Going against the grain: The role of skilled migrants' self‐regulation in finding quality employment

Abstract

SummarySkilled migrants constitute a significant and growing population in our knowledge economy, as they self‐initiate international careers in search of permanent resettlement. Yet, once in the new country, many skilled migrants face dire disappointments in that the jobs offered to them often fall short of their training and aspirations. The current quantitative study combines existing insights from qualitative migration research on the barriers to quality employment with self‐regulation research during job search. We identify mechanisms by which migrants may proactively self‐regulate towards better employment quality. Among 356 skilled migrants in Canada, migration‐specific barriers (a perceived lack of language proficiency and credential recognition) weakened migrants' self‐regulation efforts in the form of career‐related exploration (goal establishment) and planning (goal planning). Migrants' proactivity and social support received fostered self‐regulation, however. Career planning, albeit not career exploration, significantly predicted migrants' quality of employment 9 months later, particularly when combined with a high level of credential recognition. Results are relevant for the limited literature on skilled migrants' transition into the new labor market, the study of self‐regulation in challenging career contexts, and the prevention of unsatisfactory employment.