Analysis of job-seeking attitudes and activities of Doctoral Graduates from universities in Japan during Fiscal 2010

Transcription

1 Research material No 212 Analysis of job-seeking attitudes and activities of Doctoral Graduates from universities in Japan during Fiscal 2010 June 2012 Yasushi KANEGAE, Maki Kato, and Hidekazu Chayama 1st Policy-Oriented Research Group National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) JAPAN i

2 Overview This research report summarizes the results of an analysis of the status of job-seeking activities and career paths of doctoral graduates, focusing on the relationship between job-seeking activities and experience and output during their doctoral programs, based on responses to a survey carried out in the 2010 academic year by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, entitled Survey of the Career Paths and Job-seeking Activities of Doctoral Graduates. <Definition of Job-seeking Activities in This Research Report> In this study, job-seeking activities are classified into three types of activity: (i) information gathering: independent information gathering focused on the recruitment profiles and summaries of duties at potential places of employment, consultations with third-parties and participation in briefings, etc., and taking part in internships aimed at gaining work experience, etc.; (ii) application: registration with potential places of employment, submission of application documents, etc., and obtaining recommendations; and (iii) selection: taking various tests and participating in internships at potential places of employment for the purposes of selection. Subject of Analysis in This Report The Survey of the Career Paths and Job-seeking Activities of Doctoral Graduates was carried out with a focus on those who graduated from doctoral programs in the 2010 academic year (including those expected to graduate), at 59 universities that turned out an average of at least 50 doctoral graduates annually between the 2002 and 2006 academic years. The number of ordinary students was obtained by deducting from the total number of respondents those who were thesis-only doctoral candidates, mature students and international students (Japanese government-sponsored international students, foreign government-sponsored international students, and privately-funded international students); of these ordinary students (1,537), the analysis in this report focused on those with experience of having conducted job-seeking activities while enrolled on a doctoral program (1,055; hereinafter referred to as respondents ). It should be noted that there is some bias, as the composition of the fields of the respondents does not necessarily correspond to the composition of the fields in the Basic School Survey. Results of the Survey and Analysis 1. Job-seeking Awareness When Entering Doctoral Programs (1) Around 1 in 3 respondents was aware of job-seeking focused on overseas when they entered their doctoral program Of the respondents, 36.4% ((ii)+(iii)) were considering an institution outside Japan as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral program, which equates to 1 in 3 respondents. The proportion of those who were considering an institution within Japan as a place of employment is very high, at 97.6% ((i)+(ii)). i

3 Summary Figure 1 Institutions That Respondents Considered as Places of Employment When Entering Doctoral Programs, According to Location Within Japan or Overseas (excludes those who did not respond) Respondents (N: 1,010) Aware of within Japan (97.6%, 985) (i) Was aware solely of within Japan as a place of employment (63.7%, 643) (ii) Was aware of both within Japan and overseas as a place of employment (33.9%, 342) (iii) Was aware solely of outside Japan as a place of employment Aware of outside Japan (36.4%, 367) In addition, looking at the situation by field, the proportion of those aware solely of within Japan as a place of employment is relatively high within the humanities, at 78.9%. The proportion of those who were aware of both within Japan and overseas as a place of employment is high within the field of science, at 41.4%, while it is relatively low in the humanities, at 19.3%. (2) With regard to job-seeking at within Japan, those considering multiple categories of institution, such as educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies account for the majority. In relation to Summary Figure1, of those who were aware of within Japan as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, 70.2% ((i)+(ii)+(v)+(vii)) were considering an educational institution (university, etc.) as a place of employment, followed by 51.5% ((i)+(iii)+(v)+(vi)) who were considering a private sector company, while 50.8% ((i)+(iv)+(vi)+(vii)) were considering a public research institution. The proportion of those who were considering an educational institution (university, etc.) as a place of employment was relatively large, while the proportion of those who were not aware of the aforementioned three types of institution is just 2.6% ((viii)). 21.8% ((i)) of respondents were considering all three types of institution - educational institution (university, etc.), private sector company, and public research institution - as potential places of employment. Moreover, a relatively large number of respondents were considering both an educational institution (university, etc.) and a public research institution as a place of employment, at 43.6% ((i)+(vii)), while 27.1% ((i)+(v)) were considering an educational institution (university, etc.) and a private sector company, and 26.3% ((i)+(vi)) were considering a private sector company and a public research institution. Of those who were considering an institution within Japan as a place of employment, the proportion of those who had narrowed the potential places of employment down to one of the three main types of institution at the time they entered their doctoral programs was 43.9% ((ii)+(iii)+(iv)), and one can also see that 53.4% ((i)+(v)+(vi)+(vii)) of respondents were considering multiple types of institution, such as educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies, as a potential place of employment. ii

