© University of Reading 2009

Fit for purpose:undergraduates

and employability

Maura O’Regan 9th September 2009

m.oregan@reading.ac.uk

Research strategy 1 - 2006-2007

Interviews& Diary entries

Formal

Informal

Conversations& Email

PRACTICAL APPROACH

Autumn, Spring, Summer

Volunteers = 30

Second year undergraduates

14 History(single or combined)

16 Economics (modules)

15 Male15 Female

QUALITATIVE & INTERPRETIVE

Career ideas – maps of the world of work

Discuss the maps –

What do they tell us about the individual person?

How could these be used:

in a careers education setting?In a careers guidance setting?

STUDENT

CAREER

I

D

E

N

T

I

T

Y

STUDENT

Young people in transition

Who I amWho I want to be

Fugate, Kinichi & Ashforth (2004)

Some stories …

to discuss

Background: A theory of career pursuit

- content studying and living the university life

- anxious and quite stressed

- inclined to procrastinate

- pursuing every opportunity

Different student orientations to career

Orientations to career pursuit: 1

Learning

Value their education

Enjoy their university experience

Likely to postpone career decisions

Have established an undergraduate student identity

Set a high priority on what they are gaining from university

Billy 1.33

I just don’t think it is important enough for me to start worrying about what I want to do. I’d rather focus on other stuff that I think is more important like- em - like studying

Orientations to career pursuit: 2

Introspection

Did not make a smooth transition to university

Found it difficult to make friends and fit in

Reflect on their current situation constantly

Likely to worry about being successful on their course

Find new situations difficult

Worry that they are not doing anything about their career

Alice 1.08

..but I’m so worried

about my studies and that’s what

concerns me most at

the moment…

Orientations to career pursuit: 3

Hesitation

Reasonably confident and enjoy university

Know what they need to do to realise their career aspirations

Take responsibility for their procrastination

Can appear motivated but admit they are ‘lazy’

Easily distracted

Bob 57

I won’t do anything until

there is a deadline I have to reach and I

won’t take action until the

deadline is closing in…

Orientations to career pursuit: 4

Instrumentalism

Have adapted well to university

Consciously make career related choices

Actively seek opportunities to realise their career aspirations

Are likely to be persistent and tenacious

Phoebe 46

…a benchmark. It gets you more money…

A stepping stone from school to a job.

I’ve always been quite driven. If I’m doing something I might as well do it well. I’ve always been like that.

Johnny 1.01

Future focus

LO

W

HIG

H

Car

eer

Rel

evan

ce

LOW

HIGH

orientated to hesitation (10)

orientated to instrumentalism (14)

orientated to deliberation (3)

orientated to learning (3)

Reference: O’Regan, M. (2009) Career pursuit: towards an understanding of undergraduate students’ orientation to career Unpublished PhD, University of Reading

What are the implications of these findings for universities generally?

What are the implications of these findings for career services specifically ?

Over to you…

Any other comments?

What were you hoping to gain by coming to university?

Instrumentalism (14)

Degree (12) Work after graduation (9) Personal development (9) Social experience (6)Education (5)

Hesitation (10)

Personal development (8) Education (5)Degree (5)Work after graduation (4)Social experience (3)

Learning (3)

Education (3) Personal development (2)

Introspection (3)

Education (3)Degree (2)Help with job (2) Personal development (2)Social experience (1)

What are you looking for in the future…

Instrumentalism (14)

Progression and promotion (12)

Financial security (12)Work – life balance (12)Training (8)Success and achievement (6)Team work, social

opportunities (6)Enjoyment (7)

Hesitation (10)

Promotion/progression (8)People/social/team work (6)Variety (4)Enjoyment (4)Job satisfaction (3)

Learning (3)

Promotion/progression (2)

People/social/team work (2)

Rewarding and interesting (2)

Work-life balance (1)Success and achievement

(1)Use skills (1)Variety (1)Introspection (3)

To make a difference (2)Enjoyable and challenging

(1)Financial security (1)Variety (1)

Orientation to market (ends)

Non-market orientation

Active Passive (means)

Ritualist next largest

group

Careerist largest

group almost half

Rebel none

Retreatist

2 students

‘play the game’ aware of the need to conform to the rules of the market‘working their way up’ ‘do all you can’take an instrumental approach to developing their graduate profilesCareer as a life project, vehicle for self development & personal fulfilmentCareer progression – gaining on the ground experience, Use their knowledge of the LM to negotiate the demands of the LMTraditional middle class backgrounds, parents managerial & professional, Female students entering male dominated professions –accountancy, engineering

Ambitions expectations

Work as a ritual process, Work is a means to an end, ‘something you have to do’. Place greater value on lifestyle and life projects operating outside the LM. They lower the stakes and ‘scale down’ aspirations, could be seen as managing the risk, progress more easily with more limited material rewards. Less ambitious expectations - ‘do all you need’ ‘settle for’ public sector work, Female students shy away from male dominated professions, go for lower demand, lower entry markets with anticipated smoother, more stable paths. Do take an instrumental approach to study and developing credentials.

Abandoning labour market goals and employabilityGenuine feelings of anxiety and disaffection, developing a career is ‘daunting’ They want to extend their youth and continue to enjoy their loosely regulated lifestyles.Indifferent to the LM. Aware of the limitations of their hard credentials. LM was seen as corrupt and greedy, although rebellion was passive.

Responses highlight the difficulties underlying some students transitions into LM and their sense of limited scope for action.

Would expect that they would abandon LM goals

Reference: Tomlinson, Michael (2007) Graduate employability and student

attitudes and orientations to the labour market, Journal of Education and Work,

20(4) pp285-304

What are the implications of these findings for universities generally?

What are the implications of these findings for career services specifically ?

Over to you…….

Any other comments?

Conclusions Phase 1

‘One size does not fit all…’

Career management skills makes assumptions about student

priorities

Look for alternative methods of delivery

Careers service targeting students who are engaged in a

career planning process

Employability is a contentious concept

Can employability be learnt?

Can employability be taught?

Work and career: too far in the future for

some students

Managing transition

Universities need to know more about: how well students cope with change

how prepared they are to cope with uncertainty and instability

Research Phase 2 - 2008-2009

Anticipating life after university – thoughts about the future

…but I’m looking forward to just going out and actually living my life. This whole thing has seemed like a necessary step but one where I’ve kind of been stagnating slightly so I suppose I’m quite looking forward to getting a job in a sector where I can work and do better… Doris

It’s good, it’s like, I wouldn’t say it’s scary but it’s exciting, I could be doing anything next year… but it’s more like the freedom I suppose, it’s just that I can literally do anything now… Eric

I’d say the financial independence does but only in a sense that it give you choices…I like the idea of having a structured sort of thing …I don’t really like the idea of just sort of floating around…it’s just not really constructive…Johnny

I do get nervous obviously when I start a new job and - Will the people be friendly? Will I be able to work for them? And will my boss be okay? And yeah -just – I think I’m just scared because I’m obviously leaving Uni and I’m going back home and its going to be all different…Alice

Food for thought based on initial interpretation (phase 2)

-Pre-university career ideas fairly stereotypical, influenced by family background, education

-Current career ideas for most of the 2008 cohort are different from their original career ideas

-Confusion over what it means to be a graduate and have a graduate job

-Those unsuccessful in the ‘graduate’ labour market are quite cynical and view their academic experiences less favourably than they did the previous year.