How Major–Job Match and Type of University Shape the Impact of University Education Satisfaction on Job Satisfaction in Culinary Graduates

This study analyzed the impact of university education satisfaction (UEduSat) on job satisfaction among higher education graduates majoring in culinary arts, focusing on the moderating roles of major–job match (MJM) and type of university (TU). Data were drawn from the Graduate Occupational Mobility Survey (GOMS), conducted by the Korea Employment Information Service. A total of 269 culinary arts graduates were selected from the dataset, excluding non-wage workers and those aged 35 or older. Hayes’ PROCESS Macro (Model 3) was used to examine the moderated moderation effects. The results show that the subfactors of UEduSat, satisfaction with the university environment (SUE) and satisfaction with the academic department (SAD), had significant effects on both extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction. MJM did not have a direct effect on job satisfaction, but partially moderated the UEduSat–job satisfaction relationship, as stronger positive effects were observed at lower levels of MJM. A significant three-way interaction was only found for SUE, indicating that the combined effect of SUE and MJM on job satisfaction varied by TU. For junior college graduates, SUE influenced job satisfaction when MJM was low or average; for four-year university graduates, significant effects appeared only when MJM was high. No significant three-way interaction was observed for SAD. The findings suggest the need for differentiated career guidance in higher education tailored to institutional characteristics and graduates’ levels of MJM.