"I could become a stewardess": Perceived benefits and shortcomings of being university graduates in the Romanian labor market

In recent decades, Romania has expanded its business service sector rapidly. With the rise of outsourced jobs, young university graduates are hired in positions that are not aligned with their educational backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. Given a socio-constructivist paradigm, this study examined how participants perceived the importance and value of higher education, mainly among overeducated graduates working as customer support representatives (CSRs). Drawing from two years of ethnographicalcase study data analyzed thematically, the findings reveal the private and social benefits attributed to being university graduates. However, the results also show a contrasting unfolding scenario characterised by how CSRs increasingly lose their enthusiasm and motivation to remain productive at work. Some CSRs regret, perceive alternative better options after a brief professional course, and a growing trend of unstable careers, thus diminishing the value of higher education. We conclude by revealing theweak link between the labor market and higher education, which aggravates employers' doubts about graduate employability.