JOB MATCHING IN RECENT GRADUATES: HOW TO ACHIEVE QUALITY EMPLOYMENT

Job match is an important concept related to the quality of the employment: It implies education-employment fit and taking profit of those skills acquired during higher education studies.In a previous article we studied the difference in the level of generic competencies in the work-place between two groups of graduates, those who develop jobs adjusted to their level of education (job-matched) and those who does not, besides studying the relationship of this match to other variables prior to job placement. As a further step in exploring the relationship between job match of higher education to the workplace, this study aims to explore the relationship between such job match and school-to-work transition, and also the characteristics of first job and current employment.
The study was conducted on a sample of 552 graduates from Universitat Jaume I of Castelló who finished their degrees in 2001, 2002 and 2003 (3, 4 and 5 years in the job market) and that at the time of the study worked. 59.7% are women (average age 29 years).
We studied differences between job-matched group and not job-matched group in key variables related to employability (such as job search techniques, self-efficacy, time to find their first job and time to find current job) and variables that characterize the first job and current job (percentage of full-time work, self-employed, level of responsibility at the workplace, labour mobility…)
The results show significant differences in the way job-matched and not job-matched graduates face the job search process and their first job. They also show that job-matched graduates enjoy higher quality jobs: they earn more money, are more satisfied with their jobs and they develop their functions in different specific departments. Also we find personal implications, as the higher percentage of job-matched youngsters who live economically independently from their parents.