Experiential learning : helping students become 'career-ready'

Today's graduates face a competitive entry-level job market whilst at the same time employers from all areas of business plea for alumni who are ‘work-ready’. There is an underlying expectation that throughout their studies, graduates have opportunities where they are actively engaged in other areas of their education apart from just achieving final grades. Whilst ‘work ready’ remains an important goal, higher education institutions should consider the longer term alternate: the ‘career-ready’ graduate. This conceptual paper considers this principle and proposes a range of alternative experiential learning activities to equip marketing students with ‘real world’ experiences. It aims to show that by offering students opportunities that incorporate not only the ‘organisational’ perspective, but also those of the customer, and the living context in which the interaction is experienced, they will have a far more holistic viewpoint to make informed decisions about the direction in which to develop their career.