample size

It was necessary to determine the size of the sample for future analysis.
According to Hair et al. (1998), to produce reliable factors and effectiveness, the
ratio of subjects-to-variables (STV) should be 5:1. This ratio is also considered the
rule of thumb by many contemporary scholars (Field, 2005; Hair et al., 2010). In
this study, there is the total of 28 observed variables, hence, the minimum size
 39

suitable for the factor analysis method should be 28*5=140 observations. In

addition, Gorsuch (1983) suggests that a total sample size of 200 or greater is
sufficiently large enough to produce reliable factors. Hence, the author delivered
200 online questionnaires via online to collect the necessary information for the
research. Among 200 questionnaires received, there were about 20 invalid
questionnaires with lack of answers from the respondents. Therefore, total 180
questionnaires were kept; thus the sample size is 180 respondents.

The research focuses on Business English graduate students who are living,
studying, and working in Hanoi. They are FTU students in cohorts 54, 55, 56, and
57. All respondents are employed or have worked in different companies. In this
research, 180 people were sent a Google Form Survey containing the questionnaire
and accompanying study documents at the end of the survey through their social
media (including Zalo and Facebook). The responses are carefully collected and
analyzed to make sure they’re qualified for the research.

2.6 Data analysis

2.6.1 Validity and reliability check

According to Lofland & Lyn (1995), testing the reliability of coding

instructions before using them to generate the data for a research project is essential.
Reliable data or the sample used to measure agreement must be representative of the
sample throughout the process of generating the data, especially for a larger project.
And Saunders et al (2009) argued the techniques and procedures of data collection
will have considerable influences on the efficiency of the findings. The reliability of
data is absent when some units of analysis are categorized blindly. Along with the
use of SPSS as the statistical software, Cronbach’s alpha statistics is employed to
conduct the test of the reliability of the items used for variable measurement.
Several authors believed that this coefficient is one of the most commonly used
statistics (Saunders et al, 2009). The decision rules based on Cronbach’s alpha will
be presented in the following table:
 40

Table 2.1 Decision rules based on Cronbach’s alpha

Cronbach’s alpha Decision

0.9 Excellent

0.8 0.9 Good

0.7 0.8 Acceptable

0.6 0.7 Questionable

0.5 0.6 Poor

α < 0.5 Unacceptable

Source: Gulati (2009)

As the table illustrates, when the coefficient from 0.9 and higher is classified
Excellent, from 0.8 to 0.9 is Good and an acceptable internal consistency will have
Cronbach’s alpha from at least from 0.7.

2.6.2 Exploratory factor analysis

After testing the reliability of the scale by Cronbach’s Alpha and removing
inappropriate variables, the reliable variables will be performed in exploratory
factor analysis. This is a technique used to summarize data and find relationships
between variables.

When conducting EFA analysis, researchers often consider several criteria in

the following:

KMO coefficient (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) is an index used to consider the

appropriateness of factor analysis. A large KMO value (between 0.5 and 1) means
that factor analysis is appropriate (Hair et al., 1998).

Load factor is the criteria to ensure the practical significance of EFA, a load
factor greater than 0.3 is considered minimum, a load factor greater than 0.4 is
 41

considered important, and greater than 0.5 is considered to be of practical

significance. The maximum load factor of the observed variables must be greater
than or equal to 0.5 (Hair et al., 1998).

The scale is acceptable when the total variance extracted is above 50% and
the Eigenvalue coefficient is greater than 1 (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988).

2.6.3 Descriptive statistics

Descriptive statistics are used to describe the basic features of the data in a
study. They provide simple summaries of the sample and the measures. Together
with simple graphics analysis, they form the basis of quantitative analysis of data.
Therefore, descriptive statistics are used to present quantitative descriptions in a
manageable form (Saunders et al., 2009).

In this research, descriptive statistics are applied for the first part of the
questionnaire, which presents the statistics of respondents participating in the
survey. Accordingly, demographic analysis is used to describe some basic
characteristics of the respondents to gain an understanding of the participants of the
research study such as genders, ages, cohort, job status, and number of years of
experience in the present job. In addition to that, descriptive statistics analysis is
also provided to demonstrate the characteristics of the sample set such as Mean,
Mode, Standard deviations, etc.

2.6.4 Correlation analysis

Beside Cronbach’s alpha and EFA, the author also measured the correlation
coefficient between each independent variable with the dependent variable.
According to Bonett (2008), the concept of correlation is defined as the relative
relationship between two variables. By calculating the correlation coefficient, we
can determine the degree of correlation or intensity between these variables (Bobko,
2001).

