Setting the scene

This chapter builds on the preface by setting the scene for the book. The chapter provides an overview of the contemporary university, including a discussion of the influence of neoliberal policies. Next, university career advisors are introduced as agents of the university. The focus then shifts to graduate employers to consider their needs concerning early career talent. Graduate recruiters are then introduced as agents of the employer. Next, the concept of sustainable graduate careers is introduced, capturing the dimensions of person, context, and time, whereby time at university can act as an antecedent to a sustainable career. The chapter concludes by giving a brief overview of the remainder of the book