Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between participation in case competitions and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) of university students. Design/methodology/approach: The sample included 273 Russian university students; 109 (40%) of them had never participated in case competitions, whereas 164 (60%) participated at least once in case competitions related to business, management and economics. Data were collected via an online survey that included the CDMSE scale--short form. Descriptive, correlation and linear regression analyses of data were conducted to test five hypotheses. Findings: The research study showed a significant difference in CDMSE between those who had never participated in case competitions and those who had participated at least once. However, the study did not show a significant influence of participation in case competitions on the level of CDMSE. The results also indicated that the level of CDMSE could be explained by the participants' work experience, career choice status and age, as well as the highest level achieved during participation in case competitions. Research limitations/implications: The study provides limitations and implications for future research as well as practice, including career centers and career counselors, university faculty, organizers of case competitions and recruitment specialists in organizations. Originality/value: Prior research suggests that participation in case competitions helps students' transition into the workplace. Despite their global popularity, empirical research on case competitions is very limited and focused primarily on skill development. This study contributes to the knowledge base by exploring links between case participation and CDMSE.