In this research, the Pearson correlation coefficient is applied to calculate the

correlation level and the relationship between the determined factors and the FBE
fresh graduates’ career choices. The test of Pearson correlation can be conducted
 42

based on some hypotheses. First, the variables may be in ordinal, ratio, or interval
form and have normal or non-normal distribution. And second, variables must be
able to be described using the monotonic function (Coffman, 2008; Cheung &
Chan, 2004)

2.6.5 Hypothesis testing

Regression analysis helps estimate how the typical value of the dependent
variable changes when any independent variable varies, and the other independent
variables do not. For research, the author runs multivariate regression analysis to
test the proposed research hypothesis on the relationships between the factors and
FBE fresh graduates’ career choice.

The equation to illustrate the research model is presented as follows

CAREER = β0 + β1*INF + β2*INT + β3*FIN + β4*CAP + β5*OPP + ε

The dependent variables:

CAREER - FBE fresh students’ career choices

The independent variables:

INF – Influencers

INT – Interests

FIN - Financial factors

CAP - Self-capacity

OPP - Career opportunities

β1, β2, β3… are the coefficients for each variable

β0 – The constant
 43

CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION

3.1 Summary of the findings

3.1.1 Results of descriptive statistics

3.1.1.1 Characteristics of the respondents

The first part of the survey will collect demographic information about the
respondents who are FBE fresh graduate students at Foreign Trade University. The
information provided includes genders, cohorts, employment status, and monthly
income. The below table will present the sample description of the study as follows:

Table 3.1 Sample description

Characteristics Options Frequency Valid percentage

Male 86 47.8
Genders
Female 94 52.2
54 36 20.0
55 54 30.0
Cohort
56 80 44.4
57 10 5.6
Employed 60 33.3
Part-time job 42 23.3
Job-status
Self-employed 40 22.2
Unemployed 38 21.1
From 1-2 years 32 17.8
From 2-3 years 66 36.7
Number of years
Less than 1 year 50 27.8
More than 3 years 32 17.8
Source: Summarized from SPSS output

In terms of genders, it is demonstrated that a larger number of survey

respondents are female who account for more than a half of total participants
(52.2%). Besides, there are 86 male respondents participating in the survey,
accounting for 47.8%.
 44

Figure 3.1 The participants’ genders

Genders

47.80%
52.20%

Male Female

Source: Summarized from SPSS output

In terms of cohorts, the collected data revealed that the number of FBE
students in Cohort 56 accounts for the highest percentages, accounting for 44.4%,
followed by Cohort 55, accounting for 30.0%. Cohort 57 had the least survey
participants with only 5.6% of total respondents (10 people).

Figure 3.2 The participants’ cohorts

Cohorts
5.60%
20.00%

44.40%

30.00%

Cohort 54 Cohort 55 Cohort 56 Cohort 57

Source: Summarized from SPSS output

In terms of job status, it is shown in Table 3.1 that the majority of respondents
employed are 60 people, accounting for 33.3%, followed by 42 students having
part-time jobs, which represents approximately 23.3%. What is more, there are 40
graduates who are self-employed with 22.2%.

Figure 3.3 The participants’ job status

 45

Job status
22.20%
33.30%

23.30%
21.20%

Employed Unemployed Part-time job Self-employed

Source: Summarized from SPSS output

Finally, in terms of years of experience in the present job, the survey result
reveals that the FBE graduates with 2-3 years of working experiences account
for the highest percentage (66 people, approximately 36.7%). Moreover, there
are 27.8% graduates with work experiences less than 1 year while there are 32
graduates who have more than 3 years of work experience. The figure stays the
same when it comes to graduates from 1 to 2 years of experience, which are
also 32 people, accounting for 17.8%.
Figure 3.4 The participants’ years of working experiences

Job status
27.80% 17.80%

17.80% 36.70%

More than 3 years From 2 to 3 years From 1 to 2 years Less than 1 year

Source: Summarized from SPSS output

3.1.1.2 Description of variables

The following table gives descriptive statistics for all observed variables. It
summarizes the answers of the respondents to each of the statements in the
questionnaire. As indicated before, the questionnaire employs a 5-point Likert scale,
 46

which represents the degree of understanding between 1 and 5. Consequently,

observable variables with high mean values indicate that interviewees have high
degrees of agreement. Description of variables are presented in the following tables:

