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Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices
o Hospi ali y Managemen G adua es
By:
DR. LEO ROSWALD M. TUGONON,
Ass . P o . 1, Business Adminis a ion Depa men , College o A s and Sciences,
Palompon Ins i u e o Technology,
NIKKI SHANE M. TUGONON, MM,
Facul y, Hospi ali y Managemen Depa men ,
College o A s and Sciences, Palompon Ins i u e o Technology,
Abs ac
This phenomenological s udy explo ed he job-seeking expe iences o Hospi ali y Managemen g adua es om
he Palompon Ins i u e o Technology (PIT), Eas e n Visayas, Philippines. Using B aun and Cla ke‘s (2006)
hema ic analysis, da a om 11 g adua es we e analyzed, yielding ou key hemes: (1) Mixed Emo ions in he
T ansi ion Pe iod, (2) Taking Ac ion Amids Unce ain y, (3) Expec a ions Sha e ed by Reali y, and (4) PIT as
a Sou ce o P epa a ion and Iden i y. Findings e ealed ha g adua es na iga ed he pos -g adua ion s age wi h a
blend o p ide and anxie y, shaped by he p essu es o employmen unce ain y. While p agma ic s a egies such
as p ocessing documen s, in e im wo k, and skills aining suppo ed adap a ion, pa icipan s encoun e ed
sys emic ba ie s including employe p e e ence o expe ienced hi es, s i compe i ion, and inancial bu dens
in job applica ions. Impo an ly, PIT‘s academic p epa a ion, OJT p og ams, and TESDA ce i ica ions we e
pe cei ed as c ucial in de eloping applied skills, p o essional iden i y, and con idence. G adua es also
highligh ed he impo ance o so skills, discipline, and adap abili y in sus aining employabili y. The s udy
concludes ha employabili y ou comes a e in luenced no only by echnical expe ise bu also by ans e able
skills and ins i u ional suppo . Recommenda ions a e di ec ed owa d enhancing cu iculum indus y linkages,
add essing he ―expe ience pa adox,‖ and expanding policy in e en ions o ease g adua e ansi ions.
Keywo ds:
Job-seeking expe iences, employabili y, mixed emo ions, OJT, cu iculum.
How o ci e: M. TUGONON, L. R., & M. TUGONON, N. S. (2025). Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking
Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y Managemen G adua es. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional
Resea ch, 8(9), 01-18. h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17294787
ARTICLE ID: #02107
10.5281/ZENODO.17293339
E- 3050-9599
P- 2795-3264
Page 01 o 18
VOL. 08 ISSUE 09 SEPT. 2025
M. TUGONON, L. R., & M. TUGONON, N. S. (2025). Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y
Managemen G adua es. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch, 8(9), 01-18.
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17294787
© 2025 GPH | In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch | h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/e
Impac s o he S udy
- Fo Highe Educa ion Ins i u ions (HEIs): P o ides e idence-based eedback o imp o e
cu iculum design, in e nship p og ams, and ca ee suppo se ices aligned wi h indus y
needs.
- Fo he Hospi ali y Indus y: Highligh s he alue o o e ing en y-le el aining,
men o ing, and compe ency-based ec ui men o s eng hen wo k o ce quali y and educe
u no e .
- Fo Policy Make s: In o ms wo k o ce planning and he de elopmen o employabili y
amewo ks and egional p og ams o educe unde employmen and labo mig a ion.
- Fo S uden s and G adua es: O e s p ac ical insigh s on adap abili y, esilience, and
ans e able skills o be e na iga e he ansi ion om school o wo k.
- Fo Socie y a La ge: Con ibu es o economic g ow h, s onge academic–indus y
linkages, and mo e inclusi e wo k o ce de elopmen in Eas e n Visayas and beyond.
