Career Forgetting Curve: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Skill Decay After Graduation

Graduation marks the transition from structured learning to professional application. However, many graduates experience a period where learned skills remain unused, leading to gradual decline in their practical effectiveness. This paper introduces the concept of the Career Forgetting Curve (CFC) as a theoretical framework to explain how employability-related skills weaken over time in the absence of active usage. Unlike traditional learning theories that focus on knowledge acquisition, the Career Forgetting Curve emphasizes the erosion of professional competence in real-world contexts. The framework provides a new lens for understanding employability dynamics and offers implications for students, institutions, and employers.