A Need Assessment on Students' Career Guidance

The present study consists of a needs assessment on students career guidance and career counseling programs in the university. The research is based on a survey developed on a sample of 130 students from the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Science, Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca. The collected data has been both qualitative and quantitative. The students have been inquired about their professional path, about their career decisions, personal and professional values, abilities and competencies, intentions for the future etc. The most relevant results of the study show that: students are poorly informed about job opportunities, their expectations for the future are not connected with their own knowledge and abilities, they do not have a coherent career plan and encounter major barriers in the career decision process. The results are important for career counsellors as they can be used in the development of career guidance programs in the university environment. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.