4 Summary Figure 2 Job-seeking Awareness of the Three Main Types of Institution Within Japan When Entering Doctoral Programs Respondents who were aware of within Japan as a place of employment (N:985) Public research (50.8%, 501) (iv) (2.7%, 27) (vi) (4.5%, 44) (ii) (21.3%, 210) (vii) (21.8%, 215) (i) (21.8%, 215) (v) (5.3%, 52) (viii) (2.6%, 26) Educational (universities, etc.) (70.2%, 692) (i) Aware of all types: educational (universities, etc.), private sector companies, and public research (ii) Aware solely of educational (universities, etc.) (iii) Aware solely of private sector companies (iv) Aware solely of public research (v) Aware of both educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies (vi) Aware of both private sector companies and public research (iii) (19.9%, 196) Private sector companies (51.5%, 507) (vii) Aware of both educational (universities, etc.) and public research (viii) Aware of within Japan other than the three main types of institution Looking at the situation by field, the proportions of those who were aware solely of educational (universities, etc.) as a place of employment are relatively high in the three fields of social sciences, the humanities, and other (56.3%, 48.2%, and 42.0%, respectively). The proportion solely aware of private sector companies is relatively high in engineering, at 30.9%, but extremely low in the two fields of social sciences and the humanities, at 1.3% and 3.6%, respectively. 2. Places Applied to During Job-seeking Activities (1) Compared with the awareness at the time they entered their doctoral programs, few respondents actually applied to overseas 87.1% of respondents applied solely to within Japan ((i)), while just 9.0% applied to both within Japan and overseas ((ii)). Summary Figure 1 shows that 36.4% of respondents were considering outside Japan as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, but the proportion who actually applied to an institution outside Japan is much lower than this, equating to around 1 in 8 of all respondents (12.9%, (ii)+(iii)). Summary Figure 3 Applications to Institutions Within Japan and Overseas Respondents (N:1,055) Applied to within Japan (96.1%, 1,014) (i) Applied solely to within Japan (87.1%, 919) Applied to outside Japan (3.9%, 136) (ii) Applied to both within Japan and overseas (9.0%, 95) (iii) Applied solely to outside Japan (3.9%, 41) iii

5 Looking at the proportion of those who applied to both within Japan and overseas ((ii)) by field, the figure is relatively high in the sciences, at 14.1%, and the proportion of those who applied to overseas ((ii)+(iii)) is also high in the sciences, at 21.3%. (2) Research experience overseas drives applications to overseas, and the proportion securing employment at an overseas institution is also relatively high among those with such experience Among respondents, the proportion of those with overseas research experience while enrolled in graduate school who applied to overseas is relatively high in comparison to those with no such experience. This includes not only those who gained their overseas research experience while enrolled in graduate school as doctoral candidates, but also those who gained this experience during their master's programs. Summary Figure 4 Experience of Research Overseas While Enrolled in Graduate School and Applications to Overseas Institutions Experience of research overseas (N:250) 24.0% 76.0% No experience of research overseas (N:805) 9.4% 90.6% Applied to an overseas institution Have not applied to an overseas institution In regard to Summary Figure 4, looking at the situation by job-seeking awareness when entering doctoral programs, the proportion of those with research experience overseas while enrolled in graduate school who applied to an overseas institution is around double that of those with no such experience (if they were aware of overseas, 39.3% of those with research experience overseas and 20.8% of those with no such experience applied to overseas. If they were not aware of overseas, 8.3% and 4.4% applied to overseas, respectively). Moreover, irrespective of whether or not they had overseas research experience, the proportion who applied to overseas is around five times higher among those who were aware of overseas as a potential place of employment than among those who were not. Summary Figure 5 Overseas Research Experience and Applications to Overseas Institutions by Job-seeking Awareness (excludes those who did not respond) I was aware of overseas Experience of research overseas (N:117) No experience of research overseas (N:250) 20.8% 39.3% 79.2% 60.7% I was not aware of overseas Experience of research overseas (N:121) 8.3% No experience of research overseas (N:522) 4.4% 91.7% 95.6% Applied to an overseas institution Have not applied to an overseas institution The questions about career path were in checkbox format, and although the fact that there was no check against an answer does not necessarily mean that the respondent was not aware of overseas, here we treat it as being synonymous with I was not aware. iv