Table 3.2 Description of the variable Influencers

Std.
Variable Observed variables Mean
Deviation
INF1 4.21 .677
INF2 4.06 .723
Influencers INF3 4.17 .705
(Mean = 4.13) INF4 4.13 .740
INF5 4.13 .735
INF6 4.08 .736
INT1 3.64 .781
Interests INT2 3.66 .792
(Mean = 3.735) INT3 3.87 .812
INT4 3.77 .799
FIN1 3.57 .859
FIN2 3.61 .808
Financial factors
FIN3 3.74 .779
(Mean = 3.646)
FIN4 3.64 .699
FIN5 3.67 .755
CAP1 3.65 .787
CAP2 3.54 .828
Self-capacity
CAP3 3.59 .824
(Mean = 3.596)
CAP4 3.61 .787
CAP5 3.59 .790
OPP1 3.72 .702
Career opportunities OPP2 3.70 .838
(Mean = 3.7) OPP3 3.68 .789
OPP4 3.70 .877
Career choices of FBE CAREER4 3.70 .825
 47

CAREER1 3.62 .799

fresh students
CAREER2 3.61 .735
(Mean = 3.662)
CAREER3 3.72 .727
Source: Summarized from SPSS output

3.1.2 Cronbach’s alpha test

Finding the instrument’s level of reliability was the following step in the data
analysis process for this investigation. In order to determine Cronbach’s Alpha, the
author used SPSS. Its outcome demonstrates the reliability of a multi-item scale.
When several items are measured on a Likert Scale and the sum of these items
represents the overall value of the item of interest, a multi-item scale can be
utilized. The mean correlation between each item and every other item in the same
group serves as the foundation for alpha values. We may compute Cronbach’s alpha
of variables using the SPSS software version 22.0, and the results are displayed in
table 3.3 as follows:

Table 3.3 Cronbach’s alpha reliability test

No. Variables Cronbach’s Alpha

1 Influencers 0.829

2 Interests 0.705

3 Financial factors 0.852

4 Self-capacity 0.816

5 Career opportunities 0.862

6 Career choices of FBE fresh students 0.885

Source: Author’s summary from SPSS output

Table 3.3 provides the summarized results, and detailed results are provided in
the appendix. The Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient is higher than 0.6 for each variable
 48

which shows a strong internal coherence. This ensures the appropriate reliability of
this research; the questionnaire is valid, and the predictors are well presented.
Moreover, each corrected item–total correlation score of 24 observed variables from
the 5 factors are greater than 0.3. Therefore, there is no variable that has to be
removed from the construct.

3.1.3 Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)

3.1.3.1 Results of independent variables

The author indicated the KMO coefficient and the significance level value
attained in Bartlett’s Test in the first stage of conducting EFA. According to Table
3.3, the KMO coefficient has a value of 0.814, which is higher than 0.5. This
indicates that the data are fit for factor analysis (Garson, 2013). The significance
value equals 0.000 (less than 0.05) in terms of significance level, supporting both
the statistical significance of Bartlett’s Test and the correlations between the
measured variables (Robert, Dansoh, and Ofori – Kuragu, 2014).

The lowest value of the matrix without applying Varimax rotation with 5
factors obtained with 5 Eigenvalue values is 1.307>1. The five components that
account for 60.742% of the data’s variability are represented by the cumulative
variance, which is 39.528% > 50%. The data attest to the EFA model’s suitability.

Table 3.3 KMO & Bartlett’s test of independent variables

KMO and Bartlett’s Test

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .814

Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity 1814.133 1305.345

276 190

.000 .000

Source: Author’s summary from SPSS output

The author discovered that 24 observed variables all had a convergence factor
 49

greater than 0.5 by constructing the Rotated Component Matrix. As a result, these
observed variables can be used in the model to test the hypothesis in the following
step. Besides, the results of Rotated Component Matrix also reveal that all the factor
loadings for the items are satisfactory of the norm (< 0.5), thus all of them are kept
in the research mode.

