Exploring links between career adaptability, work volition, and well-being among Turkish students

• The Work Volition Scale–Student Version was validated.
• Examined career adaptability, life satisfaction, life meaning and work volition
• All components of career adaptability significantly correlated with life satisfaction
• Life meaning and work volition were significant mediators.

The present study examined how the four components of career adaptability (concern, confidence, control, curiosity; Savickas & Porfeli, 2012) related to life satisfaction and the degree to which life meaning and work volition mediated these relations. In Study 1, scores from the Work Volition Scale–Student Version was validated with a sample of Turkish undergraduate students. In Study 2, with a new sample of Turkish students, all four components of career adaptability were found to significantly correlate with life satisfaction. Structural equation modeling revealed that life meaning and work volition each served as significant mediators between concern, control, and life satisfaction. Additionally, in the full mediation model, none of the adaptability components significantly related to life satisfaction. These findings suggest that concern and control over one's career may link with greater life satisfaction due, in part, to an increased sense of control in career decision making and increased life meaning.