Graduate outcomes for Australian overseas accounting students: The issue of unemployment and beyond

Australia is an attractive destination for many overseas students in the past decade. A large proportion of them came here to study postgraduate accounting courses. However, the employment outcomes of those overseas graduates show far less optimistic figures, although the Australian government has continuously stressed on the importance of the accounting profession to the society. This paper throws some light upon the reasons behind this problem. It also investigates what have been, and should be done to make up for this situation. Unlike much previous literature examining the similar issue by relying heavily on large scale surveys, this paper incorporates interview results with overseas postgraduate accounting students and some corporate managers to add a layer of more in-depth perspective. Apparently, language and employability skills are the largest concern for Australian employers. The paper is contributive to both the accounting education industry and the relevant government departments.