Articles flood my daily news check with headlines such as “Why Today’s Graduates Are Screwed” in The Economist and “New Grads Need More Than A High GPA” from LinkedIn. As a soon-to-be graduate student, these articles freak me out.
Unlike those of decades past, graduating college students are facing nearly impossible hiring requirements. It seems like every job requires years of prior experience or a stupid connection to the company. Most college students don’t have these things, though. So what do we do then?
The overall consensus among college students graduating this spring is that they plan to move home. Whether to save money, take a break, or due to challenges in finding a job, nearly everyone I know is returning home after graduation.
I find it reassuring when I read blogs or even see TikToks about graduated college students still living at home or still looking for a full-time job. It makes me feel less alone and less hopeless. It may take us longer to find jobs, but at least we are all in it together. So, I spoke to a few students graduating from the University of Iowa this May to see what their plans are post-graduation.
Sydney Ryberg, a journalism student at the UI, is looking for jobs in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite her experience working and interning in marketing over the last 4 years of college, she faces the same opportunity shortages as others. She networks wherever possible with still no luck, and has ultimately decided to move home to St. Paul, work at her serving alma mater, and earn some money while continuing her search for a job in the journalism world.
Eli Stammler, a biochemistry and molecular biology student at the UI, has had a better experience with the job market. Eli says he will be applying for medical school after graduation, and during that process, he also has a job lined up with Kansas City City Councilor Nathan Willet’s campaign for Congress.
“The job market has honestly been pretty simple and easy to get various jobs and offers,” Stammler said. “It’s ultimately a byproduct of relationships you’ve been able to build and develop, and comfort level with putting yourself out there.”
Grace Wethington, a marketing student at the UI, said she interned at a company called ADP in Minneapolis last summer. She was offered a job after graduation. At first, she was looking for other opportunities in different cities with possibly a higher pay, but she ultimately decided on sticking with ADP for now because she knows she likes the company, and it will be a familiar way to start her journey in the workforce.
Wethington said that even if you are applying for a million jobs, you may only hear back from half, get an interview at a few, and getting to the offer stage is borderline unheard of.
Jon O’Keefe, another graduating senior, says that he found an internship through connections with other people. He is also in the second round of interviews for a copywriting job in Chicago. Jon says that while he is confident about the interviews he has coming up, he is still applying for other jobs to fall back on just in case.
As for me, an English and creative writing student, I am excitedly waiting to hear back from the Teaching Assistant Program in France. It’s an incredible opportunity to travel, explore a new culture, and gain valuable experience while earning money. I’d be teaching English to young students in France for just 12 hours a week, which makes it even more appealing.
The job market feels daunting and overwhelming for graduating seniors, but consider all the different paths people are taking. It is easy to feel hopeless and unmotivated to continue the treacherous journey of finding a job, but these alternate paths we take will eventually provide us with experience we can use in the future.