Measuring Potential Employability of Being English Literature Graduates

The present study examined the concept of employability perceived by some language college students/graduates. The participants of the study consisted of 10 full time students, 4 part-time students, 20 graduates, 5 English lecturers, and 2 managers of different factories. The participants were recruited conveniently. The instruments used to elicit the participants’ perception were questionnaire and open-ended interview. Due to the absence of physical contact, the data elicitation was conducted through WA messengers and e-mail. The finding indicates two main factors affecting the language students’ employability: 1) Internal factor, 2) External factor. Internally, most of the students studying English in the language college tend to perceive English as the second choice, thus indicating lower motivation to learn English. Externally, the current demand for the new jobs generally requires the students to master more than just English. Further finding suggests that although English is still considered important, mastering English is not enough for the literature students to be employed in the factories. In fact, the students of English prefer to find jobs in non-English fields since they provide more financial benefits.