What Drives Graduate Employability? Insights from a Mixed-Methods Investigation of Employability Capitals

This study examined the contributions of the six forms of capital – human, social, cultural, psychological, identity, and agentic – in shaping the employability of Indonesian graduates. The study deployed a mixed-method approach incorporating a survey of 98 graduates and in-depth interviews with 10 selected participants. Bourdieusian theories and a capitals-based approach were utilised as complementary theoretical perspectives. The quantitative findings reported that psychological, human, and agentic capital significantly contributed to the graduates’ employability, whereas social, identity, and cultural capital had a comparatively lesser impact. The qualitative analysis further highlighted the crucial role of professional skills, positive psychological attributes, and agentic strategies in enhancing employability. However, the findings also revealed that the graduates tend to lack effective professional networks, a strong career identity, and comprehensive knowledge of diverse cultures. These results underscored the need for Indonesian students to be guided in developing a diverse set of resources to enhance their employability at an early stage.