Emotional Intelligence as a Salient Predictor for Collegians’ Career Decision Making

Among the plethora of career theories and counseling practices, human emotion continues to be underrepresented. The paucity is evoking discontentment. For many career specialists, a distal role for emotionality has become untenable. This study demonstrated emotional intelligence (EI) associates with familiar constructs within the career decision-making journey. In particular, multiple regression analyses of 561 collegians revealed EI as a salient predictor of vocational personality (Holland’s Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional [RIASEC]), vocational identity, and career indecision. The findings also exposed important gender differences and distinguished which competency of EI is germane to what career construct and gender. Implications from the findings and practical applications for placing emotion in a more proximal role by career counselors are discussed.