3.1.3.2 Results of dependent variable

The employee performance of FBE graduated students was the dependent

variable for the author’s EFA analysis. KMO coefficient is 0.868 and Sig = 0.000,
which suggests that EFA in this instance has statistical significance, according to
KMO and Barllet’s test results.
 50

Table 3.4 KMO & Barlett’s test of dependent variables

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. 0.839

Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 383.835

df 6

Sig. 0.000

Source: Author’s summary from SPSS output

Table 3.5 Total variance explained with dependent variables

Total Variance Explained

Compon Initial Eigenvalues Extraction Sums of Squared

ent Loadings

Total % of Cumulativ Total % of Cumulati

Variance e% Variance ve %

1 2.982 74.538 74.538 2.982 74.538 74.538

2 .398 9.945 84.484

3 .320 8.008 92.492

4 .300 7.508 100.000

Source: Author’s summary from SPSS output

3.1.4 Results of correlation matrix

Considering the correlation between the dependent variable FBE students’

career choices (CAREER), the results show that Sig. of correlation testing is 0.000
which is lower than 0.05. Thus, it is concluded about the existence of the linear
regression between the dependent and independent variables in the model. In
addition, it is revealed that the correlation coefficients between the pairs of variables
are lower than 0.8. Hence, there is no possibility of multicollinearity in the dataset.
 51

Table 3.6 Results of correlation matrix

CAREE
INF INT FIN CAP OPP
R
Pearson .200* .278* .628* .387* .624*
1 * * * * *
Correlation
CARE
Sig. (2-
ER .007 .000 .000 .000 .000
tailed)
N 180 180 180 180 180 180
Pearson .392* .251* .221* .318*
.200** 1 * * * *
Correlation
INF Sig. (2-
.007 .000 .001 .003 .000
tailed)
N 180 180 180 180 180 180
Pearson .392* .270*
.278** * 1 * .123 .172*
Correlation
INT Sig. (2-
.000 .000 .000 .100 .021
tailed)
N 180 180 180 180 180 180
Pearson .251* .270* .444* .439*
.628** * * 1 * *
Correlation
FIN Sig. (2-
.000 .001 .000 .000 .000
tailed)
N 180 180 180 180 180 180
Pearson .221* .444* .194*
.387** * .123 * 1 *
Correlation
CAP Sig. (2-
.000 .003 .100 .000 .009
tailed)
N 180 180 180 180 180 180
Pearson .318* .439* .194*
.624** * .172* * * 1
Correlation
OPP Sig. (2-
.000 .000 .021 .000 .009
tailed)
N 180 180 180 180 180 180
Source: Author’s summary from SPSS output

3.1.5 Results of regression analysis

A multiple linear regression was performed in SPSS to assess the influence of

independent variables in order to test the hypothesis. The outcomes of the multiple
linear regression analysis are displayed in Table 3.7. The average of the observed
values for each group derived by EFA analysis is the representative value for each
scale.
 52

Table 3.7 Summary of multiple regression model

Mod R R Adjusted R Std. Error of the Durbin-

el Square Square Estimate Watson

1 .760a .578 .566 .43879 1.994

Source: Summarized from SPSS output

The summary of multiple regression model analysis, as shown in Table 3.7,

results in an adjusted R-square of 0.566 > 0.5. Therefore, it is demonstrated that
other factors that were not included in the model account for 43.4% of the variation
in the dependent variable, whereas the independent variables may explain 56.6% of
it. In addition, it is demonstrated that there is no autocorrelation between the
residuals by the statistical coefficient Durbin-Watson = 1.994 (higher than 1 and
lower than 3). This suggests that the assumption of error independence is not broken
by the regression model.

In addition, the author used an ANOVA study to see whether the overall
regression model was appropriate. As can be seen in Table 3.8, the F-value is given
as 47.712 with a Sig value of 0.000, which is below the 0.05 level of significance. It
results that the population is a good fit for the multiple regression model.

Table 3.8 ANOVA results

ANOVAa

Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 45.932 5 9.186 47.712 .000b

Residual 33.502 174 .193

Total 79.434 179

Source: Summarized from SPSS output

From the Table 3.7, it can be seen that the adjusted R square value of 0.566
 53

shows that the model has explained 56.6% of the variation of the dependent variable
(FBE fresh students’ career choices) through 5 independent variables (Influencers,
Interest, Financial factors, Self-capabilities and Career opportunities). The
regression model used to estimate the coefficients may become unstable as the
degree of multicollinearity rises, and the standard errors for the coefficients may
become greatly overstated. To test the multicollinearity, the author employs the
variance inflation factor (VIF) command. There is no multicollinearity in this
model, as seen by the findings, which demonstrate that all of the independent
variables’ VIFs are in the range of 1 and 2.
 54

Table 3.9 The result of regression analysis

Coefficientsa

Model Unstandardized Standardized t Sig. Collinearity

Coefficients Coefficients Statistics

B Std. Beta Tolerance

Error

1 (Constant) .074 .327 .226 .821

INF -.150 .071 -.119 - .037 .764

2.10
6

INT .151 .063 .132 2.40 .017 .813

8

FIN .382 .066 .356 5.80 .000 .646

8

CAP .165 .061 .151 2.72 .007 .787

1

OPP .448 .056 .454 8.04 .000 .760

0

Source: Summarized from SPSS output

The primary purpose of the research was to examine the influencing factors on
the career choices of FBE fresh students at FTU. As shown in Table 3.9, all the
variables INF, INT, FIN, CAP and OPP have the P-values lower than 0.05, thus all
of them are kept in the model.

