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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between psychological contracts and subsequent internship outcomes, with a specific focus on employer obligations with regard to career development. The study also examines the potential moderating role of person–organization (P–O) fit. Design/methodology/approach: Online surveys were administered to 196 college students both prior to and upon completing their summer internships. Moderated mediation analyses were performed following Hayes (2018). Findings: The results show that employer fulfillment of career development is positively associated with organizational attractiveness, as mediated by intern skill acquisition. In addition, high levels of P-O fit ameliorated low developmental situations, with high P-O fit resulting in stronger attraction to the organization than low P-O fit. Practical implications: The study underlines the importance of career development and the associated attainment of instrumental resources in the psychological contract process between organizations and interns. For the former, the provision of career development may increase interns' attraction to the organization. For interns, such opportunities can enhance skill acquisition, with differential effects for those with high and low P-O fit. Originality/value: This study is the first to provide an empirical assessment of the instrumental outcomes of psychological contract fulfillment with regard to career development prior to formal organizational entry. It further sheds light on the interactive effect of skill acquisition and P-O fit in predicting individual perceptions of the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1960s, career success has been extensively studied from different angles. This paper aims to identify the main topics of interest covered by the literature throughout time frames defined based on the number of article citations. A Scopus database search was performed in November 2021, gathering 926 articles on career success that were analyzed in VOSviewer. The results show that several concepts were constant over the years, such as mentoring, mobility, income, education, gender, and culture, while other topics of interest were introduced more recently (e.g., career satisfaction, change, personality, networking, the link between the private and professional life, the relationship between objective and subjective career success). An understanding of historical career success research topics contributes to the development of future human resources strategies and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of foreign policy think tanks should involve acting as a training ground for the next generation of international affairs professionals. Internships are widely recognized as a way of improving young people’s skills and employment prospects. A case study of the Australian Institute of International Affairs’ (AIIA’s) internship program shows how foreign policy institutes can form a bridge between the academic grounding that universities provide and the rigours and requirements of a career in international affairs. Survey results from more than 100 interns showed an overwhelmingly positive reaction to their internship experience, with over 98 percent recommending the program. A range of learning outcomes and career benefits were reported. Foreign policy institutes wishing to contribute to career development should consider introducing internship programs that include goal setting, high-quality supervision, expert training, and career advice. They can help build the future of the field one internship at a time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]