6 Moreover, among respondents, the proportion of those with overseas research experience while enrolled in graduate school who secured jobs at overseas is relatively high in comparison to those with no such experience. Summary Figure 6 Experience of Research Overseas While Enrolled in Graduate School and Securing of Jobs at Overseas Institutions Experience of research overseas (N:250) 11.6% 88.4% No experience of research overseas (N:805) 4.1% 95.9% Secured a job at an overseas institution Secured a job other than at an overseas institution Looking at the situation by job-seeking awareness when entering doctoral programs, the proportion of those who were aware of overseas as a potential place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs and had experience of research overseas, who then secured a job at an overseas institution is relatively high, at 17.1%. Considering this in conjunction with Summary Figure 5, it appears that among those who considered overseas as potential places of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs and who have overseas research experience, the proportion of those who applied to an overseas institution is relatively high, and the proportion of those who secured a job at an overseas institution is also high, as a result. Summary Figure 7 Overseas Research Experience and Securing of Jobs at Overseas Institutions by Job-seeking Awareness (excludes those who did not respond) I was aware of overseas Experience of research overseas (N:117) No experience of research overseas (N:250) 17.1% 10.4% 82.9% 89.6% I was not aware of overseas Experience of research overseas (N:121) 5.0% No experience of research overseas (N:522) 1.1% 95.0% 98.9% Secured a job at an overseas institution Secured a job other than at an overseas institution The questions about career path were in checkbox format, and although the fact that there was no check against an answer does not necessarily mean that the respondent was not aware of overseas, here we treat it as being synonymous with I was not aware. (3) Educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies are the main within Japan to which doctoral candidates apply, with few applying to multiple types of institution 51.2% of respondents ((i)+(ii)+(v)+(vii)) applied to an educational institution (university, etc.), while 46.9% ((i)+(iii)+(v)+(vi)) applied to a private sector company. Applications are primarily focused on educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies. Summary Figure 2 showed that, of the respondents who were aware of within Japan as a v