With the application of a quantitative approach, the main research findings are
provided as follows:
 55

With β1 = -0.119, it is shown that there is a negative relationship between

influences and FBE fresh students’ career choice. Thus, the H1 hypothesis is
accepted.

With β2 = 0.132, it is shown that there is a positive relationship between

personal interests and FBE fresh students’ career choice. Thus, the H2 hypothesis is
accepted.

With β3 = 0.356, it is shown that there is a positive relationship between

financial factors and FBE fresh students’ career choice. Thus, the H3 hypothesis is
accepted. This also means that the financial factor which has the strongest effects on
the FBE fresh students’ career choice.

With β4 = 0.151, it is shown that there is a positive relationship between self-

capabilities and FBE fresh students’ career choice. Thus, the H4 hypothesis is
accepted.

With β5 = 0.454, it is shown that there is a positive relationship between

career opportunities and FBE fresh students’ career choice. Thus, the H5 hypothesis
is accepted.

In overall, the results of testing research hypotheses can be summarized in

the below table:
 56

Table 3.9 Testing research hypotheses results

Testing
Factors Hypothesis Sources
results

H1: There is a significant Saleem et al. (2014),

relationship between influencer Wright et al. (2014),
Influencers Accept
factor and career choices of and Fouad et al.
FBE fresh students. (2015)

H2: There is a significant Pablo-Lerchundi et al.

Personal relationship between personal (2015); Gokuladas
Accept
interests interests and career choices of (2010); Atitsogbe et
FBE fresh students. al. (2018)

H3: There is a significant Fizer (2013); Akosah-

Financial relationship between financial Twumasi et al.
Accept
factors factors and career choices of (2018); Wust & Simic
FBE fresh students. (2017)

H4: There is a significant Taylor & Popma

relationship between financial
factors and career choices of (1990); Atta et al.
Self-capacity Accept
FBE fresh graduates. (2013); Schunk &
Usher (2019)

H5: There is a significant

Career relationship between career Uyar et al. (2011);
Accept
opportunities opportunities and career choices Ahmed et al., 2017
of FBE fresh students.

Source: Summarized by the author

 57

Figure 3.0-5 Results of research model

Influencers
(β = -0.119)

Personal interests
(β = 0.132)
FBE fresh graduates’
career choices

Financial factors
(β = 0.356)

Self-capabilities
(β = 0.151)

Career opportunities
(β = 0.454)

Source: Author’s summary

3.2 Implications

3.2.1 Theoretical implications

In general, the study has made theoretical contributions to the existing

literature by expanding on the theories suggesting that there are significant
relationships between the influencing factors and FBE fresh students’ career choice,
especially within the Vietnamese context. Also, it supplements the literature with a
proof confirming the impacts of determined factors on students’ career choices
concerning students’ characteristics.
 58

As mentioned above, in Vietnam, there have been few researchers learning the
associations between the determined factors and career choices of fresh students.
Besides, while the impact of determined factors and career choices of fresh students
have been taken into account by a diversity of research namely Nguyen and Bui
(2019); Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang (2017); Nguyen et al. (2018), there have been no
studies delving into the influences of the factors and fresh students’ career choices
despite the seemingly logical linkage between them. This study demonstrates
empirical evidence to support such a relationship and contribute to closing the
Vietnamese research gap. In more detail, Influencers, Interests, Financial factors,
Self-capacity and Career opportunities have proved to be a key factor in the career
choices of FBE graduate students from Foreign Trade University. This has enriched
the international literature and become the very first to study these two concepts in
Vietnam.

