Exploring Employability Skills and Career Success through the Lived Experiences of Geology Graduates across Diverse Career Pathways

Graduate employability has become an important indicator of higher education quality as graduates are increasingly expected to demonstrate transferable competencies that support career development across diverse employment contexts. This study aims to explore how employability skills contribute to career success among geology graduates working in both geology-related and non-geology sectors through the lens of Career Construction Theory. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed to examine the lived experiences of seven geology graduates from Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Pakistan. Participants were purposively selected based on their graduation year, professional experience, and employment background. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. The findings revealed that communication, teamwork, adaptability and continuous learning, problem-solving, and professional responsibility were the key employability skills supporting career success across different occupational contexts. Graduates employed in geology-related sectors combined technical expertise with transferable employability skills to achieve career progression, whereas graduates working in non-geology sectors relied primarily on transferable competencies to facilitate career transition and establish sustainable careers. Career success was perceived as a multidimensional construct encompassing both objective outcomes, such as career advancement and employment stability, and subjective outcomes, including professional satisfaction, personal growth, and meaningful work. This study extends Career Construction Theory by demonstrating that employability skills function as adaptive career resources whose contribution to career success varies according to occupational context. The findings provide practical insights for higher education institutions, employers, and policymakers seeking to strengthen graduate employability through the integration of transferable competencies with discipline-specific education.