The Level of Student Career Problems and Their Implications for Career Counseling Services in Higher Education

Abstract

This study aims to describe the level of student career problems and their implications for career counseling services in higher education. The research involved 94 undergraduate students of the Guidance and Counseling Study Program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Tasikmalaya (UMTAS), who completed the AUM Umum (General Problem Inventory) on April 30, 2025. The study employed a quantitative descriptive approach by analyzing the frequency and percentage of students experiencing career-related problems in the Career and Employment (KDP) domain. The results revealed that the average level of career problems was high (47.3%), indicating that most students experienced significant difficulties in preparing for their future careers. The dominant issues included anxiety about unemployment after graduation (75.53%), doubt about the ability to work independently (79.79%), fear of losing job competition (70.21%), and lack of knowledge about job fields (69.15%). In contrast, issues related to family support and personal relationships were relatively low. Categorically, 29.8% of students were in the high problem category, 52.1% in the medium category, and 18.1% in the low category. These findings indicate that career-related anxiety, lack of self-efficacy, and insufficient information about the world of work are prominent problems among students. The study highlights the urgency of integrating career guidance programs within university counseling services to better support students’ transition from education to employment. Keywords: AUM Umum, career counseling, career problems, higher education, self-efficacy