HomeInternational Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research and Innovationvol. 3 no. 1 (2025)

Tracking the Trajectory: A Tracer Study on CareerPaths of Bachelor of Science in BusinessAdministration Graduates

Jesus Remar C. Dassun | Arly N. Visperas | Noel C. Ramirez | Ladi George L. Gascon

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

The tracer study was conducted as an initiative to track the progress of the graduates from the Business Administration Programs (Marketing and Financial Management) of the Urdaneta City University, a local college managed by the city government of Urdaneta in the province of Pangasinan Philippines. By knowing their career trajectory, the College of Business Management and Accountancy could assess the effectiveness of their curriculum delivery. The study used the quantitative-descriptive method to gather the data needed for the research and utilized but slightly modified the prescribed instrument from the Commission in Higher Education (CHED). The findings revealed that in the profile of the respondents, the majority are from BSBA Financial Management (71.11%), females (73.97%), 20-25 years old (82.54%), and single (96.83%). In terms of Socio-Economic Status, more than half are unemployed (42.54%), and employed respondents receive P5,001-P10,000 (30.79%). On the status of unemployed respondents, the majority are not ready to work (40.88%) and seek seminars and training programs (44.75%) It is therefore concluded that most of the graduates are for the financial industry, predominantly young females who have not established a family. Respondents who are working secure employment receiving within the range of minimum wage through recommendations from their connections. Additionally, more than half of the respondents are still unemployed and the majority of them responded that their readiness to secure employment is still low and seek assistance from the university through seminars and training.



References:

