Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2025

Abstract

Rising tuition costs and growing scrutiny of higher education outcomes have renewed debate about the value of traditional subject-centered curricula. Employers increasingly demand graduates possessing transferable skills and applied experience, yet limited empirical research has compared how nonprofit and for-profit hiring managers evaluate different forms of student engagement. This study addresses that gap by surveying over 400 U.S. hiring managers who assessed 34 activities spanning academic achievement, work-integrated learning (WIL), and extracurricular/co-curricular involvement. Results show that while academic performance remains important, both for-profit and nonprofit employers are placing increased emphasis on competencies developed through applied and integrative learning. Importantly, nonprofit hiring managers value service-oriented activities, especially those involving leadership roles, more highly than their for-profit counterparts, underscoring the need for considering organizational mission when examining employability judgments. Findings contribute to research on labor market alignment by demonstrating that nonprofit pathways require equal attention in higher education policy and career preparation.

Publication Title

Journal of International Business Disciplines

Download

Included in

Marketing Commons

Share

COinS