7 place of employment, 21.8% considered all three types - educational (universities, etc.), private sector companies and public research - as places of employment, but the proportion who actually applied to all three types of institution is very low, at just 3.8% ((i)). Moreover, 53.4% of respondents considered multiple types of institution as potential places of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, but only 26.0% ((i)+(v)+(vi)+(vii)) actually applied to multiple types of institution. The proportion who applied solely to either an educational institution (university, etc.), private sector company or public research institution is 67.3% ((ii)+(iii)+(iv)). Summary Figure 8 Status of Application to the Three Main Types of Institution Within Japan Respondents who applied to within Japan (N:1,014) Public research (25.0%, 254) (iv) (5.6%, 57) (vi) (5.6%, 57) (iii) (30.9%, 313) (v) (10.0%, 101) (i) (3.8%, 39) (v) (6.6%, 67) (ii) (30.8%, 312) Educational (universities, etc.) (51.2%, 519) 1. Applied to all types: educational (universities, etc.), private sector companies, and public research 2. Applied solely to educational (universities, etc.) 3. Applied solely to private sector companies 4. Applied solely to public research 5. Applied to both educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies 6. Applied to both private sector companies and public research Private sector companies (46.9%, 476) (viii) (6.7%, 68) 7. Applied to both educational (universities, etc.) and public research 8. Applied to within Japan other than the three main types of institution (4) The career path awareness of candidates at the time they entered their doctoral programs strongly influences applications to private sector companies. Moreover, experience of internships at private sector companies motivates applications to such companies The proportion of respondents who were considering a job at a private sector company as a career path at the time they entered their doctoral programs who went on to apply to a private sector company is very high compared with those who were not considering a private sector company as a career option when starting their programs. Moreover, a high proportion of those with experience of an internship with a private sector company while enrolled in graduate school went on to apply to a private sector company, compared with those who had no such experience. This includes not only those who gained their internship experience at a private sector company while enrolled in graduate school as doctoral candidates, but also those who gained this experience during their master's programs. Summary Figure 9 Awareness of Private Sector Companies as a Career Option When Entering Doctoral Programs and Applications to Private Sector Companies (excludes those who did not respond) I was aware of private sector companies (N:507) 77.3% 22.7% I was not aware of private sector companies (N:503) 12.7% 87.3% Applied to a private sector company Have not applied to a private sector company vi

8 Summary Figure 10 Experience of Internships at Private Sector Companies and Applications to Private Sector Companies Experience of an internship at a private sector company (N:118) 69.5% 30.5% No experience of an internship at a private sector company (N:937) 42.0% 58.0% Applied to a private sector company Have not applied to a private sector company Looking at applications to private sector companies in terms of job-seeking awareness when entering doctoral programs and experience of internships, among those who were not aware of private sector companies as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, 42.4% of those with experience of an internship and 10.6% of those without such experience applied to private sector companies, so one can see that there is around a fourfold gap in the proportion of applications to private sector companies, depending on whether or not the candidate had experience of an internship. Experience of internships at private sector companies has a particularly positive influence on applications to private sector companies by those who were not aware of private sector companies as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs. Summary Figure 11 Experience of Internships at Private Sector Companies and Applications to Private Sector Companies by Job-seeking Awareness I was aware of private sector companies I have experience of an internship at a private sector company (N:82) I do not have experience of an internship at a private sector company (N:425) 79.3% 76.9% 20.7% 23.1% I was not aware of private sector companies* I have experience of an internship at a private sector company (N:33) I do not have experience of an internship at a private sector company (N:470) 10.6% 42.4% 89.4% 57.6% I applied to a private sector company I did not apply to a private sector company * The questions about career path were in checkbox format, and although the fact that there was no check against an answer does not necessarily mean that the respondent was not aware of private sector companies, here we treat it as being synonymous with I was not aware. 3. Career Paths After Completing Doctoral Programs (1) Around 1 in 17 secures employment overseas after completing their doctoral programs Among the respondents, 838 (79.4% of all respondents) secured employment after completing their doctoral programs. Looking at the career paths of those 838 respondents, those who secured employment at an institution within Japan accounted for the vast majority of them, at 92.6% (776 people), while 7.4% (62 people) secured employment at an overseas institution. Securing employment includes those who obtained appointments as postdoctoral fellows, etc. vii

