Specific and Diversive Career Exploration During Late Adolescence

The exploration literature suggests that career exploration may be separated into two distinct forms. Diversive career exploration involves learning broadly about the world of work and the self, whereas specific career exploration involves an in-depth investigation focused on aligning one’s perceptions of self and career prospects. The goal of the current study was to validate the structure of career exploration over time as being composed of diversive and specific forms. The study was conducted on a diverse sample of 308 college and work-bound youth, 19—22 years old, who were assessed annually three times. Structural equation modeling was used to test a longitudinal measurement model and the structural relationships corresponding to the noted distinction between the forms of exploration. Associations between exploration and several additional indicators of career development were further assessed. The results support the theoretically derived distinction between diversive and specific career exploration and demonstrate that they are differentially linked to career indecision, confidence, and planning. Implications for research and practice are offered in light of the results.