INTRODUCTION
The s udy o employabili y in mode n socie ies is o cen al impo ance because i
a ec s no only indi iduals bu also educa ional ins i u ions, employe s, and na ional
economies. Fo indi iduals, employabili y enhances compe i i eness, suppo s ca ee
de elopmen , and enables access o jobs aligned wi h pe sonal goals. F om an educa ional
pe spec i e, employabili y s udies in o m cu iculum design and pedagogy, ensu ing
g adua es acqui e he skills demanded by he labo ma ke . Employe s iew employabili y as
c ucial o ec ui men and wo k o ce de elopmen , while a he socie al le el, employabili y
s eng hens economic g ow h and social s abili y by aligning human capi al wi h indus y
needs (Valdez e al., 2024).
In he Philippine con ex , he ansi ion om e ia y educa ion o employmen
emains a challenge, pa icula ly in he hospi ali y and ou ism sec o , which con ibu es
signi ican ly o he na ional economy. Recen labo epo s emphasize he impo ance o so
skills, adap abili y, and p ac ical eadiness in g adua e hi ing, ye many employe s con inue
o no e gaps in hese a eas (Philippine Ins i u e o De elopmen S udies [PIDS], 2024). The
Philippine S a is ics Au ho i y (2020) u he highligh s pe sis en unde employmen , wi h a
la ge sha e o g adua es aking oles ou side hei ields o s udy, e lec ing a misma ch
be ween educa ional p epa a ion and labo ma ke expec a ions.
Na ional and in e na ional o ganiza ions ha e unde sco ed hese s uc u al conce ns.
The Wo ld Bank (2022) epo ed ha while he Philippines has a ela i ely young and
expanding wo k o ce, many g adua es s uggle o secu e decen wo k due o limi ed p ac ical
exposu e and weak indus y linkages in highe educa ion. Simila ly, UNESCO (2021)
iden i ied educa ion–employmen misma ches as one o he main d i e s o labo mig a ion,
wi h hospi ali y and se ice-o ien ed g adua es o en seeking employmen ab oad.
Al hough se e al ace s udies ac oss Philippine s a e uni e si ies and colleges
p o ide quan i a i e da a on g adua e employmen a es, sala y le els, and indus y ele ance,
hey a ely cap u e he subjec i e eali ies o g adua es‘ job-seeking expe iences. Roxas and
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Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y Managemen G adua es
Volume 08 Issue 09 Sep embe 2025
Mina (2019), o ins ance, demons a ed h ough phenomenological esea ch ha explo ing
he li ed expe iences o business g adua es in Dumague e e ealed deepe insigh s in o
employabili y pe cep ions han ace su eys alone. Howe e , no s udy o da e has ocused
on he li ed job-seeking expe iences o hospi ali y managemen g adua es in Eas e n Visayas,
lea ing a gap in unde s anding how academic p epa a ion, indus y expec a ions, and local
labo ma ke condi ions in e ac in shaping employabili y ou comes.
This s udy add esses ha gap by examining he li ed expe iences o Hospi ali y Managemen
g adua es om Palompon Ins i u e o Technology (PIT). By employing a phenomenological
lens, i cap u es he emo ions, s a egies, and challenges o g adua es as hey ansi ion in o
he wo k o ce. The indings aim o in o m cu iculum e o m, s eng hen academic–indus y
linkages, and p o ide p ac ical guidance o s uden s, employe s, and policymake s.
This s udy is ancho ed on wo complemen a y amewo ks: School- o-Wo k
T ansi ion (STWT) Theo y and Ca ee Cons uc ion Theo y (CCT).
The STWT Theo y highligh s he p ocesses and challenges shaping how s uden s
mo e om educa ion in o he labo ma ke . Bynne and Pa sons (2002) showed how
socioeconomic backg ound, educa ion sys ems, and labo ma ke s in luence ansi ions. In
he Philippine con ex , Pineda and Velasco (2022) ound ha weak ca ee guidance and
limi ed indus y linkages delay employmen , while Ca doso and da Sil a (2021) s essed ha
skill misma ches p olong job sea ching and inc ease p eca ious wo k. This makes STWT
highly ele an o hospi ali y g adua es in Eas e n Visayas, whe e indus y oppo uni ies a e
s ill limi ed.
