The Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability - Physically present, but emotionally present, too - Graduates of Colour developing emotional intelligence as student employees

Oct 15, 2026

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This qualitative study examines how 12 Graduates of Colour (now professionals) experience undergraduate student employment and whether that experience supported emotional intelligence development. Building on Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) emotional intelligence model, the research addresses a gap in the lived experiences of Students of Colour and their career-relevant skill growth. Findings indicate development of all four tenets of emotional intelligence, with direct impacts on later work as employees and leaders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

The Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability ISSN: 1838-3815 (online) Journal Homepage: [https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/](https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/) “Physically present, but emotionally present, too”: Graduates of Colour developing emotional intelligence as student employees Christopher A. Burnett 1, and Zach W. Taylor 2 Corresponding author: Christopher A. Burnett ([cburnett2024@coloradocollege.edu](cburnett2024@coloradocollege.edu) ) 1 Director, Outdoor Education, Colorado College, Colorado, United States. 2 College of Education and Human Services, School of Education, The University of Southern Mississippi, United States. Abstract Despite a robust body of literature related to how institutions of higher education help prepare students for the workforce after graduation, little research has explored the lived experiences of Students of Colour as they reflect on their undergraduate employment as it relates to their development of marketable skills. Moreover, no studies have engaged with Graduates of Colour to understand whether they developed emotional intelligence as undergraduate student employees. To fill a considerable gap in the literature, this qualitative study, framed by Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) model of emotional intelligence, explored the undergraduate student affairs (student support) employment experiences of 12 Graduates of Colour (now professionals) to understand how they developed emotional intelligence to be more successful employees and leaders in their respective workplaces. The findings suggest Graduates of Colour developed all four tenets of emotional intelligence during their undergraduate employment experience, with direct impacts on their work in their careers. Implications for research and practice in universities are discussed. Keywords Graduates of Colour, Students of Colour, college students, emotional intelligence, employability, career readiness, student employment, on-campus employment Introduction Researchers have explored how college students develop a sense of career readiness through their higher education experiences (Blau & Snell, 2013; Burnett & Taylor, 2022; Peck et al., 2016; Stokes, 2015) . Many studies have focused on how on-campus student employment (e.g., a college student employed by their institution to work on-campus part-time) helps college students develop marketable skills to increase their career readiness and, ultimately, their job prospects (Burnside et al., 2019; Fried, 2012; Hora, 2016; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) . However, considerable gaps in the literature persist, especially research pertaining to the on-campus employment experiences of Students of Colour (e.g., students who identify as a racial and/or ethnic, non-Caucasian minority) and their development of career readiness. Burnett, C.A., & Taylor, Z.W. (2025) .“Physically present, but emotionally present, too”: Graduates of colour developing emotional intelligence as student employees. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 16(1), 59–74. 59 That said, some extant research has pointed to equity gaps when considering Students of Colour and on-campus employment. First Students of Colour have not accessed on-campus employment – and many other facets of higher education, such as involvement in student organisations – at the same level as their peers (Banks & Dohy, 2019; Bluml, 2019; Kuh et al., 2017; Riggert et al., 2006; Turner, 1994), as Students of Colour often report feeling as though they are ‘guests in someone else’s house’(Turner, 1994, p. 355) . As a result, Students of Colour have not benefited from on-campus employment as much as their White peers, possibly leading to inequitable postgraduate outcomes, including securing gainful employment upon graduation (Burnett & Taylor, 2020, 2022; Hora, 2016; Kuh et al., 2017; Wood & Williams, 2013) . To date, few studies have explored how Students of Colour access and e

FAQs

What do the findings suggest about Graduates of Colour during their undergraduate employment?

The findings suggest that Graduates of Colour developed all four tenets of emotional intelligence during their undergraduate employment experience, influencing their success in later careers as employees and leaders.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Putri