From vision to action: how future work self shapes proactive career behaviors through exploration

Purpose Drawing on Hirschi and Koen's (2021) integrative model of career self-regulation, this study examines how the dual dimensions of the future work self (FWS)—salience and elaboration—shape proactive career behaviors. It further explores the mediating role of career self- and environmental exploration as self-regulatory mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a two-wave web-based survey with 119 final-year Master's students at an Italian university about to enter the labor market. A structured questionnaire was used, and the hypothesized model was tested through SEM in LISREL. Findings Results support the full mediation model, consistent with the proposed theoretical framework. Salience and elaboration played distinct roles in shaping career exploration, and both career self- and environmental exploration were positively and significantly associated with proactive career behaviors. Originality/value This study advances the conceptualization of the future work self by empirically distinguishing between salience and elaboration and showing their differential effects on proactive career behaviors. It also identifies career exploration processes as key self-regulatory pathways, offering a more nuanced understanding of the career preparation phase during university.