Students’ Personality Traits as Predictor of Career Choice among Undergraduates in Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti

This study explored how personality traits shape the career choices of undergraduate students at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. Using a descriptive survey design, the research examined this relationship within a real-world academic environment without altering any variables. The target population included students across various faculties and academic levels, from which a sample of 300 was carefully selected through stratified random sampling to ensure broad representation. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire—the Students’ Personality Traits and Career Choice Questionnaire (SPTCCQ) which featured sections on demographic details, the Big Five personality traits (based on McCrae & Costa, 1992), and career decision-making indicators drawn from standardised scales. Content validity was confirmed through expert review by professionals in Educational Psychology and Guidance and Counselling, and a reliability test conducted with 30 students from a similar institution produced a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84, indicating strong internal consistency. The questionnaires were distributed during non-lecture periods with the help of trained assistants to encourage participation. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression, with a 0.05 level of significance guiding interpretation. Findings showed that ‘openness to experience’ emerged as the most prominent personality trait and the strongest predictor of students’ career choices. Students predominantly favoured careers in Medicine/Health Sciences and Business/Management, with personal interest, potential earnings, and job opportunities being the most decisive influences. Peer influence was found to be the least significant. Based on these findings, the study recommends incorporating personality profiling into university career counselling services to help students make well-informed career decisions aligned with their individual traits.