A new study from the Australian International Directors’ Forum proves that international students from Australian universities go into full-time employment just as quick as their domestic counterparts. So, if you are looking for a degree that will help you get into a job, why don’t you consider looking in Australia?

Below we answer the key questions from the survey and show what it means for international students who graduate from Australian institutions.

Is this study really representative of international students in Australia?

In short, yes. Respondents of the survey were made up of 143 different nationalities. The top 10 countries for international student enrolment at Australian universities made up over 60% of the sample, meaning that the results are pretty accurate for displaying patterns.

Do the universities help students find employment?

It’s all well and good getting facts and figures demonstrating which jobs everyone got into, but how did they get the jobs in the first place?

Interestingly, around 40% of the graduates in the survey ended up using their university’s career services to help them find a job. This percentage changed depending on which country the graduate was from. For example, roughly 62% of Indian students used their career service.

The most popular service provided was CV writing workshops, with as many as 63% of respondents in the study using those. 54% attended careers fairs, and 36% utilised ‘drop in’ advice clinics.

In total, 70% of graduates who used the career services at an Australian university were satisfied with how the university collaborated with employers. 

Universities can also help students in their pursuit of jobs by adapting their teaching methods. For example, Edith Cowan University has championed work-integrated learning (WIL) for its students - giving them real-world work experience opportunities throughout their degrees that allow them transition smoothly into the world of work. 

So, how many graduates are finding employment?

The survey showed that 79% of students made it into a full-time job within three years of graduating. A further 6% were involved in further study, and 4% classed themselves as self-employed. That means that roughly nine out of ten international graduates from Australian universities were either in work or study three years after their degree had finished. Not bad, eh?

On top of that, only 4% of the survey participants said they were unemployed and looking for full-time employment. Interestingly, in 2015, 3.4% of Australian domestic graduates cited being unemployed despite completing a bachelor’s degree – proving that international students are finding jobs at a similar rate to them.  

Do students stay in Australia for their job?

Not all of them. In fact, around 50% of the students decided to go back to their home country, and a further 4% moved to a country other than Australia.

However, a hefty 43% do end up staying in Australia, so there is certainly opportunity to obtain employment in the country after you finish your degree.

The survey found that graduates from Pakistan, China and India are more likely to stay on in Australia, but Indonesian, Singaporean, Vietnamese and Malaysian graduates are more likely to go back to their home country in search of employment.

Interested in getting a job in Australia? Read our guide on how to find a graduate career there.

And how much are students earning once they graduate?

Crucially, it was found that if the Australian international graduates return to their home country, they usually earn more money than the average local salary for that country.

Of course, the salary range was drastically different depending on which country the graduates went to after their degree. For example, there were salaries as low as $8,200 in Bhutan, but that rose to a maximum of $92,000 in Norway.

The most common industries to work in were: Finance and Insurance Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Education and Training, and Scientific/Technical Services.

Has this persuaded you to look for universities in Australia? Start searching for courses now!