Relationship Between Career Counselling and Professional Success Among University Graduates of District Lahore

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between career counselling and professional success among university graduates of District Lahore, Pakistan. A quantitative, correlational design grounded in the positivist paradigm was adopted. The population comprised graduates of public and private universities of District Lahore who had received career counselling. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, one public university and one private university were selected through simple random sampling, and a total sample of 385 graduates (197 from the public and 188 from the private university) was drawn through purposive and convenience sampling; the sample size was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan formula. Data were collected using two adapted instruments: the Career Counselling Scale (32 items; Cronbach’s α = .922) measuring academic, social, and personal competence, and the Perceived Career Success Scale (21 items; Cronbach’s α = .861) measuring job, interpersonal, non-organizational, hierarchical, and financial success. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were used for analysis. Results indicated that the level of career counselling attained by graduates was predominantly moderate, with 33.5% at a low level, 35.1% at a medium level, and 31.4% at a high level. Among professional success dimensions, job success recorded the highest mean (M = 23.62, SD = 3.52) and financial success the lowest (M = 11.21, SD = 2.26). A strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship was found between career counselling and professional success (r = .765, n = 385, p < .01). All sub-scale correlations were positive and significant, ranging from weak to strong. The findings suggest that strengthening university career counselling services can meaningfully support graduate employability and professional development. Universities and policymakers are encouraged to institutionalize structured, personalized counselling to ease the transition from higher education to professional life.