Abstract
This study explored the relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), career interests and decisiveness of undergraduate students enrolled in a state university. The sample (n = 137) was primarily freshman (n = 54), female (n = 104), Hispanic/Latino (n = 43), and had a mean age of 19. Holland’s Self-Directed Search (SDS) (1985) assessed career interests, Brackett, Rivers, and Shiffman’s (2006) Self-Rated Emotional Intelligence Scale assessed EI and Germeijs and Boeck’s (2002) General Indecisiveness scale measured decisiveness. Results indicated the relationship of EI (M = 66.99 SD = 9.56) is statistically significant between decisiveness (β = .52, n = 118, p = .00) and SDS differentiation scores (β = -.24, n = 118, p = .01). Findings support the idea that trainings to develop EI may be viable resources career counselors can employ when advising individuals who are exploring their career path. The results further contribute to the understanding of EI’s connection to career interests and decisiveness.