Career Integration of Chinese Students Returning Home from Overseas: Navigating the Reverse Transition After Studying Abroad

Universities worldwide have recognized the crucial importance of graduate employability, increasingly focusing on preparing students for both domestic and international job markets. However, there is a noticeable research gap in the area of international student employability, especially concerning those returning to their home countries for job opportunities post-graduation. This gap includes how well the employability skills developed during their studies align with the demands of their home countries' labor markets. This paper aims to bridge this gap by exploring the perspectives of Chinese returnees from UK universities, which constitute the largest international student group in UK higher education. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, gathering insights from alumni and current students via an online survey and follow-up interviews. The findings indicate that an overseas degree can significantly aid Chinese students in advancing from lower to top-tier cities amid China's graduate labor migration wave. This research underscores the vital role of personal attributes in international student employability and highlights a knowledge gap in our understanding of foreign job markets. It also points out a misalignment between recruitment seasons in China and the academic calendars of UK universities.