TITLE:
Positive Career Attitudes Effect on Happiness and Life Satisfaction by Master Students and Graduates
AUTHORS:
Senad Karavdic, Michèle Baumann
KEYWORDS:
University Students, Graduates, Positive Career Attitudes, Happiness, Life Satisfaction
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.2 No.8,
August
22,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Background: Happiness and life satisfaction
are well-known indicators. However, there has been little contribution by the
scientific community on the positive career attitudes of master students and
graduates. In an effort to provide deeper empirical understanding, the
relationships between positive career attitudes, health satisfaction, financial
situation and happiness and life satisfaction among master students and
graduates were analyzed. Method: A link of online questionnaire was sent by
mail to all students which independently of their social economic status
obtained a financial aid from the government of Luxembourg, and to all master
graduates (ex-students) who have been finished with their courses for one year.
The data was analyzed using bivariate tests, correlation and multiple linear
regression models. Result: 455 voluntary postgraduate/master students vs. 144
graduates participated. Students were younger than the graduates (mean age 26
vs. 29 years). Majority was female and had Luxembourgish nationality. Most
graduates had a job and lived with their parents. Luxembourg natives were
happier, and those who were living with their parents showed higher life satisfaction.
For both samples, self-rated health satisfaction was positively associated with
happiness and life satisfaction. For the students, the higher career adaptability
and career optimism are, the better the happiness and life satisfaction will be.
The higher the perception of the household financial situation is, the better
the happiness will be. For graduates, the higher career optimism contributed to
the better happiness. Conclusion: Happiness and life satisfaction of master
students and graduates were affected, related to socioeconomic and perceived
health difficulties, and career attitudes. Those indicators could be used
routinely to monitor the situation of young people over time and their needs in
terms of adaptability and optimism capabilities, which should be appropriately
treated. These findings may help with the development of university and post
university interventions aimed at improving happiness and life satisfaction
among postgraduate students and ex-students.