Skill possession and prospective university students' career decisions: Does prior exposure really matter?

This study investigated the role of students' skills in their career decisions while preparing for university education. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study's population comprised 5,656 Senior Secondary class three (SS III) students distributed across 101 public secondary schools in Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State. A sample of 1,135 SS III students was selected (representing 20% of the population) using the simple random sampling technique. "Skills and Career Choice Checklist (SCCC)," designed by the researchers, was the instrument used for data collection. Frequency counts, percentages, and the Chi-square test of independence were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that many prospective university students had exposure to different skills. The career decisions of prospective students varied according to their skill sets. It was established that the extent to which students' career choices depend on their exposure to skills is significant. It was concluded that prior exposure to skills determines prospective university students' career choices. This study has counselling implications for the proper guidance of students seeking to make career decisions. Career counsellors can use the results of this study to guide students in taking courses related to their skills or the other way around.