3.2.2 Practical implications

The findings from the current study deliver important practical implications
for the companies, families and graduate students. From the research findings, it is
discovered that career opportunities have the strongest impact on the career choice
of FBE fresh students. It is shown that the majority of FBE students desire to seek
the job with a lot of promotion opportunities in the future, or which will make it
easier for them to get promoted and develop. In addition to that, with the chosen
career, FBE fresh students can take on many positions in many different fields.
Hence, their career choice should be potential and expected to develop strongly in
the future (Uyar et al., 2011; Ahmed et al., 2017)

Besides, financial factors are the factors which have the second largest impact
on FBE fresh students’ career choices, suggesting the students’ expectation to earn
high salary and bonuses from their chosen jobs, in other words, they consider
financial benefits are the most significant motivator for career choice. Hence, most
of FBE graduates tend to choose career which can have good starting salary in the
future (Fizer, 2013; Akosah-Twumasi et al., 2018; Wust & Simic, 2017)
 59

Another implication from the research findings is the influence of self-

capacity on FBE fresh students’ career choices. The finding revealed that most FBE
graduates choose the career based on their current skills and qualifications, which
can make them feel confident because they can apply the right skills and knowledge
on the chosen job. Besides, these students also expect that the learnt knowledge on
their university can provide directions for their career choice (Taylor & Popma,
1990; Atta et al., 2013; Schunk & Usher, 2019)

3.3 Recommendations

3.3.1 For FBE students and parents

For fresh graduates, this study is a great guidance as the influence of career
choice has a lasting impact on an individual (Kazi, 2017). Firstly, fresh graduates
should understand that career choices and personal interests have a strong and
positive relationship. As a result, it is suggested that fresh graduates should
discover and develop their own interests and consider any career choices based on
interests to enhance their abilities to the fullest. Secondly, fresh graduates should
actively and fully utilize the university time to attend courses, workshops, seminars
to broaden their knowledge and transferable skills, which are irreplaceable
determinants in this ever-changing world. In addition, they should be more
proactive in seizing new opportunities, as well as avoid possible pitfalls hidden in
society nowadays.

For parents, the research points out that family factors have a weak impact on
FBE fresh graduates’ career choices. This might be due to the knowledge and
generation gap between the two generations. Therefore, it is suggested that parents
should listen to their children’s wishes and goals, affording them opportunities to
experience and discover their own interests and passions, giving them advice and
guidance on career choices instead of forcing them to obey. This approach will
surely bring a positive impact on the children’s career development in the future.

3.3.2 For the companies

 60

For businesses, the study indicates that financial benefits are the most
influencing factor on career choices among the fresh graduates. Apart from profits,
businesses should be also concerned about other valuable factors. It is highly
recommended that the companies should specifically offer financial incentives to
attract and enhance the quality of human resources. A percentage of the benefit
should go to performers, for instance, if an employee has helped the firm save
money or increase sales. The design of incentive programs must inspire employees
to work harder and further the objectives of the firm. Another recommendation for
the enterprise is to offer additional career growth or promotion possibilities. To
accomplish this, the business must specify the prerequisites for promotions and
establish precise standards for who is qualified to apply. This could include
accomplishments, skills, experience, certifications, and qualifications in addition to
a minimum number of years spent working for the company. The companies should
also reiterate that the decision on who eventually earns promotions is a subjective
one and ensure that all employees understand the qualifications for eligibility.
Additionally, learning and development incentives, such as sending staff members
to seminars, conferences, leadership development programs, and career
development programs, as well as allowing staff members to choose an online
course, add to their learning and development and serve as excellent motivators.
This encourages workers to assume more responsibility within the company and
helps decrease the turnover rate in the labor market.

3.3.3 For the FBE educators and related educational institutions

For FBE educators and related educational institutions, it is important to

implement courses and programs which can strengthen the undergraduate's
employability skills and soft skills. Besides needed skills, academic institutions
should offer students more opportunities to analyze their strengths and weaknesses,
along with the opportunity to connect with other experts in the career fields. In
addition, career guidance and counseling programs for students should be
profoundly encouraged.

3.4 Limitations of the study

 61

3.4.1 Theoretical Limitations

Due to the constraints in time and knowledge, the limitations of the study are
not avoidable. The major drawback is the insufficient sample size because the
research was conducted only on a small size of the population. This number is not
enough for the researcher to have a full understanding of the determinants on FBE
graduate students’ career choices. The evidence generated from the limited sample
size can cause bias and errors, which is difficult to reflect the population (Saunders
et al., 2012)

Another limitation is the lack of previous research studies on the topic. As

shown in the Literature Review, the research only finds out international studies
related to the influencing factors on FBE fresh students’ career choices. The
context, background, characteristics of organizations, etc. mentioned in these
studies are not similar to Vietnam education, hence it is challenging for the
researchers to apply the knowledge from these foreign works. However, the number
of Vietnamese relevant studies is limited thus lack of useful references is also an
obstacle for the author to conduct this study (Creswell, 2020).

