From curriculum to career: a grounded theory of AI-driven employability in higher education

This study examines how undergraduate students navigate employability within an AI-driven labor market, highlighting the role of digital social capital, personal branding, and multicultural identity management in a rapidly modernizing, culturally diverse setting. Employing a constructivist grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 undergraduates across STEM and humanities disciplines. Data were coded iteratively using constant comparative methods until theoretical saturation. Five major categories emerged: experiential learning, professional networking, digital self-promotion, cultural identity tensions, and technological adaptability. The study proposes an ‘AI-Driven Employability Framework’ that integrates Human, Social, and Cultural Capital theories and develops two context-specific extensions: digital social capital, referring to the platform-mediated conversion of professional visibility and relationships into career opportunities, and multicultural capital, referring to the capacity to navigate global professional demands while maintaining and strategically mobilizing cultural and linguistic identity. The findings recommend that higher education institutions integrate digital branding and intercultural competence training into their curricula, align career services with AI literacy goals, and support bilingual identity development to enhance graduate readiness for AI-mediated careers.