Complemen ing his, CCT (Sa ickas, 2013) unde sco es how indi iduals ac i ely
cons uc hei ca ee s h ough adap abili y and na a i e-building. Recen s udies a i m i s
impo ance: Koen e al. (2022) ound ha ca ee adap abili y p edic s job-seeking success,
while Caballe o e al. (2021) showed ha ha na a i e iden i y and p oac i e planning help
g adua es na iga e unce ain labo ma ke s.
By combining STWT and CCT, he s udy si ua es employabili y as bo h a s uc u al
p ocess (in luenced by educa ion and labo ma ke s) and a pe sonal jou ney (shaped by
adap abili y and li ed expe iences). This dual lens p o ides a deepe unde s anding o he
challenges and s a egies employed by hospi ali y managemen g adua es, ensu ing ha bo h
ins i u ional and indi idual pe spec i es a e cap u ed.
Guided by his amewo k, he s udy seeks o explo e he job-seeking expe iences o
hospi ali y managemen g adua es, ocusing on ou domains o inqui y:
To de e mine he li ed expe iences o Hospi ali y Managemen g adua es du ing hei
ansi ion om academic li e o he hospi ali y job ma ke .
To iden i y he speci ic challenges encoun e ed by g adua es in seeking employmen
in he hospi ali y sec o .
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M. TUGONON, L. R., & M. TUGONON, N. S. (2025). Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y
Managemen G adua es. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch, 8(9), 01-18.
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17294787
© 2025 GPH | In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch | h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/e
To examine how he academic p epa a ion and in e nship expe iences a PIT
in luenced hei job-seeking jou ney.
To o mula e ecommenda ions o highe educa ion ins i u ions, hospi ali y
employe s, and u u e g adua es o enhance employabili y and ease he school- o-wo k
ansi ion.
METHODOLOGY
This s udy adop s a quali a i e phenomenological esea ch design o examine he
li ed expe iences o Bachelo o Science in Hospi ali y Managemen (BSHM) g adua es om
Palompon Ins i u e o Technology (PIT) as hey na iga e he ansi ion om academic li e o
he hospi ali y labo ma ke . Phenomenology is well-sui ed o his inqui y as i aims o
unco e he essence o pa icipan s‘ expe iences by explo ing how hey pe cei e, in e p e ,
and assign meaning o hei job-seeking jou neys. This app oach is consis en wi h
Mous akas‘ (1994) emphasis on cap u ing indi idual eali ies o e eal uni e sal hemes
inhe en o a phenomenon.
The a ge pa icipan s we e PIT BSHM g adua es om he las h ee academic yea s
who ha e ac i ely engaged in seeking employmen in he hospi ali y sec o a e g adua ion.
Pu posi e sampling was used o iden i y indi iduals who mee he ollowing inclusion
c i e ia:
1. Comple ion o a BSHM deg ee om PIT,
2. Engagemen in job-seeking ac i i ies wi hin he hospi ali y indus y, and
3. Willingness and abili y o a icula e hei expe iences in de ail.
Alumni da abases, p o essional ne wo ks, and pee e e als will se e as ini ial
ec ui men channels. Sampling will con inue un il da a sa u a ion is eached, de ined
as he poin a which no new hemes eme ge om he da a (Gues , Bunce, & Johnson,
2006).
Gi en he geog aphical dispe sion o alumni, his s udy employed a Google Fo ms-
based open-ended ques ionnai e o elici ich quali a i e na a i es. This me hod was selec ed
o ensu e accessibili y, b oaden pa icipa ion, and accommoda e g adua es who may be
wo king in di e en egions o ab oad. To encou age dep h and e lec ion, each guiding
ques ion equi ed a minimum 200-wo d na a i e esponse, p omp ing pa icipan s o p o ide
de ailed accoun s o hei job-seeking expe iences.
The ins umen is ca e ully de eloped based on an Alignmen Ma ix ha linked he
esea ch objec i es, domains o inqui y, and guiding ques ions. This ensu ed cohe ence
be ween he concep ual amewo k and he da a-ga he ing ool. The ques ionnai e con ained
open-ended, semi-s uc u ed p omp s aligned wi h he ou esea ch objec i es:
Li ed expe iences du ing he ansi ion om academic li e o employmen ,
Challenges encoun e ed in secu ing a job,
In luence o academic p epa a ion and in e nship expe iences, and
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Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y Managemen G adua es
Volume 08 Issue 09 Sep embe 2025
Recommenda ions o enhancing g adua e employabili y.
