Abstract
With the internationalisation of higher education, many Chinese universities have established double degree programmes in conjunction with foreign partner institutions. This study explores how overseas study experiences, particularly in US universities, affect Chinese graduates' job seeking during their transition to work. The study adopts a Bourdieusian perspective, primarily using Bourdieu's concepts of economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital and the Bourdieusian approach to agency and structure in terms of habitus, field and doxa. For this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with 17 graduates who had majored in mechanical engineering in double degree programmes from China's elite universities and spent more than one year studying at a US university. The findings showed that study abroad experiences continuously enhanced various forms of capital for these graduates. In particular, studying abroad served as symbolic capital during their job-seeking. The graduates strategically used diverse forms of capital to find their ideal jobs and exercise their agency in the labour market, either in the US or China. However, these advantages demanded relatively higher economic and social status on their families, which is not available to everyone. This study also provides practical suggestions for the smooth work transition of university graduates with overseas experiences.