2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Preparing Engineering Students to Find the Best Job Fit: Starting Early with the Career Development Process
Presented at Chemical Engineering Division (ChED) Technical Session 10: Teaming and Professional Skills
In spite of the vast amount of literature that focuses on the need for significantly more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates, the importance of a student finding a good career fit, and what makes a student employable, little research exists on undergraduate engineering students’ understanding of the process of how to find, qualify for, and secure a preferred first position after graduation (FPAG). Likewise, it is important for research to consider nuanced distinctions within STEM fields to assist research to practice transitions. Competition in securing jobs upon graduation is expected to continue, including for engineering positions. In fact, even in a market of high demand for STEM graduates, employers need candidates that display the skills, interests, and readiness to be successful employees.
A gap remains in understanding how prepared students feel and how they improve their preparedness to obtain their preferred FPAG, in particular within a specific discipline under the STEM domain. To explore this gap, we sought to answer these research questions: 1) What are students’ self-rated perceptions of preparedness for their preferred FPAG and how do they compare to externally applied ratings? 2) What are common characteristics of preparedness levels? To answer our research questions, we qualitatively analyzed semi-structured interviews with undergraduate chemical engineering students at two different universities. We situated our study in the Professional Pathways Model (PPM), which uses Sampson et al.’s Cognitive Information Processing Theory as a lens for Eccles et al.’s Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) of student achievement motivation. The PPM provides a comprehensive view of the knowledge, values, and ability beliefs that students bring to bear in making career decisions. Specifically, the PPM provides a way to examine how career knowledge and self-knowledge develop and contribute to student preparedness for motivated career choices.
We interviewed chemical engineering students from two universities to better understand their perceived and objective preparedness to acquire their FPAG. We found that students’ self-assessment of preparedness is often overestimated and a few key characteristics separate levels of preparedness. Our research has important implications for all career decision-maker socializers. Our findings reveal that students may not be accurate with their self-assessment of preparedness for the job acquisition process. In fact, they overrated preparedness in several cases. Our research suggests that it is likely that students are overestimating their abilities because they lack an accurate understanding of what the career development process entails. Through our paper we offer pragmatic suggestions for faculty and career counselors on how to support students with this career development process. These findings are also relevant to career development professionals as they advise entry level professionals on career advancement strategies.
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Dr. Holly M. Matusovich Virginia Tech [biography]
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Dr. Sreyoshi Bhaduri ThatStatsGirl [biography]
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