The inal e sion is dissemina ed h ough email and o icial alumni communica ion
pla o ms, wi h explici ins uc ions ega ding olun a y pa icipa ion, con iden iali y, and he
es ima ed ime equi ed (20–30 minu es). Pa icipan s a e encou aged o e lec deeply be o e
submission, ensu ing iche na a i e accoun s.
Upon e ie al, esponses we e au oma ically compiled h ough he Google Fo ms
pla o m, expo ed in o sp eadshee o ma , and sys ema ically o ganized acco ding o he
s udy‘s objec i es. To enhance c edibili y and us wo hiness, he esea che conduc ed a
comple eness check o esponses, engaged in selec i e ollow-up cla i ica ion wi h
pa icipan s ia email, and main ained an audi ail documen ing all s ages o da a collec ion
and handling. This combina ion o me hodological igo and digi al da a managemen ensu e
bo h accessibili y and obus ness o he collec ed na a i es, p o iding a solid ounda ion o
phenomenological coding and analysis.
Thema ic analysis (B aun & Cla ke, 2006) was conduc ed wi h guidance om Ca ee
Cons uc ion Theo y (Sa ickas, 2013), which emphasizes ca ee adap abili y and meaning-
making, and School- o-Wo k T ansi ion Theo y (Bynne & Pa sons, 2002), which si ua es
indi idual expe iences wi hin s uc u al labo ma ke con ex s. This dual amewo k cap u ed
bo h he pe sonal na a i es o g adua es and he ins i u ional and labo ma ke s uc u es
shaping hei ansi ion.
Da a analysis ollowed B aun and Cla ke‘s (2006) six-phase hema ic analysis
amewo k:
1. Familia iza ion – imme sion in ansc ip s h ough epea ed eading;
2. Gene a ing ini ial codes – sys ema ically coding signi ican da a segmen s;
3. Sea ching o hemes – g ouping ela ed codes in o p elimina y hemes;
4. Re iewing hemes – checking cohe ence agains coded ex ac s and he en i e da ase ;
5. De ining and naming hemes – e ining hema ic bounda ies and meanings; and
6. P oducing he epo – in eg a ing indings wi h ele an li e a u e.
The p oces was guided by a phenomenological lens, wi h emphasis on
ho izon aliza ion— ea ing all s a emen s as ha ing equal alue be o e clus e ing hem
in o meaning uni s and composi e desc ip ions.
To ensu e me hodological igo , he s udy adoped Lincoln and Guba‘s (1985) c i e ia
o us wo hiness: c edibili y ( h ough p olonged engagemen , membe checking, and pee
deb ie ing), ans e abili y ( ia hick desc ip ion o pa icipan s and con ex ), dependabili y
( h ough an audi ail o esea ch decisions), and con i mabili y ( ia e lexi e jou naling o
educe bias).
E hical s anda ds is s ic ly obse ed in line wi h Palompon Ins i u e o Technology and
in e na ional guidelines. In o med consen will be ob ained om all pa icipan s, emphasizing
olun a y pa icipa ion and he igh o wi hd aw. Anonymi y and da a con iden iali y was
assu ed, wi h in o ma ion used solely o academic pu poses.
Page No. 05
M. TUGONON, L. R., & M. TUGONON, N. S. (2025). Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y
Managemen G adua es. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch, 8(9), 01-18.
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17294787
© 2025 GPH | In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch | h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/e
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1. Thema ic Summa y o G adua es‘ Pos -G adua ion T ansi ion Expe iences.
The da a ga he ed om 11 g adua es (p1–p11) we e analyzed using B aun and
Cla ke‘s (2006) six-phase hema ic analysis amewo k. Coding and clus e ing yielded ou
o e a ching hemes ha cap u e he li ed ansi ion om academic comple ion o job-
seeking en u es.
