American
International
University-
Bangladesh

Students & Supervisors

Abstract

"Background: As the world becomes more interconnected and tech-driven, knowing how recent university graduates think about and look for work tells us how well education and job policies meet real needs. These observations help educational institutions update curriculum and guide governments in crafting labor plans that can flex with change. Bangladesh makes an interesting test case because its people are young, and its higher-education system is growing fast. This paper reports a long-term review of final-year undergraduates in the country, tracing their job wishes from 2010 to 2023. Attention centers on three main themes—salary, work-life balance, and greener workplaces—while also noting preferred sectors, plans to study or work abroad, and start-up ambitions. Methods: This research is based on the Undergraduate Employment Preferences in Bangladesh Dataset (2010–2023), an archive of yearly surveys answered by more than 75,000 students at 15 leading public and private colleges such as the University of Dhaka, BRAC University, North South University (NSU), and BUET. Researchers gathered the data through stratified random sampling so that responses reflected clear gender, discipline, and regional balance. Key questions in the study looked at what students really care about—salary, time away from work, and a firm’s green record; how much money they expect in the first month; whether they lean towards government or private jobs; plans to seek work abroad; time logged in internships; and thoughts about starting their own business. Researchers then ran simple summaries, trend-checking regressions, and sector-by-sector breakdowns to spot clear changes and links. Results: The findings show a clear generational shift in what students want from work. The portion placing salary first sank from 78.5% in 2010 to only 32.7% in 2023, while those chasing a healthy work-life balance leapt from 12.3% to 58.3%. Interest in government jobs slid by 61%, yet the private sector—now led by tech start-ups—gained 134% of students’ hearts. Plans to seek careers overseas climbed by 266%, driven by wider ambition and growing disappointment with local openings. Expected starting pay also jumped by 235%, from BDT 18,500 to BDT 62,000, a sign of inflation and graduates’ rising self-worth. Despite international trends emphasizing corporate social responsibility and ESG principles, the share of students who put sustainability first has barely budged, sitting between 9 and 10 percent each year. Meanwhile, more learners are signing up for internships, and by 2023, almost 39 percent say they want to start their own business. Nevertheless, youth joblessness is still stubbornly high, showing universities and employers are not yet speaking the same language. Conclusion: The findings point out a real shift in how Bangladeshi youth think about work. Increasingly, they chase jobs that let them juggle personal life, cross borders, and use new tech every day—a change fed by online fluency, lessons from the pandemic, and fresh life goals. By contrast, their lukewarm attitude towards green careers shows schools and firms must weave ethical thinking into courses and hiring pitches. Policymakers, lecturers, and business leaders therefore need to rework rules, refresh campus job services, and build workplaces that match tomorrow’s hopes."

Keywords

Publication Details

• Type of Publication:
• Conference Name: International Conference on Economics, Business, and Technology Management (ICEBTM 2025)
• Date of Conference: 14/11/2025 - 14/11/2025
• Venue: The Westin, Dhaka
• Organizer: School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)