Besides, the researcher only employed the survey method in this research.
Despite its popularity, the findings and results collected from this method do have
not too high reliability due to the inappropriateness of the questionnaire or lack of
accuracy in calculation, as well as the unwillingness of respondents to participate in
the survey.

Hence, for future research, it is highly recommended that a larger sample size
should be applied to be able to represent the population more reliably. Besides,
other research methods such as interviews, experiments or observations, etc. should
be also employed to improve the validity and reliability of the research findings.
Moreover, it is necessary for the authors to take much time on researching the
previous studies in Vietnam.

3.4.2. Practical Limitations

 62

Besides methodological limitations, there are some drawbacks for the

researchers during the research process. One of the most popular limitations is their
limited access to data. As mentioned above, the author only conducts the simple
calculation for data collected such as descriptive analysis, reliability, and regression
analysis via the statistical software. Hence, it is not really useful to provide an in-
depth analysis of the determined factors on FBE graduate students’ career choice
(Creswell, 2020). In addition to that, the data collected only considers several
influencing factors while there are a variety of factors that also have significant
impacts on the students’ career choices. Besides, time constraints are also an
obstacle for the FBE graduate students in Foreign Trade University. Within only
two months, it seems to be a short duration for the 4 th year students to collect the
data and write their thesis. Lack of time management skills also leads them to be
unable to complete their report on time (Berg, 2008)

Therefore, future directions are recommended to help the researchers to

overcome these limitations. It is suggested that they should have a clear work
schedule for the completion of their thesis and follow it strictly. Furthermore, the
deadlines for each chapter should be also followed to avoid delays and late work.
Besides, the researcher should improve the knowledge of the research
methodologies by reading much more thesis samples.
 63

CONCLUSION

There is no denying that career choice is an essential decision for graduate

students since it determines the future professions that a person desires to pursue in
his/her entire life. Despite its great significance, the topic has merely been explored
within the context of Vietnamese universities. This study attempted to partially
narrow down the gap by discovering the factors influencing career choices of fresh
graduates in the Faculty of Business English, Foreign Trade University. By
determining the factors affecting career choices of FBE fresh graduates, the study is
expected to serve as a reference and implications for parents, graduates, career
counselors, researchers and all the involved individuals.

To conduct the study, the research model with five independent variables –
which are also determinants of career choice including Influencers, Interests,
Financial factors, Self-capacity, Career opportunities and the dependent variable -
FBE fresh graduates’ career choices is proposed with five main hypotheses. To
answer the research question regarding the relationships between these factors in
influencing FBE fresh graduate’s job choices, the author used the quantitative
research method. To be more specific, primary data on factors and career choices
was collected from 180 FBE fresh graduates using an online questionnaire. The
survey method was chosen as the data collection approach of this study. The
questionnaire includes 2 sections: Section A includes questions related to
respondents’ demographic data while Section B discusses variables that influence
career choices of fresh graduates, which requires participants to respond to
questions based on a 5-point Likert scale. This aims to measure the target
respondents’ views of variables influencing career choices of FBE fresh graduates
at Foreign Trade University. The data was then analyzed using the statistical
software SPSS 20, and the quantitative analysis techniques were conducted
including Descriptive Statistics Analysis, Reliability Testing (Cronbach’s Alpha),
Exploratory Factor Analysis, Correlation Matrix, Multivariate regression analysis.

From the research findings, it is revealed that the career choice of FBE fresh
students is positively influenced by the factors Interests, Financial factors, Self-
 64

capacity, Career opportunities. Besides, the Influencers factor has negative impacts
on FBE fresh students’ career choices. Among these factors, financial benefits have
the strongest impact on the career choice of FBE fresh students, suggesting
students’ expectations to earn high salary and bonuses from their chosen jobs.
Moreover, it is shown that the majority of FBE students desire to pursue a job with
a lot of promotion opportunities in the future.

Based on the findings and results, some recommendations are suggested for
FBE students, FBE educators and related educational institutions and companies.
As for FBE students, it is highly recommended that they should understand that
career choices and personal interests have a strong and positive relationship. Hence,
it is much - needed for them to find out their own interests as soon as possible,
develop and consider any career choices based on them. For FBE educators and
related educational institutions, it is highly recommended that they should
implement courses and programs which can strengthen the undergraduate's
employability skills and soft skills. What is more, career guidance and counseling
programs for students are essential. With regards to companies, the study indicates
that financial benefits have a positive impact on career choices among FBE fresh
graduates, thus companies should offer more incentives and promotion
opportunities to attract the talented candidates and enhance the quality of human
resources in the labor market.