Theme 1: Mixed Emo ions in he T ansi ion Pe iod
The i s ew mon hs a e g adua ion we e o en desc ibed as an emo ional
c oss oads. While pa icipan s celeb a ed p ide, joy, and elie a comple ing hei deg ees,
hey also a icula ed p essu e, ea , and unce ain y abou wha lay ahead. Missing he
amilia ou ines o school li e (p1, p3, p5) u he compounded hese eelings. This sugges s
ha he ansi ion o p o essional li e is no linea bu ma ked by emo ional u bulence,
consis en wi h Schlossbe g‘s T ansi ion Theo y, which unde sco es he psychological
adjus men o change. G adua es e ealed a blend o p ide, elie , and linge ing anxie y o
con usion pos -g adua ion. This emo ional complexi y aligns wi h Magie ‘s (2025)
quali a i e s udy, which unco e ed dis ess, sel -doub , and p essu e among newly g adua ed
Theme
Key Codes /
Sub hemes
Illus a i e Quo e
Pa icipan s
(IDs)
Mixed Emo ions in
he T ansi ion Pe iod
Joy & p ide;
p essu e;
con usion/unce ai
n y; missing
school; hope; ea
―The i s mon hs… we e a mix o joy
and p essu e… a e he celeb a ion, I
el he weigh o ‗wha ‘s nex ?‘‖ (p1)
p1, p2, p3, p5,
p6, p9, p10
Taking Ac ion
Amids Unce ain y
P ocessing pape s;
es & eco e y;
in e im wo k; OJT;
TESDA aining;
p agma ic job
shi s
―I immedia ely p ocessed my pape s o
employmen —impo an ca ds needed
when applying.‖ (p3)
p1, p3, p4, p5,
p7, p8, p11
Expec a ions
Sha e ed by Reali y
Expec ed easy/ as
hi ing; employe s
wan expe ience;
compe i ion;
ejec ions; slow
p ocess;
adminis a i e
bu dens
―Be o e I g adua ed, I expec ed inding
a job would be as and easy… in
eali y, i was ha de .‖ (p1)
p1, p2, p3, p4,
p6, p7, p8, p9,
p10, p11
PIT as a Sou ce o
P epa a ion and
Iden i y
Ins i u ional
belonging;
pe cei ed
p epa edness;
OJT/WIL; TESDA
c eden ials
―My 2nd home is PIT—i ‘s so
memo able abou eache s and iends.‖
(p8)
p7, p8,
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Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y Managemen G adua es
Volume 08 Issue 09 Sep embe 2025
s uden s na iga ing hei nex s eps.These emo ional luc ua ions unde sco e he impo ance
o psychological p epa edness du ing he academic- o-ca ee ansi ion. As one pa icipan
exp essed, ―The i s mon hs… we e a mix o joy and p essu e… I el he weigh o ‗wha ‘s
nex ?‘‖ (p1). Ano he echoed his sen imen , s a ing, ―I eel p essu e because I didn‘ know
how and whe e o s a ‖ (p10).
Theme 2: Taking Ac ion Amids Unce ain y
Despi e emo ional ambigui y, g adua es na iga ed hei pos -g adua ion phase h ough
conc e e, p agma ic s a egies. Se e al p ocessed documen s and employmen equi emen s
(p3, p8), while o he s ook in e im jobs (p7 a Tubby Ca é) o en olled in aining p og ams
such as TESDA B ead and Pas y NC II (p7). Some op ed o a empo a y pause o es
be o e beginning job hun ing (p5). These delibe a e ac ions e lec how agency and coping
mechanisms help manage unce ain y in he ansi ion pe iod.
These p oac i e beha io s align wi h indings om Ho (2022), who demons a ed ha
ca ee de elopmen lea ning (CDL) signi ican ly enhances s uden s‘ pe cei ed employabili y
by empowe ing hem o na iga e he ansi ion om s udy o wo k. Simila ly, Dewan a a
(2025) highligh ed how s uc u ed ca ee esou ces—like ca ee de elopmen cou ses and
p ac ical lea ning modules—a e pi o al in helping g adua es secu e quali y employmen .
