This study investigates the factors influencing graduate employability among post-undergraduate students in China, focusing on the interplay between job-seeking behavior, educational quality, professional skills, internship experience, resilience, and regional labor market conditions. Despite substantial research on graduate employability, critical gaps remain regarding the specific competencies demanded by employers, the mediating role of resilience, and the influence of regional economic disparities on employment outcomes. Using a quantitative approach, the study surveyed 400 graduates from 10 universities across five provinces, ensuring representation from both developed and less-developed regions. Data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS to test the direct, mediating, and moderating relationships among variables. Results revealed that job-seeking behavior (β = 0.31, p < 0.001), educational quality (β = 0.27, p < 0.001), professional skills (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), internship experience (β = 0.29, p < 0.001), and regional labor market conditions (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) all significantly and positively influenced employment outcomes. Resilience partially mediated these relationships, with the strongest indirect effect observed for job-seeking behavior (β = 0.12, p = 0.001), suggesting its role as a psychological buffer that enhances graduates’ capacity to convert efforts and competencies into employment success. Descriptive findings further highlighted pronounced disparities between developed and less-developed regions, with full-time employment rates of 68% and 42% respectively. The study concludes that graduate employability is shaped by both individual attributes and structural conditions. Enhancing graduate employment outcomes requires integrated strategies, including curriculum reforms that strengthen skills development, resilience-building initiatives, and policies aimed at addressing regional labor market inequalities. These insights provide actionable recommendations for universities, policymakers, and employers seeking to improve graduate transitions into the workforce in China’s evolving economy.