Study Abroad and Career Progression: Exploring Students’ Career Outlook While Abroad

The purpose of this research is to identify common meanings and experiences of students regarding their career outlook within the retail, hospitality and tourism sector who had the opportunity to engage in a three-week study abroad as an experiential learning activity. Through an in-depth understanding using qualitative focus groups with 13 students (immediately prior and following study abroad) and students’ daily reflections, thematic analysis revealed three major themes were identified in the data: (1) experiences enhancing engagement with careers, (2) progression from career apprehension to appreciation, and (3) culture, passion, and lifestyle taking precedence. Our findings show that an experiential learning focused course design can be effective for helping students learn from the program activities and shape their career decisions.