Career management in a technical university as an essential factor influencing its competitiveness

Abstract

Career management is often regarded as a peripheral activity in a university compared to education and research, which are traditionally considered to be central activities of a higher education institution. As a result, career guidance services are not properly coordinated with other services provided by a university. However, contemporary higher education trends (a bigger focus on research and innovation, growing popularity of lifelong learning, intensified university – business collaboration, increased contribution to the society and social responsibility, etc.) make education managers create competitive strategies aimed at generating sustainable competitive advantage. It is also determined by the fact that nowadays, students expect to have a more rewarding return on their investment in higher education in terms of both academic quality and employability, as the transition from higher education to the international labor market may sometimes become a problem. The aim of the paper is to discuss some basic issues related to career management in a contemporary technical university in the context of achieving competitive advantage in the international education market. The research question can be formulated like this: “Should career management be viewed as a special focus area of the comprehensive organizational strategy, career guidance and counselling being an essential factor that influences competitiveness of a modern university”? The paper is based on the analysis of (1) theoretical literature on strategic management; (2) official EU and OECD documents on the main issues of higher education in the agenda of students’ professional career management; (3) career management activities performed in some leading technical universities in different parts of the globe.