  1. CareerBuilder. Last modified April 27, 2017. Accessed July 10, 2017. http://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-04-27-74-Percentof-Employers-Say-They-Plan-to-Hire-Recent-College-Graduates-This-Year-According-to-Annual-CareerBuilderSurvey.
  2. Clarkson University. "Lateral Career Moves," Page 1. Accessed June 26, 2020.
  3. Collins Dictionary (ND). Unemployable. Collins        Dictionary. Retrieved       from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/unemployable#:~:text=(%CA%8Cn%C9%AAmpl%C9%94% C9%AA%C9%99b%C9%99,that%20an%20employer%20might%20want.
  4. Colorado Technical University (ND). What Are Possible Career Paths with a Business Administration Degree? Colorado Technical University. Retrieved from https://www.coloradotech.edu/degrees/studies/business-andmanagement/articles/what-can-i-do-with-a-business-administration-degree
  5. Commission on Higher Education (2017) Memorandum Order No. 17 Series of 2017 contains the Revised Policies, Standards, and Guidelines for Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. CHED. Retrieved from https://chedro1.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/07/CMO-17-s-2017.pdf
  6. Commission on Human Rights (2023) CHR Human Rights Situation Report School-to-Work Transition 2022. Commission on Human Rights. Retrieved from https://chr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CHR-Situational-Report_School-toWork-Transition-with-reso.pdf
  7. Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (ND). Contractualization Act. Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department. Retrieved from https://cpbrd.congress.gov.ph/173-resources/for-legislators/17th-congresslegislative-agenda-tracker/agenda-and-briefers/789-contractualizationact#:~:text=Many%20companies%20resort%20to%20labor,the%20benefits%20due%20regular%20employees.
  8. Cork Institute of Technology (ND). What is Employability? Cork Institute of Technology. Knowledge Empowers You. Retrieved from https://www.mycit.ie/contentfiles/careers/what%20is%20employability.pdf
  9. De Vera-Cruz, E. (2023) 18.72% pass August 2023 civil service exam — CSC. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved from https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/8/18-72-pass-august-2023-civil-service-exam-csc
  10. Doyle, A. (2020) What Is a Career Path? The Balance. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancemoney.com/career-pathdefinition-with-examples-2059765#citation-2
  11. Doyle, A. (2022)    Recommendation    Letters for Employment. The Balance. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancemoney.com/recommendation-letters-for-employment-2060512#:~:text=The%20most%20effective%20recommendations%20show,skills%20necessary%20for%20the%20 job.
  12. ETF-Cedefop-ILO (2016), Carrying out tracer studies - Guide to anticipating and matching skills and jobs Vol. 6, available at: http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Vol._6_Tracer_studies
  13. Jiang, L., Chen, Z. & Lei, C. (2022) Current College Graduates’ Employability Factors based on University Graduates in Shaanxi Province, China. National Library in Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9870627/#:~:text=We%20think%20college%20graduates'%20empl oyability,generic%20skills%2C%20and%20emotional%20skills.
  14. Job Jumpstart (2022). What are employability skills? Australian Government. Retrieved from https://www.jobjumpstart.gov.au/article/what-are-employability-skills
  15. Jobstreet Content Team (2022) DOLE-Jobstreet.com Study Reveals Filipinos' Preference for Hometown Jobs. Jobstreet. Retrieve from https://www.jobstreet.com.ph/career-advice/article/dole-jobstreet-com-study-reveals-filipinospreference-for-hometown-jobs
  16. Hosain, M, Mustafi, M. & Parvin, T. (2023) Factors Affecting the Employability of Private University Graduates: An Exploratory Study on Bangladeshi Employers. Emerald Insight: Discover Journals, Books and Case Studies. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/PRR-01-2021-0005/full/html
  17. Indeed, Editorial team (2023) What Is Business Administration? Indeed. Retrieved from https://www.indeed.com/careeradvice/career-development/what-is-business-administration
  18. Mosenda, J. (2022) Why tracer studies are crucial in the labour market. The Citizen. Retrieved from https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/why-tracer-studies-are-crucial-in-the-labour-market-4059222
  19. O’brien, B., Moran, P. & Betts, S. (2020). The Experience Gap In Hiring New Graduates: Expecting Too Much For Entry Level Positions. ResearchGate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344655391_THE_EXPERIENCE_GAP_IN_HIRING_NEW_GRADUAT ES_EXPECTING_TOO_MUCH_FOR_ENTRY_LEVEL_POSITIONS
  20. Panigrahi, S. (2020) Importance of Seminars and Workshops for Students in Higher Education. Higher Education Review. Retrieved from https://others.thehighereducationreview.com/news/importance-of-seminars-and-workshops-forstudents-in-higher-education-nid-1261.html
  21. Paqueo, VB. and Orbeta, AC (2019). Gender equity in education: Helping the boys catch up. Research Papers in Economics, SCISPACE. Retrieved from https://typeset.io/questions/why-most-students-in-the-philippines-are-female3m4wughwzm
  22. Parris, J. (2023). How Long Should a Job Search Take? FlexJobs: Find a Better Way to Work. Retrieved from https://www.flexjobs.com/post/how-long-should-a-job-search-take/
  23. Pearcy, A. (2023) Gen Zers are shutting down accusations that they're 'lazy' by listing all the reasons why they don't want to work. Business Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-responds-to-accusations-that-theyrelazy-and-dont-want-to-work-2023-9
  24. People Dynamics (2018) Why Are Personalities Important in the Workplace? People Dynamics. Retrieved from https://peopledynamics.co/personalities-workplace-importance/.
  25. Philippine News Agency (2022) 26K hurdle Civil Service exam. Republic of the Philippines: Philippine News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1185648
  26. Rein, I. (2023). Am I Unemployable?" Expert Advice for Job Seekers. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/am-i-unemployable-expert-advice-job-seekers-ilenerein#:~:text=Being%20%E2%80%9Cunemployable%E2%80%9D%20is%20a%20term,way%20that%20catches%20their%20attention.
  27. Rivas, R. (2023) Unemployment rate increases to 4.5% in June 2023, unpaid workers still rising. Rappler Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-june-2023/
  28. Start Question (2022). Why Filipinos Should Study in College? Start Question. Retrieved from https://www.startquestion.com/survey-ideas/why-filipinos-should-study-in-college/
  29. Subramanian, P. (ND) What is the Average Age of College Students. College Eonomics. Retrieved from https://collegeonomics.com/what-is-the-average-age-of-college-graduates/
  30. Tayco, RO., Supat, PS. and Estrope, CP. (2022) Employability of a State University Graduates in the Philippines. Asia Pacific Journal of Management and Sustainable Development | Vol. 10, No. 2 | March 2022. Retrieved from chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ https://research.lpubatangas.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/8APJMSD.10.2-Tayco.pdf
  31. Tenney, M. (2022). Why Compensation Is Important for Employee Retention. Business Leadership Today. Retrieved from https://businessleadershiptoday.com/why-compensation-is-important-for-employee-retention/
  32. The Best Master’s Degree (ND). Should I Have Work Experience Before Pursuing a Master’s Degree? The Best Master’s Degree. Retrieved from https://www.bestmastersdegrees.com/best-masters-degrees-faq/should-i-have-workexperience-before-pursuing-a-masters-degree/
  33. Wooll, M. (2022) What is career growth? How to move forward in your career. Betterup. Retrieved from https://www.betterup.com/career-growth
  34. Yabut, H. J. (2021).  Employment. Socioeconomic Research Portal for the Philippines. Retrieved from https://serpp.pids.gov.ph/feature/public/index-view?feauredtype_id=1&slug=employment#:~:text=College%20graduates%20may%20find%20themselves,to%20s ubstandard%20quality%20of%20education
  35. Zoe Talent Solutions (2023). Top 10 Reasons to Consider a Financial Management Course. Zoe Talent Solutions: Empowering Life. Retrieved from https://zoetalentsolutions.com/financial-management-course/