Abstract

This research adopts the career maturity as an indicator of one’s intention and ability in career development, and explores whether and how psychological separation from parents and occupational self-efficacy influence one’s career maturity. A structural equation model is constructed and tested with data from a survey of 584 master graduates in top universities across China. According to the study, it is founded that: The psychological separation and occupational self-efficacy of master graduates are significantly and positively correlated with occupational self-efficacy, and career maturity, respectively. Occupational self-efficacy plays a part of the mediating role between psychological separation and career maturity. Master graduates with a high degree of psychological separation are more confident in achieving their career goals, more involved in the career selection process and have a higher level of career development. These findings will arouse the attention of the society to the master graduates’ career maturity to some extent.