A Study On The Employability Of MTI Students

Answering the call for China’s reform and opening up and responding to the needs for modernization,the Master of Translation and Interpreting（MTI）program was established in 2007 to promote exchanges between China and foreign countries and to cultivate translation and interpretation professionals.However,after a couple of decades of prosperity,the industry was hit by the unexpected coronavirus pandemic and the increasingly complex international landscape.What the future holds out for the employment of MTI graduates is not optimistic.In this context,this thesis studies the employability of MTI graduates in China.By reviewing the previous literature,consulting experts,sending out questionnaires,and conducting semi-structured interviews,the research builds an employability framework tailored to MTI students which includes the following four dimensions:human capital,career identity,personal adaptability,and generic skills.Based on the framework,the study looks into the employability of the 2022 class in a graduate school of translation and interpretation in Beijing.The study finds that MTI graduates see themselves as competitive in terms of generic skills and personal adaptability.However,they have a relatively weak career identity and a relatively low opinion of their human capital.In particular,they are confused about their short-term and long-term career identity.Such confusion is the result of several factors,including a lack of interdisciplinary knowledge,the rapid expansion of the MTI program,and shrinking market demand.By studying the employability of MTI graduates under a subject-specific framework,the study reveals that the short-term and long-term professional self-positioning of the group is ambiguous.It is suggested that policymakers foster graduates with stronger employability by offering interdisciplinary internship programs and interdisciplinary courses.As for individuals,they should obtain knowledge of as many industries as possible while paying attention to their professional competence and generic skills.