Job Hunting, Anxiety, and What College Does (or Doesn’t) Prepare Us For
Ariana Nguyen
Coming out of a back-to-back holiday season, approximately 20 of my well-intentioned relatives asked me what my plans were after graduation. It became a game of how many different ways I could say, “I don’t actually know.” The transition from school to work is notoriously difficult. There is a plethora of online articles and university resources available for students in search of guidance; industry professionals and chatty family members are typically eager to offer up their own experiences and advice. But with an ever-changing job market, increasing college costs, and societal differences, there is no “one size fits all” solution to quelling career anxieties.
The Mary Christie Institute, a research organization focused on the emotional and behavioral health of American college students, conducted a survey in 2022, asking recent graduates across the United States about their transition between college and work. Of those who filled out the survey, nearly half said they felt college did not emotionally prepare them for the workforce. In addition, the LinkedIn Careers Index found that in 2024, there was an increase in users who felt “less confident in their career progress.” Though many of us see college as a step towards our future careers, the pacing, environment, and expectations of academia can vastly differ from those of full-time employment, leading to a feeling of underpreparedness.
The U attempts to mitigate these stressors by providing students with resources for career development. Every college has a specialized Career Services office that is available for questions. Some colleges will require students to take introductory courses that overview workplace skills. In addition, many majors require an upper level course that attempts to mimic industry standards. Frequent resume workshops, mock interviews, opportunities to connect with industry mentors, and large career fairs are some of the advantages of attending a large public university such as the U. However, our student poll showed that opportunities varied across colleges, and many students found them unhelpful. A majority of students who filled out our poll have not used the Career Services support as a resource. 80% of the students stated that they took an introductory college course, but of those students, a majority felt that the class was unhelpful beyond resume preparation. Students felt that the most helpful resource provided by the U was Handshake, but all other career preparation took place outside of the classroom–such as through joining student groups or reading third party resources.
Current career development services prioritize landing the job, but the actual process of working full-time goes less discussed. For example, the question of how much we should expect to get paid is rarely broached. Work benefits, health insurance, and overtime pay are among many other topics that feel daunting to approach. While the U’s resources are readily available, when paired with the intense rigor of a full credit load and the pressure of deadlines and exams, it's normal to burnout just getting the grade. For students undergoing financial stress or working jobs unrelated to their majors, the ability to attend and benefit from career events is further decreased.
One of the best ways to gain work experience while in college is through internships or co-ops that provide students with the necessary structure and guidance to begin working in their field. These opportunities are especially beneficial when students are able to earn college credit, decreasing the stress of working an unfamiliar job alongside a full credit load. However, not all students are able to secure these opportunities. Of those who filled out the U’s SERU in 2024, over 50% of students reported having no internship, practicum, or field experience. Less than half of the students who reported having industry experience were able to gain credit.
The application process itself can be a harrowing introduction to job hunting. Revelio Labs, a comprehensive workforce database, recently reported a 160% increase in interviewees who received no reply from recruiters since 2018. In addition, recent graduates report an increase in “ghost listings” in which employers leave up job listings that are not actively being filled. Within the small pool of job listings that are actively hiring, positions marketed as entry level require experience that recent graduate students are unlikely to meet.
2024 has only shown a decline in hiring for fresh college graduates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the overall hiring pace of professional and business services was at its lowest since 2009. These career fields are often the first choice careers for many recent graduates, but instead, approximately 40% of recent graduates consider themselves “underemployed.” Underemployment is used to describe graduates working in jobs that do not require a college degree. While these jobs are valuable, students paying atrocious prices for higher education typically hope to pursue careers in their field of study. Wages are less likely to compensate for rent, groceries, and other living expenses, much less student loans. The prominence of artificial intelligence in professional settings has also contributed to the changing job market, with technology companies already slashing jobs and AI art devaluing real artists.
Even for students with significant work experience, the timeline of the pandemic has offset expectations. A majority of current college students began working amidst the pandemic or post-pandemic. Interview etiquette has shifted as the primary modality becomes virtual. Furthermore, while many new college graduates enjoy a hybrid work mode, positions that are purely remote can make the transition from school to full-time employment feel more difficult to navigate. The workplace environment we were promised as children seems vastly different post-pandemic and the lack of peer interaction can lead to a feeling of isolation and disconnection.
With these factors in mind, the idea of graduating and hunting for jobs feels bleak. While the student loan crisis and job scarcity are far from new issues, the consistency of a problem brings little comfort. If you’re like me, and you’re feeling exhausted trying to get to the next life checkpoint, let us take a quick second to celebrate the last one and know that you are not alone.