How Employers Evaluate the Employability of Recent Psychology Graduates: The Case of Chile

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess employers' perceptions of the job performance of recent Psychology graduates of Chilean universities. There have been few studies of the impact of universities with different admission policies on the value added by their study programs. Not much is known about how the work performance of Chilean psychologists varies according to the type of university in which they were trained. The qualitative research used semi-structured interviews of employers of graduates with less than three years of employment from three universities. Universities selected represent three levels of admission selectivity (low, medium, and high). University officials listed all employers of their graduates. A random sample of 10 employers was interviewed. The employers reported large differences in quality of performance, linked to the university in which the graduate had studied. Graduates of the high selectivity university received the highest ratings. The employers' perspectives suggest that the current education system privileges theoretical knowledge more than knowing how to be and how to do it, although these are the competencies required by current occupations and society in the 21st century. This finding has important implications: The Low Selectivity University (LSU) and Medium Selectivity University (MSU) can improve their graduates' skills and opportunities by an increased emphasis on generic competencies.