Psychological Wellbeing amongst Graduates in Employment: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

The transition period between university and employment is a largely impactful time on an individual’s psychological wellbeing (Wendlant & Rochlen, 2008). This can be due to many factors, such as the type of experience a student has during university, the way in which the transition from being a student into employment is managed, and an individual’s experience in their first job. This article reports a study looking into the psychological wellbeing of graduates in their first full time jobs. Through an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of semi-structured interviews with six recent graduates in their first full time jobs, their psychological wellbeing was found to be negatively impacted. Three main themes of university experience, managing the transition and first job experience arose from the study. The outcome emphasises the need of interventions focussing on psychological resources embedded in the curriculum, in order to foster the necessary skills and readiness for this transition