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Enhancing the Value of Professional Experience in Undergraduate Education: Implications for Academic and Career Counseling
Author(s) -
Gault Jack,
Leach Evan,
Duey Marc,
Benzing Ted
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of employment counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.252
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 2161-1920
pISSN - 0022-0787
DOI - 10.1002/joec.12094
Subject(s) - employability , graduation (instrument) , psychology , value (mathematics) , career counseling , preference , career development , medical education , perception , competition (biology) , entry level , higher education , quality (philosophy) , pedagogy , political science , medicine , ecology , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , epistemology , machine learning , neuroscience , computer science , law , economics , biology , microeconomics
Rising costs and competition for entry‐level employment increasingly call into question the value of a university degree. Now more than ever, career counselors must identify key factors that enhance employability for graduating seniors. Existing research shows professional experience is vital to securing quality postgraduate employment but offers little insight into ways perceived value varies by experience characteristics. This study surveyed value perceptions of more than 600 U.S. hiring managers. Results revealed a significant preference for hiring undergraduates with off‐campus professional experience relevant to their full‐time position at graduation. An experience of 3 to 5 months duration was considered valuable.