Pathways from Mindfulness to Career Adaptability: Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Capital as Mediators

Background: In an era characterized by rapid technological disruption and vocational uncertainty, Career Adaptability (CA) has emerged as a critical meta-competency for university students transitioning into the workforce. While the importance of CA is well-documented, the internal mechanisms that foster it remain under-explored. This research adopts a resource-based perspective to investigate how Mindfulness—a state of non-judgmental present-moment awareness—acts as a catalyst for career readiness. Specifically, this study examines a dual-mediation model, proposing that Mindfulness enhances Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Psychological Capital (PsyCap) (comprising hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism), which in turn bolsters an individual’s capacity to adapt to changing career landscapes. By integrating these four constructs, the study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how “being present” (Mindfulness) translates into “being prepared” (Career Adaptability) through the cultivation of emotional and psychological resources. Methods: The study collected data from 705 final-year students at Wollo University (male = 399 and female = 306). The study employed several well-established instruments: the Compound Psychological Capital Scale (CPC), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLIES), and the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS). These instruments were rigorously evaluated for their psychometric applicability within the Ethiopian context. Results: PLS-SEM analysis revealed: (a) direct and positive influences of mindfulness, PsyCap, and EI on career adaptability; (b) partial and positive mediation effects of PsyCap and EI in the mindfulness-career adaptability link; (c) a serial mediation effect of mindfulness through PsyCap and EI; and (d) the proposed model explained a substantial amount of variance in university students’ career adaptability. Conclusions: Despite its strengths, the study acknowledged certain limitations and discussed potential implications for enhancing career adaptability, highlighting the benefits of cultivating mindfulness.