Donald, William
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3670-5374
, Mouratidou, Maria
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8144-3537
, Hughes, Helen Philippa Narelle
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8454-8206
and Padgett, Rebecca
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6957-6097
(2025)
Employability, aspirations, and career resources: reflective diary insights from postgraduate international students.
Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning
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Full text not available from this repository.
Abstract
Purpose: Drawing on sustainable career theory as a framework, our study aims to explore how Asian international students studying in a UK-based University Business School view their employability, career aspirations, and career resources.
Design/methodology/approach: A total of 128 participants provided 602 voice-recorded reflective diary insights over six weeks while studying a mandatory employability module in a postgraduate Master’s programme at a UK-based Russell Group University Business School. The reflective diary insights addressed employability (weeks 1 and 3), aspirations (weeks 2 and 5), and career resources (weeks 4 and 6). Thematic analysis was conducted before theme and code prevalence were counted to compare changes between the two time points for each topic.
Findings: Employability includes skills, experiences and qualifications (theme 1), challenges (theme 2), and career ownership (theme 3). Aspirations include intrinsic motivators (theme 4), extrinsic motivators (theme 5), and person-organisation fit (theme 6). Career resources include people (theme 7), knowledge (theme 8) and signalling (theme 9). Time influences the interplay of person and contextual dimensions across the two timespans with different effects between and within themes.
Originality/value: Theoretically, our study advances the empirical validation of sustainable career theory, as well as integrating graduate employability and career development streams into higher education research. Methodologically, it underscores the underutilised potential of diary studies in the field. Practically, it offers insights for lecturers, university career advisors, and employers to holistically address the employability, aspirations, and career resources of international students.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Journal / Publication Title: | Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning |
| Publisher: | Emerald |
| ISSN: | 2042-3896 |
| Departments: | Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership > Business |
| Additional Information: | Maria Mouratidou, Lecturer in HRM & OB, Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership, University of Cumbria, UK. |
| Depositing User: | Insight Administrator |
| SWORD Depositor: | Insight Administrator |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2025 12:04 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Jan 2025 10:26 |
| URI: | https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/8606 |
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