―A e g adua ing om PIT, I was able o ge a long aca ion and elax mysel . Then
a e , I plan job hun ing.‖ (p5)
―In my i s ew mon hs a e g adua ing, I con inued wo king a Tubby Ca é… I also
en olled in TESDA whe e I ook B ead and Pas y wi h NC II.‖ (p7)
Theme 3: Expec a ions Sha e ed by Reali y
Expec a ions o easy, as job placemen ollowing g adua ion we e dispelled by he
eali ies o compe i ion and expe ience demands. The mos dominan heme was he
disc epancy be ween expec a ions and eali y. Many an icipa ed ha a diploma would
gua an ee easy and immedia e employmen , bu eali y p o ed o he wise: compe i ion was
ie ce, employe s p io i ized applican s wi h expe ience, and bu eauc a ic hu dles ( a ic,
pape wo k, delays) slowed p og ess (p1, p2, p3, p8, p11).
This aligns wi h ecen indings om Jobs and Skills Aus alia (2025), which epo ed
ha many g adua es e en wi h echnical quali ica ions a e deemed no ―wo k- eady‖ due o
de iciencies in hands-on expe ience and employabili y skills like eamwo k and
communica ion. Simila pa e ns eme ge globally. ZipRec ui e su eys ound ha while 82%
o ecen g adua es expec ed o secu e employmen wi hin h ee mon hs, only 77% achie ed
his, indica ing a misma ch be ween expec a ions and eali y. Fu he ein o cing his, he
Financial Times epo ed he class o 2025 in he UK aces a pa icula ly ough ma ke wi h
only 27% secu ing jobs by Feb ua y, well down om p e ious yea s. G adua es‘ na a i es
mi o hese ends:
Page No. 07
M. TUGONON, L. R., & M. TUGONON, N. S. (2025). Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y
Managemen G adua es. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch, 8(9), 01-18.
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17294787
© 2025 GPH | In e na ional Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch | h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/e
―I expec ed inding a job would be as and easy… bu i was ha de .‖ (p1)
―I hough i ‘s easy o ind a job wi h a bachelo ‘s deg ee, bu I guess I‘m w ong.‖
(p6)
―Ho els we e inding applican s wi h expe ience… I applied o a es au an ins ead o
gain expe ience.‖ (p3)
―I‘m expec ing a smoo h applica ion… bu i ‘s e y ha d o ind a job wi hou aking
isks.‖ (p10)
This gap be ween academic c eden ials and ma ke eadiness mi o s b oade labo
ma ke challenges. Employe s o en alue wo k expe ience and so skills o e diplomas, as
ound in mul iple epo s. Despi e hese obs acles, g adua es demons a ed esilience. Thei
accoun s e eal ha ini ial disillusionmen can spu adap abili y and pe sis ence con inuing
applica ions, adjus ing expec a ions, and inding al e na i e pa hways o employmen .
Theme 4: PIT as a Sou ce o P epa a ion and Iden i y
G adua es oiced a s ong ins i u ional a achmen o PIT, desc ibing i as a ―second
home‖ (p8) and a i ming ha hei educa ion p epa ed hem o u u e challenges (p9).
Wo k-In eg a ed Lea ning (OJT) and TESDA ce i ica ions we e ci ed as c i ical b idges
om school o wo k (p7). This heme unde sco es he ole o highe educa ion ins i u ions no
only in skill de elopmen bu also in shaping g adua e iden i y, belongingness, and
employabili y con idence.
―My second home is PIT—i ‘s so memo able abou eache s and iends.‖ (p8)
―S ill, I emind mysel ha e e y hing I wen h ough in PIT p epa ed me o his
momen .‖ (p9)
This esona es wi h empi ical indings om he Aus alian Educa ional Resea che ,
which show ha a s ong sense o ins i u ional belonging co ela es posi i ely wi h s uden s‘
well-being and academic ou comes (Kessel, 2025). Simila ly, Rowe, Jackson and Fleming
(2021) ound ha wo k‐in eg a ed lea ning (WIL) os e s engagemen and belonging in
wo kplace en i onmen s enhancing con idence and social in eg a ion.
