Will they Enjoy Equal Opportunities? University Students’ Perceptions on Employment Opportunities in the Globalized world

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore international university students’ perceptions on future global employment opportunities and expectations with regard to workplace diversity. The study employs a qualitative approach, and the data were collected from nine study groups with thirty-eight voluntary students from twenty-one different countries studying in a private international university in North Cyprus. The thematic analyses of the data revealed that students anticipate some degrees of inequality and discrimination when seeking employment, i.e., they believe networking is more important than qualifications. Moreover, the participants maintain that overseas job experiences will provide them with better employment opportunities in their respective countries. The main implication of this study for educators is that they should evaluate their current business degree curricula allowing for more interactive communication to build confidence in students’ ability to compete in the global workplace. The curricula should also aim at intercultural consciousness-raising through topics of equality and identity using English as a lingua franca with the objective of creating high levels of problem solving and critical thinking in students