TY - JOUR
AU - Tang, Melody
AB -  The concept of capital has been widely applied to understand international graduates’ employability. However, most of the existing literature draws on general definitions of employability capitals based on frameworks developed for domestic graduates. Consequently, there remains limited understanding of how different forms of capital manifest specifically in the context of international graduates. This study aims to contribute to this area by employing a capitals-based approach to explore insights into employability capitals – human, social, cultural, psychological, identity, and agentic – through the experiences of Chinese international graduates in the Australian labor market. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 14 participants, the study offers several key insights. First, human capital highlights the disconnect between qualifications and genuine expertise. Second, social capital emerges as a professional resource that extends beyond the notion of ‘guanxi’. Third, cultural capital is linked to cultural confidence and critical engagement. Fourth, psychological capital demonstrates that resilience and adaptability go beyond simple proactivity. Fifth, identity capital underscores the importance of authenticity as the foundation of a sustainable professional identity. Finally, agentic capital incorporates an ethical dimension that informs agentic practice. The study discusses the implications of these findings for higher education institutions, workplaces, and policymakers, while also acknowledging its limitations. 
TI - Gaining insights into employability capitals: experiences of Chinese international graduates in the Australian labor market
JF - Higher Education Research & Development
DO - 10.1080/07294360.2025.2515215
DA - 2025-06-12
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/taylor-francis/gaining-insights-into-employability-capitals-experiences-of-chinese-bEqR4xSid3
SP - 1
EP - 15
VL - OnlineFirst
IS - 
DP - DeepDyve
ER -