Quew-Jones‘s (2024) concep ual model o Deg ee App en iceship Iden i y (DAI)
u he ein o ces his, illus a ing how belonging, pee engagemen , and sha ed expe iences
wi hin wo k-in eg a ed lea ning se ings can ein o ce p o essional iden i y de elopmen .
Toge he , hese s udies subs an ia e how PIT‘s en i onmen h ough meaning ul
ela ionships, p ac ical aining, and ins i u ional cul u e unc ions as a i al ancho du ing he
pos -g adua ion ansi ion, s eng hening g adua es‘ iden i y, con idence, and eadiness o
employmen .
Taken oge he , he indings po ay pos -g adua ion as a liminal s age cha ac e ized
by emo ional u bulence, p oac i e coping, unme expec a ions, and endu ing ins i u ional
Page No. 08
Academic Comple ion o Job-Seeking Ven u es: Voices o Hospi ali y Managemen G adua es
Volume 08 Issue 09 Sep embe 2025
in luence. While g adua es hoped o quick employmen , mos encoun e ed he eali y o a
compe i i e labo ma ke demanding expe ience. In esponse, hey u ned o p agma ic
s a egies es , pape wo k p ocessing, upskilling, and in e im wo k demons a ing adap abili y
and esilience. Impo an ly, PIT emained a sou ce o s eng h, wi h g adua es aming i as
bo h a home o memo ies and a sp ingboa d o p o essional eadiness.
These insigh s ein o ce he alue o ca ee p epa a ion, alumni suppo , and wo k-
in eg a ed lea ning in smoo hing g adua e ansi ions. They also highligh he need o
ins i u ions o manage g adua e expec a ions by aligning ca ee guidance wi h he eali ies o
labo ma ke demands.
Table 2. Job-Seeking Challenges
Theme
Key codes / sub hemes
Illus a i e pa icipan
exce p
Pa icipan s (IDs)
A. Expe ience &
Employe Demand
Lack o expe ience;
p e e ence o
expe ienced hi es; need
o in e im oles
―One di icul y… was
he lack o expe ience.
Many ho els p e e ed
applican s who al eady
had aining.‖ (p1)
p1, p3, p4, p6, p7, p11
B. Ma ke Compe i ion
& Limi ed
Oppo uni ies
S ong compe i ion;
limi ed ma ching
acancies; sec o al
down u ns
―The main di icul y…
was he s ong
compe i ion, since
many applican s
al eady had
expe ience.‖ (p11)
p1, p2, p9, p11
C. P ac ical &
Financial Ba ie s
T a el/commu e;
pape wo k; a el cos s;
adminis a i e bu dens
―Some imes, he
loca ion o he job was
also a , which made i
ha d o accep e en i I
quali ied.‖ (p1)
p1, p3, p5, p8, p10
D. P o ec i e Fac o s &
Al e na i e Pa hways
OJT→con inui y;
amily e e als; sec o
pi o ( eal es a e)
―While doing my OJT,
I was al eady wo king
pa - ime… I con inued
wo king un il my pay
inc eased.‖ (p7)
p3, p7, p9
Theme 1: Expe ience and Employe Demand
One o he s onges and mos consis en challenges exp essed by g adua es was he
lack o p io wo k expe ience, which limi ed hei chances o secu ing posi ions in he
hospi ali y indus y. Responden s no ed ha many ho els and companies p e e ed applican s
who al eady had aining o employmen backg ound, e en o en y-le el oles. This o en
le esh g adua es a a disad an age, compelling some o ake in e im jobs, en oll in sho
oca ional cou ses (such as TESDA ce i ica ions), o accep wo k ou side hei ield o s udy
as a way o build c edibili y.
This e lec s a b oade s uc u al issue in g adua e employabili y: he ―expe ience
pa adox,‖ whe e employe s expec expe ience bu g adua es a e unable o acqui e i wi hou
being i s employed. Na ional-le el s udies con i m ha wo k-in eg a ed lea ning (WIL)
Page No. 09
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