ABSTRACT
An increasing number of graduates who completed their educational degree(s) in Western countries are choosing to return to their home countries. This phenomenon has occurred mainly due to the push in the host country and the pull in the home country. The push factor is the global financial crisis in many developed countries that caused the shrinking of job opportunities. The pull factor is the development of emerging economies which have created many good job opportunities attracting talents in developed countries. In spite of the increasing number of returnees, there remains little consideration in research about how returnees develop careers in the home labour market. One’s career development could be determined by a range of factors but positive employment outcomes can be obtained when good negotiations take place between two actors, namely employers and potential employees. This chapter maps out how four main stakeholders – including governments, parents, institutions and industries – could make impacts on returnees’ career development journey. It then discusses how returnees could internalise and make sense of the wider context and position themselves strategically so that they can obtain optimal employment outcomes.
