The effects of study abroad and personality on employment and earnings in Mexico

Three essays address the effects of study abroad and personality on earnings and employment. Study abroad has not been included in previous studies of earnings, nor in models of the transition from school to work. Previous personality studies have not included both self-assessments and employer assessments of traits. I demonstrate the importance of study abroad and language on earnings, employment, and employment hazards; I also show that self-assessments and supervisor evaluations of an employee's personality differ and may have distinct coefficients in estimated regressions of earnings and occupation. This is also the first examination of the transition from college to work, and of the effects of personality on earnings and occupation, for Mexico.;In the first essay, a hazard model measures the effects of study abroad, extracurricular activities, and college grades on the transition from college to work for recent graduates of a Mexican university. While study abroad is associated with lower employment hazard rates and higher starting wages, the opposite is true of extracurricular activities. College grades increase the employment hazard but have no significant impact on wages.;The second essay examines the long-term impact of study abroad on the earnings of Mexican professionals, concluding that completion of a graduate degree abroad contributes significantly to earnings, beyond the language benefits of study abroad. Other forms of study abroad have varying effects depending on place of residence and ability. Study abroad before high school contributes to the probability of studying abroad later, of pursuing higher degrees, and of being employed at any given time.;The third essay compares self-evaluations and supervisor assessments of eleven personality traits and determines the importance of each trait for earnings and promotions. The intra-occupation variance of earnings is not well explained by personality traits, but responsibility is associated with promotion to higher positions.