Role of Internship quality and Proactive Personality in Job Search Success: A Moderated-mediation Model Through Career Adaptability

[Purpose] The job and internship search process requires individuals to make critical decisions. The present study proposes and tests the career decision science job search model. The model is derived from a career-based motivational model and combines it with the theoretical stream of career construction theory, a theory on psychological resources to make career adjustments. [Method] A quantitative survey study on employment success was conducted on a sample of graduate students (N = 944), and SEM analysis was done using LISREL. [Findings] This study investigated how proactive personality and the quality of an internship experience affect job search success. The researchers analyzed primary data on SEM using LISREL and discovered that there is indeed a relationship between proactive personality and internship quality. Additionally, this relationship positively and significantly impacts job search success, which is mediated by career adaptability. A moderated mediation test was conducted to confirm these findings and was found to be significant. The study highlights the importance of a proactive personality and internship quality in shaping individuals’ career outcomes. [Originality/value] Previous studies have focused mainly on quantitative aspects of the internship, with little or no focus on the quality of the internship. The present study examines the effect of the quality of internship on job search success. [Implications] These findings carry implications for internship and career adaptability literature. And the study findings carry practical significance for both career counselors and universities.