Graduate career development: Two empirically-derived models of the career decision-making processes of students and graduates in the UK

In this article I report on a strand of research, based on interviews with 22 university career practitioners and 30 graduates, that explores the career development of UK students. The research addresses a gap in the literature which has overlooked the decision-making processes of this group and supplements the evidence-base for career practitioners. Findings indicate that students exhibit emotional, cognitive and behavioural career development difficulties, and that graduates consider career options one at a time, engage in self-exploration in the context of a specific option, and use the application process to help them decide on a career direction.