9 Summary Figure 1 showed that around 1 in 3 respondents (36.4%, 367 people) considered overseas as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, but only 62 actually secured a job at an overseas institution, which equates to around 1 in 17 respondents (5.9%). Summary Figure 12 Career Paths After Completing a Doctoral Program Respondents (N:1,055) Have employment plans (N:838) Do not have employment plans (217) A: Plan to work at an institution within Japan (N:776, 92.6%) (iii) Employment at a public research institution (8.6%, 72) (i) Employment at an educational institution (university, etc.) (41.1%, 344) (ii) Employment at a private sector company (34.7%, 291) (iv) Employment at an institution within Japan other than the three main types of institution (8.2%, 69) B: Plan to work at an institution outside Japan (N:62, 7.4%) (v) (iv) Employment at a public Employment at an educational institution (university equivalent) (5.6%, 47) research institution (1.3%, 11) Employment at another institution (0.5%, 4) *The percentages for A and B show the proportions accounted for among the 838 who had employment plans. (2) Around 1 in 10 secures employment at an institution of which they were not aware at the time they entered their doctoral program Of those respondents who secure employment with the three major types of institution within Japan (educational (universities, etc.), private sector companies, and public research ) after completing their doctoral programs, looking at their job-seeking awareness at the time they entered their doctoral programs, 9.5% of those securing employment with an educational institution (university, etc.) within Japan were not considering an educational institution (university, etc.) as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, while 8.2% of those who secured a job with a private sector company were not considering such a company as a place of employment when entering their doctoral programs. Of those who plan to work for a public research institution, 15.5% were not considering public research as a place of employment when commencing their programs. Of those who plan to work for one of the three main types of institution within Japan, around 1 in 10 secures a job at an institution which they did not consider as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral program. Summary Figure 13 Proportion of Respondents Who Were Aware of the Place of Employment (Institution) Where They Secured a Job After Completing Their Doctoral Program, at the Time They Started Their Program Those who secured employment at an educational institution (university, etc.) (N:336) Those who secured employment at a private sector company (N:280) Those who secured employment at a public research institution (N:71) 90.5% 84.5% 91.8% Aware of it as a place of employment when entering the program Not aware of it as a place of employment when entering the program 9.5% 15.5% 8.2% viii

10 4. Job-seeking Activities and Ways of Spending Time Let us now look at the job-seeking activities and ways of spending time of those who applied to educational (universities, etc.), private sector companies or public research within Japan and have not applied to any other types of institution. (1) Job-seeking activities focused on educational (universities, etc.) take place throughout the academic year in which candidates will complete their programs, while job-seeking activities focused on private sector companies end at the beginning of the academic year in which candidates will complete their programs The timing of job-seeking activities differs greatly, according to the type of institution on which those activities are focused. With regard to job-seeking activities focused on educational (universities, etc.), the start of information gathering was concentrated in April 2010, with applications being submitted between April 2010 and January The end of job-seeking activities was concentrated after December 2010, with many candidates ceasing such activities immediately before they completed their doctoral programs. Summary Figure Timing of Job-seeking Activities by Those Who Applied to Educational Institutions (Universities, etc.) Within Japan Information gathering(n:231) Application(N:227) End(N:224) Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar In the case of job-seeking activities focused on private sector companies, information gathering and applications begin earlier than in the case of educational (universities, etc.) Information gathering started from October 2009, as much as six months earlier than in the case of educational (universities, etc.) Applications began around the same time as information gathering, taking place until March The timing of the cessation of activities peaked in April 2010, finishing around a year earlier than the end of job-seeking activities focused on educational (universities, etc.) Job-seeking activities are concentrated within a period of eight months. ix

11 Summary Figure Timing of Job-seeking Activities by Those Who Applied to Private Sector Companies Within Japan Information gathering(n:282) Application(N:282) End(N:282) Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar (2) During the period of job-seeking activities, there is a relatively high time burden on those seeking employment with private sector companies During the period of job-seeking activities, those who are applying solely to private sector companies spend a relatively large share of their time on job-seeking activities in general, compared to those who are applying solely to educational (universities, etc.) or public research. The share of time spent on job-seeking activities differs according to the type of institution to which a candidate has applied. Please note that the share of time spent is not the time as a proportion of the total period of job-seeking activities, but rather expresses time spent as a proportion of an average week during the period of job-seeking activities. Summary Figure 16 Average Ways of Spending Time During the Period of Job-seeking Activities and Outside it (by institution) Educational (universities, etc.) (N:274) Outside the period of job-seeking activities During the period of job-seeking activities % 48.6% 41.4% 11.0% 8.1% 24.3% 22.8% Private sector companies (N:302) Outside the period of job-seeking activities During the period of job-seeking activities 25.5% 54.0% 34.8% 8.2% 6.5% 28.1% 25.9% Public research (N:52) Outside the period of job-seeking activities During the period of job-seeking activities 16.0% 52.4% 41.3% 8.6% 6.7% 29.2% 27.8% Job-seeking activities in general Writing doctoral dissertation Seminars, lectures, etc. Activities within the university other than those listed above (administration, supplementary work, etc.) Casual work within the university Casual work outside the university Other (sleeping, meals, leisure, etc.) x

