Enhancing self-perceived employability via a curriculum intervention: a case of “The global marketing professional” module

Purpose

Drawing on human capital and sustainable career theory, this paper aims to explore university students' views regarding their self-perceived employability following participation in a mandatory module titled “The Global Marketing Professional”.

Design/methodology/approach

Overall, 80 students studying a full-time postgraduate master's degree in international marketing management at a northern Russell Group university participated in a two-wave study by completing a questionnaire during Weeks 1 and 9 of the module in the 2021/2022 academic year. Descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests and quantitative content analysis were subsequently applied to the data set.

Findings

Students' confidence in their self-perceived employability rose from 37.5% to 92.5%. This was supported by the paired samples t-tests’ findings of increases at the item and composite scale levels. The quantitative content analysis found benefits of the module to include increased confidence, interactive classes, skills development, knowledge of the recruitment process, CV development, proactive career ownership, interview guidance and networking. Suggestions for improvement included increasing the amount of lecture time provided, increased accessibility via subtitles and opportunities for real-world experience.

Originality/value

The contribution comes via the advancement of human capital and sustainable career theory by identifying empirically informed strategies for enhancing students' self-perceived employability within the university curriculum. Implications subsequently extend to universities, organisations and national economies.