Strategies for Enhancing University Students' Career Planning Competencies from the Perspective of Flexible Employment

Abstract

In recent years, the total number of college graduates in China has grown exponentially year by year, while the structural gap between job supply and demand remains pronounced and highly visible. Consequently, the employment difficulties facing contemporary college students have become increasingly severe, complex, and multifaceted. As flexible employment rapidly emerges as a vital and dynamic new field in the modern labor market, college students have exposed significant deficiencies in adapting to its unique characteristics, alongside a notable lack of comprehensive and proactive career planning ability. To address these pressing challenges, this paper systematically investigates the underlying mechanisms of career development within the broader context of the modern gig economy. Starting from three critical aspects—family support, school education, and home–school collaboration—this empirical study proposes targeted intervention strategies. These strategies specifically focus on three core dimensions of career planning ability: the cognition of career-stage development, the strategic planning of viable career-path choices, and the establishment of practical paths for continuous career exploration. By integrating theoretical frameworks with practical, real-world applications, the proposed methodologies aim to bridge the existing gap between academic preparation and labor market realities. Ultimately, this research seeks to provide actionable, evidence-based insights for educators and policymakers, with the primary aim of significantly enhancing graduates' core competitiveness and adaptability in the rapidly evolving and highly competitive field of flexible employment.