Emotional intelligence as a predictor of career decision-making self- efficacy: A cross-disciplinary study of Vietnamese university students

As the current job market has become increasingly competitive due to impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), the transition from university to professional life requires students to achieve high academic performance, transferable skills and emotional resilience to make informed career-related decisions. The present study aims to examine the predictive relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy (CDSE), among 275 students studying at a private university in Vietnam. Through a scale-based assessment, participants’ EI and CDSE levels were measured across the four main components of trait-based EI (Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Empathy, and Relationship Management) and the five prominent parts of CDSE (Goal Selection, Occupational Information, Problem-Solving Skills, Planning, and Self-Appraisal). Findings indicated moderate to high levels at both EI and CDSE domains. Furthermore, all four EI components signinificantly predict CDSE, with Self-Awareness as the most critical factor in effectively navigating the future career. Recommendations are offered for universities to integrate EI literacy into curriculum development to enhance undergraduates’ self-confidence and foster adaptive capacity to thrive in rapidly envolving work environments.