a Asst. Prof., PhD., Yildiz Technical University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Management, Istanbul, Turkiye, busramu@yildiz.edu.tr ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2770-6137) b Res. Asst., Gebze Technical University, Faculty of Business, Department of Management, Kocaeli, Turkiye, artar@gtu.edu.tr (ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7714-748X) c Prof., PhD., Gebze Technical University, Faculty of Business Administrative Sciences, Kocaeli, Turkiye, erdil@gtu.edu.tr (ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3793-001X) Cite this article as: Muceldilli, B., Artar, M., & Erdil, O. (2021). Determining the moderating role of career guidance in the relationship between social isolation and job search self-efficacy: A study on university students. Business and Economics Research Journal, 12(4), 843-854. http://dx.doi.org/10.20409/berj.2021.355 The current issue and archive of this Journal is available at: www.berjournal.com Determining the Moderating Role of Career Guidance in the Relationship Between Social Isolation and Job Search Self- Efficacy: A Study on University Students Busra Muceldili a , Melike Artar b , Oya Erdil c Abstract: This study examined the relationship between university students' social isolation experience and job search self-efficacy. Demographic variables (gender and seniority) were examined to explain these relationships. In addition, the career guide's moderator role has been investigated on the relationship between social isolation experience and job search self-efficacy. Within the scope of the research, data were collected from 275 university students using the snowball method. The findings obtained from the sample revealed that social isolation experience was negatively related to job search self-efficacy. According to the results, there is no significant difference between men and women in terms of job search self-efficacy. This study also demonstrated that grade level is essential for explaining job search self-efficacy. Using structural equation modeling findings indicated that career guidance significantly moderated the relationship between social isolation experience and job search self-efficacy. These results suggest that feeling alone or excluded for undergraduate students may link to job search behaviors and decrease confidence in career decision-making. Keywords: Job Search Self- Efficacy, Social Isolation, Undergraduate Students, Career Guidance, Gender JEL: P36, I20 Received : 21 April 2021 Revised : 10 June 2021 Accepted : 16 July 2021 Type : Research 1. Introduction Today's job market is complex and challenging for young adults and adolescents. Most university students are pessimist and indecisive because of unemployment rates, pressure in the work environment, unpredictable workplace conditions, and dynamic changes in the job descriptions (Storlie et al., 2016; Fearon et al., 2018), although some of them are more hopeful and confident about job search. Hence, it is essential to identify factors that hinder and facilitate job search behavior of university students. It has been proved in studies that high self-efficacy of job search has a direct effect on job search planning and job search behaviors (Fort et al., 2011). Job search self-efficacy refers to the beliefs of a person's ability to successfully implement his / her career appraisal activities, including the capability to communicate impressively with professionals in an area, including judgment about an individual's ability and values to successfully work out interests (Solberg et al., 1995). Business and Economics Research Journal Vol. 12, No.4, 2021 pp. 843-854 doi: 10.20409/berj.2021.355