Written Report - Worksheet

Please complete the Written Report worksheet and include it in the Portfolio section of your
ePortfolio)

Topic: Discuss some of the things that you could do to enhance your employability when you
graduate from University.

For the graduate seeking entry-level positions into the workforce, there are a lot of competitors who
would be seeking the same position that they have applied for. This applies to not only graduates from
their own country, but international graduates also. The world is becoming increasingly globalised in all
facets of its operation. International students study in universities all over the world, and foreign workers
are every bit as common as domestic ones. The corporate world is no exception to this either. The
average organization has operations in over 24 countries (Spencer and Harris, 2015) and as such it is
important for a graduate to consider themselves a part of this world-wide business network. The
experience of, or willingness to undertake work in a foreign country is being recognised by Human
resource management and Expatriate assignments are increasingly seen by many multinational
organisations as keys to successful careers. (Jokinen, Brewster and Suutari, 2008). It would be
advantageous then, to ensure competitiveness in the graduate employment field, to not only be willing to
consider the possibility of becoming an expatriate worker, but actively volunteering oneself for the
experience. However, for a multitude of reasons, a graduate may not be open to the idea of moving
internationally. Many young employees list factors such as family influence, loneliness and the fear of
losing the relationships with a partner or friends as valid reasons to oppose this (Brett and Stroh, 1995.).
As such, other measures should be taken to ensure they stand out in the job-seeking market. One way to
do this would be to have accomplished relevant work experience in their chosen field. It is common
knowledge, and has often become a form of satirical joke, that employers of this age are seeking
graduates with experience, but their desire for experienced graduates is not unwarranted. Whilst the
disciplinary knowledge learned in undertaking a degree program will be fundamental to the concept of
the work being done, it is the softer skills such as self-efficacy, teamwork, punctuality, collaborative
learning and the handling of responsibility that have emerged as the most important factors learnt during
work experience. (Crebert et al, 2004). An additional benefit of work experience is the interaction with
others from the field, and an opportunity to begin networking. It is thought that networking is one of the
most productive actions one can take when searching for a job (Van Hoye, et al, 2009). To make the
most of this, a graduate should have already established a network of their peers to carry forward into
industry. Additionally, becoming a member of a professional organisation will expose the graduate to
further events with the opportunity to contact those who are established within the field. While there are
many ways a graduate can make themselves more employable, three of the most important ones have
been discussed. But their importance shouldnt be limited only to graduates as having strengths in these
key areas will aid all in the development of their careers.

Van Hoye, G., van Hooft, E. A. J., & Lievens, F. (2009). Networking as a job search behaviour: A
social network perspective. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 82, 661682.

Crebert, G., Bates, M., Bell, B., Patrick, C. J., & Cragnolini, V. (2004). Developing generic skills at
university, during work placement and in employment: graduates' perceptions. Higher Education
Research & Development, 23(2), 147-165.

Jokinen, T., Brewster, C., & Suutari, V. (2008). Career capital during international work
experiences: contrasting self-initiated expatriate experiences and assigned expatriation. The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(6), 979-998.

Spencer, Erin; Harris, Stacey. Workforce Solutions Review. Mar2015, Vol. 6 Issue 2, p8-11. 4p.

Brett, J. M., & Stroh, L. K. (1995). Willingness to relocate internationally. Human Resource
Management, 34(3), 405-424.

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