12 5. Conclusion and Observations: When entering their doctoral programs, many respondents considered multiple types of institution, such as overseas and educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies within Japan, as potential places of employment, but in actual job-seeking activities, few apply to multiple types of institution and the proportion who apply to overseas declines When entering doctoral programs, most students consider a wide range of career paths to follow after completing their doctoral programs. The results of this survey showed that 36.4% of respondents were aware of outside Japan as potential places of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs. Moreover, with regard to the three main types of institution within Japan (educational (universities, etc.), private sector companies, and public research ), it emerged that more than half of all respondents (53.4%) considered multiple types of institution as potential places of employment. At the time they entered their doctoral programs, many students were considering securing employment overseas, as well as considering various types of institution within Japan as potential places of employment, so there was no bias in favor of seeking employment within Japan or securing a job in academia, etc. However, there is a gap between the job-seeking awareness of doctoral students and the types of institution to which they actually apply. From this survey, one can see that 67.3% of those respondents who applied to within Japan applied solely to one type of institution (either an educational institution (university, etc.), a private sector company, or a public research institution), demonstrating that few respondents applied to multiple types of institution and that they narrowed down their focus in terms of the to which they applied. Moreover, looking at job-seeking activities focused on outside Japan, around 1 in 3 respondents was aware of overseas as places of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, but only around 1 in 8 (12.9%) actually applied to an overseas institution, while just 1 in 17 (5.9%) secured employment at such an institution. In the future, in order for Japanese doctoral students to play active roles in various arenas, both within Japan and overseas, there will be an even greater necessity than ever before not only to maintain an awareness of their career paths when entering doctoral programs and to develop specific opportunities and environments to facilitate their developing an interest in diverse careers, but also to acquire a more detailed grasp of the background to the emergence of the gap between their job-seeking awareness and the to which they actually apply. Experience of research overseas is one effective opportunity that drives active engagement by doctoral students with overseas. The results of this study showed that the proportion of those applying to overseas is around twice as high among those who have overseas research experience than among those who do not, and the proportion of those who actually secure employment at overseas is also higher among those who have experience of research overseas. Existing studies indicate that the number of doctoral students with experience of having carried out research overseas has been increasing considerably over the last few years (NISTEP 2012), and that researchers with experience of having worked overseas undertake a larger number of joint international research projects and write xi

13 more internationally co-authored papers than those with no experience of having worked overseas (NISTEP 2009). It appears that overseas research experience leads to candidates applying to overseas, which in turn results in the securing of employment and relocation overseas after completing their doctoral programs. Accordingly, the effective utilization and maintenance of opportunities for overseas research experience, which is believed to have been growing over the last few years, can be expected to lead to an increase in the number of Japanese doctoral graduates playing an active role overseas, and thereby a rise in the number of personnel who are successful on the global stage. Moreover, with regard to the timing of job-seeking activities focused on educational (universities, etc.) and private sector companies, this study showed that there is a difference in terms of timing depending on the institution to which candidates apply, as well as demonstrating that there are disparities in terms of the time burden during the period of job-seeking activities. Looking at job-seeking activities focused on private sector companies, the activities from the start of information gathering until the end of job-seeking are concentrated within a certain period, and in many cases, job-seeking activities have already finished by about a year before completion of the doctoral program. This study showed that the proportion of those who applied to private sector companies was higher among those who had experience of having completed an internship at a private sector company and who were not considering a private sector company as a place of employment at the time they entered their doctoral programs, than it was among those who did not have any experience of such an internship. It appears that the question of at what point in graduate school education experience such as an internship should be provided and to whom (after considering the timing of job-seeking activities at present and the time burden that they impose) will be a key point for consideration in order to cultivate doctoral graduates who can also play an active role in private sector companies in the future. xii