Job perception and expectations scale: Insights from Engineering students

Abstract

This study presents the application of the Job Perception and Expectations Scale, a multidimensional instrument designed to assess how students perceive their future career prospects. The scale integrates three key dimensions: self-perceived employability, perceived gender equity, and job quality perception. Data were collected from 305 first-year engineering students at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain) across industrial and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fields. Results show that students report high perceived employability, particularly within their field of study. In the work environment subdimension, industrial engineering students perceived higher status within the field, while ICT students rated work-life balance more positively. Statistically significant gender differences were observed in perceived gender equity, with women reporting higher awareness of inequality. Prior work experience correlated positively with perceived employability and job status. The findings underscore the value of early, evidence-based assessment of students’ job perceptions to inform institutional strategies, career guidance, and equity-oriented policies in STEM education. It highlights the need for further research into the individual and contextual determinants shaping these perceptions, with the goal of designing more effective educational, policy, and organizational strategies to reduce inequalities and foster more equitable and sustainable career trajectories.