From Choice to Career: Aligning Student Expectations and Employability 

As international students increasingly evaluate destinations and institutions through the lens of career outcomes and long-term return on investment, employability has become central to global student mobility.  

Yet significant gaps remain between student expectations, secondary advising, university enrollment practices, and labor market realities.  

Building on insights from The New Global Student webinar, this session explores how students, families, schools, and universities navigate career readiness, work authorization, and post-study opportunities—and where misalignment most often occurs.  

Join NAFSA and Explore, alongside university careers leaders and international students, for an evidence-informed, practice-focused conversation on strengthening employability pathways and laying the groundwork for more aligned, outcome-driven student journeys.  

This webinar will also introduce key themes that will be examined in greater depth at the NAFSA–Explore Summit in May.  

Objectives:  

• Understand how employability expectations and career outcomes can influence international students’ choice of destination and institution  
• Gain insight into the lived experiences of international students navigating study-to-work transitions  
• Explore examples of institutional practices that support international student employability