TRACING FRENCH ALUMNI CAREERS: INSIGHTS FROM UNNES TRACER STUDY

Abstract

This study investigates the role of tracer studies as an evaluative instrument for curriculum development, focusing on alumni of the French Education Department at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES). Tracer studies are increasingly recognized as essential tools for higher education institutions to assess graduate employability, monitor the relevance of curricula, and identify skills gaps in relation to labor market demands. Using a descriptive qualitative approach combined with survey data analysis, this research examined the career trajectories of 100 alumni from 22 cohorts spanning 2000 to 2021. The analysis included waiting periods for employment, types of professions, income distribution, and the relevance between academic training and current occupations. Findings indicate that while the majority of alumni are employed in education-related fields—such as teachers, lecturers, and language instructors—a significant proportion work in government, social services, journalism, creative industries, and entrepreneurial ventures. The study highlights a particularly strong orientation toward entrepreneurship, with alumni establishing businesses in culinary services, clothing production, and creative consulting. This diversification of careers demonstrates the adaptability of linguistic and pedagogical competencies beyond traditional teaching roles. The study concludes that alumni career diversity underscores the urgent need to enrich curricula with entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and intercultural communication. Strengthening alumni participation in tracer studies and utilizing their feedback as strategic input are crucial to ensuring curriculum responsiveness, enhancing graduate competitiveness, and supporting institutional performance indicators at both national and global levels.