With the growing number of PhD graduates worldwide and the decline in tenure-track positions, more PhD students are considering non-academic careers. However, influenced by cruel optimism, many remain emotionally attached to academia, making it difficult for them to explore alternative career paths. This study employs an interpretative…

Purpose: In Japan, high school students who seek employment can apply to only one company at a time at the school's recommendation, and cannot decline a job offer. This shortens the time available for helping students' career selection process, resulting in problems related to effective support and students' consent. Nonetheless, the actual…

Employability has become a key concept that has attracted the attention of scholars and industries in many countries. At the same time, this concept is highly fluid and vague because its nature is not evidenced by real employment and differences in the nature of labour markets from country to country. Thus, it would be more worthwhile to discuss…

We clarify how individuals actively interact with socio-cultural contexts to attain regular employment in Japan. Based on a large sample (N = 3,512) of part-time employed and unemployed college graduates (23-39 years old), we found that: Career decision making self-efficacy predicted job search; a lack of both hope and fulfillment motivated job…

Purpose: The present research aims to explore students' perceptions of the needs of employers in terms of the personal qualities of higher education graduates. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were delivered to students at four universities in the Chugoku area of Japan. The students were asked to indicate how important they thought each…

Reports on a study of the impact of formalized school-based job-referral procedures among 94 students in vocationally oriented Japanese high schools. Finds that the process achieves a meritocratic allocation of jobs and a smooth entry into the workforce for most students. (CFR)

This study examines school-to-work transition services, encompassing educational and occupational information and guidance, as well as job placement, induction, and follow-up. Section 1 provides an introduction to the study and the study's historical background. Section 2 concerns the organizational goals and forms of transition services. It uses…

This paper presents guidelines and suggestions for non-Japanese English-as-a-Second-Language teachers seeking employment in Japan. The first section outlines the educational qualifications needed to teach in language schools, secondary schools, and higher education institutions, and notes common employment patterns and the timing required to make…

This document presents the proceedings of the Wilderness Education Association's 2005 National Conference on Outdoor Leadership. Following a brief history of the Wilderness Education Association (WEA), 21 conference papers are presented. Topics of the conference papers include: wilderness education curriculum, programs, history, environmental…

This collection of columns on teaching English as a Second Language in Japan appeared on the English education page of a Japanese English-language newspaper over a period of almost 4 years. Article topics include these: principles of second language learning; differences between language skills; standards of usage; avoiding stereotypes; school…