Purpose: In Japan, high school students who seek employment can apply to only one company at a time at the school's recommendation, and cannot decline a job offer. This shortens the time available for helping students' career selection process, resulting in problems related to effective support and students' consent. Nonetheless, the actual…

We clarify how individuals actively interact with socio-cultural contexts to attain regular employment in Japan. Based on a large sample (N = 3,512) of part-time employed and unemployed college graduates (23-39 years old), we found that: Career decision making self-efficacy predicted job search; a lack of both hope and fulfillment motivated job…