Despite the author’s efforts to produce the most reliable results, there are still
some inevitable limitations that one should bear in mind when considering the result
of this study. Firstly, the major drawback is the small size of the population (180
FBE fresh graduates), which is not enough for the researcher to have a full
understanding of the determinants on FBE graduate students’ career choices.
Secondly, the lack of previous research studies on the topic is another noticeable
limitation. Thirdly, the researcher only applied the survey method in this research,
which lacks high reliability due to the inappropriateness of the questionnaire or the
unwillingness of respondents to participate in the survey. Besides, there still existed
 65

some practical limitations such as the limited access to data, the lack of more
influencing factors and time constraints.

Considering the limitations, for further research in the future, it is

recommended that a larger sample size should be applied to be able to represent the
population more reliably. Researchers should also consider applying both
quantitative and qualitative research methods to ensure the quality of finding
results. Alos, the researchers should have a clear work schedule for the completion
of their thesis and follow it strictly to avoid delays and late work.
 66

REFERENCES

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Asma-Shahid-Kazi/publication/
325987918_Factors_Affecting_Students'_Career_Choice/links/
5ba0ab3c299bf13e6038e19d/Factors-Affecting-Students-Career-Choice.pdf
 67

APPENDIX

APPENDIX 1: THE QUESTIONNAIRE

THE SURVEY ON THE FACTORS INFLUENCING FBE FRESH

GRADUATES’ CAREER CHOICES AT FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY

A. PERSONAL INFORMATION

1. What is your gender?

A. Female

B. Male

2. Which cohort are you in?

A. 54

B. 55

C. 56

D. 57

3. What is your job status?

A. Employed

B. Unemployed

C. Part-time job

D. Self-employed

4. Number of years of experience in the present job is:

A. More than 3 years

B. From 2-3 years

C. From 1-2 years

D. Less than 1 year

 68

B. SURVEYED QUESTIONS

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Please kindly choose one appropriate option for each statement based on your level
of the agreement below a scale from 1 to 5 as follows:

1 - Totally disagree

2 – Disagree

3 – Neutral

4 – Agree

5 – Totally agree

Level of
agreement
No Factors
1 2 3 4 5

Influencers

My family provided guidance on which careers

INF1
would be best for me.

My parents influence my decision to choose the

INF2
future career.

My teachers suggest me with useful advice in

INF3
choosing the career.

INF4 Relatives give me advice on choosing a career.

My friends’ recommendations have an important

INF5
influence on my career choices.
 69

INF6 I chose a career that is similar to my friends.

Interests

INT1 I would choose careers that match my interests.

I would get greater satisfaction and happiness

INT2
when working in the field of interests.

The interesting factor is one of the important

INT3
factors for me to choose a career

I constantly looking for what make me happy in

INT4
career choice.

Financial factors

FIN1 Salary and bounces have the most significant

influence in choosing my career path.

FIN2 My chosen career is expected to help me earn

high salary after graduation.

FIN3 I consider financial benefits are the most

significant motivator for career choice.

FIN4 The career I choose will have good starting

salary in the future.

FIN5 Having a high salary after graduates will motive

me to choose the career.

Self-capacity

CAP1 I will choose the career based on my current

skills and qualifacation.

CAP2 The learnt knowledge on my university can

provide directions for my career choice.
 70

CAP3 I am confident that my soft skills and knowledge

are applied well with my chosen job.

CAP4 I have enough self-capability to choose the future

career

CAP5 The current job I have chosen is based on my

ability

Career opportunities

OPP1 My chosen career can have a lot of promotion

opportunities in the future

OPP2 The career I choose will make it easier for me to

get promoted and develop

OPP3 With the chosen career, I can take on many

positions in many different fields

OPP4 My job field is potential and expected to develop

strongly in the future.

Career choices

CAREER In my opinion, career choice is one of the most

1 important decisions.

CAREER In my opinion, career choice influence

2 enormously my personal growth.

CAREER I carefully consider career choices before taking

3 a job.

CAREER It is a must for me to fully understand the job

4 before choosing it.

Thank you very much for your support!

 71

APPENDIX 2: STATISTICAL OUTPUT

 72

Descriptive Statistics
 73

Cronbach’s Alpha
74
75
76
77
 78

Exploratory Factor Analysis

79
80
 81

Correlation Matrix
 82

Regression Analysis