Development and Growth of College Students' Career Planning Awareness under the Context of Flexible Employment: An Analysis of Career Maturity, Decision-Making, and Exploration Behaviors

In the context of a rapidly growing number of university graduates, traditional employment opportunities have become more saturated, leading many students to explore flexible employment options. However, a lack of career planning awareness may hinder students from engaging successfully in flexible employment. This study examines the career planning awareness of 200 university students through three aspects: career maturity, career decision-making, and exploration behavior. The findings show that students demonstrate moderate levels of career maturity and decision-making, while their career exploration remains at a relatively low level. Gender does not have a significant impact on career maturity, decision-making, or exploration behavior, although factors such as academic year, major, and household registration location do have a notable influence on these dimensions. Based on these results, the study suggests specific strategies to strengthen career planning awareness among students and improve their chances of succeeding in flexible employment.