The role of unplanned encounters and complexity of influences in foreign graduates’ first full-time job search in Singapore

Abstract

Singapore is host to an increasing number of foreign tertiary students, who also intend to work there upon graduating to serve a bond and/or for better career prospects. According to Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC), an individual’s career decision making and choices are not systematic, but are subject to change. Using twenty-six interviews with foreign graduates, this paper aimed to understand the role of unplanned events and complexity of influences accounted for in CTC in their first full-time job search in Singapore – an area that has hitherto lacked research attention. Findings indicated their job search decision-making and choices are not methodical, but are subject to change depending on how they perceive and respond to unplanned encounters and influences.