Reconceptualizing Career Guidance in the Digital Age: An Empirical Investigation among High School Students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

In today's fast-paced digital world and changing job market, good career advice has become crucial for high school students. This study looks at what career guidance high school students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam need focusing on how they use both online tools and traditional counseling. The research used a mix of methods, surveying 317 students from four public high schools with a structured questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84–0.96) and talking to a smaller group in more detail. The results show students want practical, job-focused information, including the latest job trends and what specific jobs require. While students used internet resources and career websites the most, they still preferred talking to someone face-to-face, showing how important human contact is when making career choices. Most students liked a mix of digital tools and traditional guidance. The study found three main things that made students happy with career guidance: how useful the information was (β = .42, p < .001), how easy it was to get resources (β = .37, p < .001), and how personalized the support was (β = .29, p < .001). The study also found big differences between what boys and girls were interested in for careers and that students from different economic backgrounds had different levels of access to digital tools. These findings show we need career guidance that includes everyone, is personalized, and uses technology while also reflecting what different students need and how Vietnam's economy and society are changing.