Background -- policies on the transition from higher education to employment since the 1990s -- Higher Education Experiences -- Competencies acquired at university and required in the workplace -- University and college differences in the returns to education in japan and the netherlands -- University education and its relevance to working life -- Transition and Professional Careers -- On the use and generation of knowledge economy competencies -- Influence of diversified employment on the initial career of higher education graduates -- Career and mobility in japan and the netherlands -- Values and Work Orientations -- Japanese and dutch graduates’ work orientations and job satisfaction -- Individualism and collectivism -- Does Higher Education Provide Opportunities For Career Development Of Men And Women? -- Final Reflections -- The relationships between higher education and employment in japan and the netherlands.