Insights from Asia-Pacific Graduates on UK Education and Career Development
This study explored the experiences of Thai graduates who pursued higher education in the UK, examining how they perceive its impact on their career development. While the research focused on Thai graduates, the findings offer broader insights relevant to many international students from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Career Expectations vs Reality
A major theme that emerged was the gap between graduates’ career expectations and the realities they encountered upon returning home. While most acknowledged that their UK education and qualifications had a positive impact on their career development, several faced challenges on re-entering their domestic job market.
Underemployment was a common issue. Graduates often struggled to secure roles that matched their qualifications due to factors such as limited opportunities in certain industries, university prestige bias, a lack of work experience, and an oversaturation of popular degree fields. Similar patterns have been reported across the APAC region, where returning graduates frequently face structural barriers when reintegrating into their local labour markets.
Recommendations:
Greater investment in early-stage career guidance.
More awareness of labour market requirements and emerging sectors.
Encouragement to gain work experience through internships and voluntary roles.
Coaching on CV writing and communicating the value of international education in job interviews.
The Value of Practical Learning
Participants praised the UK’s emphasis on experiential learning, critical thinking, independent study, and problem-solving—skills that are increasingly valued in a competitive global job market. Social Cognitive Career Theory (Brown & Lent, 2004) supports this, noting that exposure to diverse learning experiences strengthens self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and career goal setting.
However, some graduates found it difficult to apply these skills in their home countries, where hierarchical structures and traditional workplace norms can limit the implementation of new approaches. Graduates returning with expectations of securing senior positions may also hesitate to accept entry-level roles, despite the importance of gaining hands-on experience.
Additionally, many participants had limited work experience during their studies in the UK. This was often due to a lack of employer awareness about the value of hiring international students (AGCAS, 2024a), the short duration of postgraduate programmes, and a preference among students to focus on travel or social activities.
Recommendations:
Integrate more student-centred, experiential approaches into APAC education systems.
Inform students about employer expectations in their home countries to encourage part-time work and use of post-study work visas.
Offer leadership training to help graduates implement new ideas effectively.
Cultural Barriers to Career Integration
Most participants reintegrated without major issues, benefiting from the prestige of a UK degree, enhanced English skills, and expanded networks. This aligns with Planned Happenstance Theory (Krumboltz & Levin, 2004), which highlights the importance of networking, risk-taking, and openness to unexpected opportunities.
However, some graduates—particularly in fast-changing sectors such as marketing—felt that time abroad had left them out of sync with local industry developments. In some cases, rapid technological change, especially in fields like AI, meant that elements of their degree felt less relevant on return.
Recommendations:
Promote "Growth Mindset" (Dweck, 2017) and the importance of lifelong learning.
Support greater awareness of labour market trends, including growing demand for skills in AI, automation, and emerging industries.
The Role of University Career Services
A recurring challenge was the limited access to career support tailored specifically to international students. Many participants were unaware of university career services altogether, and those who did access them found the advice too general, lacking relevance to their home job market.
This issue is not unique to Thai students. Limited awareness and uptake of career education have been observed across several APAC countries (OECD, 2021). UK universities could improve by promoting their services more clearly and offering more targeted support for international learners. These findings align with recommendations from HEPI (Hillman & Cowan, 2021) and UUKi (2020), and suggest that expanding pre-sessional career support could help increase engagement.
Recommendations:
Encourage participation in alumni mentoring schemes, particularly with graduates who have returned home successfully.
Improve promotion of university career services and tailor support for international students.
Enhance pre-sessional programmes to raise awareness of career planning and the services available.
Summary of Findings
This study highlighted key themes around the lived experiences of international graduates returning to their home countries. Participants valued their UK education—particularly its focus on experiential learning and transferable skills—but still faced barriers such as mismatched expectations, workplace integration issues, and limited access to tailored career support.
These findings reinforce the need for more comprehensive career and employability guidance before, during, and after study. Sessions on graduate visa options, gaining UK work experience, developing a "Growth Mindset", and making better use of university support services would help international students navigate the complexities of their home labour markets and better articulate the value of their overseas education.
By addressing these challenges, universities, policymakers, and employers can work together to improve outcomes for international graduates across the Asia-Pacific region.
Research Approach
This research was carried out as part of a Master’s dissertation at the University of the West of England (UWE), conducted under the university’s ethical approval guidelines. It was underpinned by a critical realist research philosophy, which acknowledges that individuals interpret their experiences in varied ways, but that these are influenced by deeper structural and cultural forces. This perspective supported a nuanced exploration of both personal narratives and the broader systems shaping career outcomes.
The study was guided by the following research questions:
How do Thai graduates describe the impact of their UK education on their career development, and what broader factors shape these perceptions?
What cultural and structural factors contribute to the career opportunities and challenges faced by Thai graduates?
How do Thai graduates negotiate and integrate their UK education into their professional identities within the Thai labour market?