How New Grads Can Handle 3 Essential Post-College Questions
Life after graduation is always an unknown. But the coronavirus pandemic has added even more uncertainty for the nearly 4 million students expected to receive college degrees in 2019-20, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
“I feel like when you graduate, you go out into the real world,” says Stephanie Fallon, 23, who graduated in May from Temple University in Philadelphia. But this world “almost doesn’t feel real,” she says.
Even though the real world has changed, the challenges most new graduates face haven’t. Here’s what the class of 2020 can do to answer three essential post-graduation questions during the ongoing pandemic.
CAN YOU GET A JOB?
The job market looked strong for 2020 graduates before the economy took a hit from the coronavirus. A survey in fall 2019 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers projected a 5.8% increase in hiring over the previous year.
Of course, much has changed.
“What (graduates) are facing now is just a horrendous market,” says Edwin Koc, director of research, public policy and legislative affairs for NACE. “There really isn’t any other way to put it.”
A survey in 2018 from the recruitment agency Randstad found that the average job search lasts five months. Koc says it may take more time — and effort — to land a job in the current market. Here are some ways to improve your situation:
— Be persistent with potential employers but understand if they can’t give you a quick answer.
— Look to your college career center for help, like connecting you with alumni at companies that are hiring.
— Consider transitional work or opportunities outside your desired field.
Fallon, for example, plans to pursue a career in nonprofit work. While she currently has a part-time job with...
