Where is our way? A collaborative autoethnography of overseas-educated Chinese female PhDs' academic career decision journey

Given the intricate and competitive global academic landscape and Chinese female PhDs' critical situation of being marginalized and otherized, this study aims to examine the academic career decision-making experiences of three unmarried and childless Chinese female PhD graduates. Collaborative autoethnography is employed to delve into the three authors' experiences and reflections regarding the influential factors impacting their job-seeking and decision-making process as recent graduates, who earned their PhD degrees in 2022 from three popular destinations for international students in East Asia, namely Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. Research findings indicate that various contextual and individual factors have shaped the authors' decision-making and diverse career options were adopted to strike a ‘happy medium’ between long-term career aspirations and increased competition for academic positions. This study provides implications for policymakers and university administrators to attract highly skilled female international professionals and overseas-educated Chinese female PhDs considering a professional career in academia.