How COVID-19 is affecting the job market for upcoming college graduates

By Salimah McCullough | Published by May 5, 2020    

Upcoming college graduates may be preparing to enter into the careers of their dreams as we reach the end of the semester. But the Coronavirus pandemic has created obstacles for members of the class of 2020 looking to land a job as the job market is being affected greatly. 

All jobs and businesses are closed with the exception of essential workers and businesses. Essential workers include but are not limited to healthcare workers, public health/ community health workers, law enforcement, grocery store clerks, and farmers to name a few. 

This leaves many college students and upcoming members of the American job market feeling discouraged and/or lost when it comes to searching for a job during this global crisis.

“[The coronavirus] is definitely affecting those with internships looking to get their foot in the door of their careers after school,” Theater Arts major Jordan Brown said. “I’m now unemployed thanks to the virus.”

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) ran a poll during the month of April asking colleges and employees for their response on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting jobs and internships right now. Based on 122 employer responses, 22% of employers are revoking offers to interns. Only 53% of employers are revoking full-time offers, based off of 22 responses. On April 3, 65% of employers planned to make changes to their internship programs and by April 30, that number went up to 83%. 

“I feel there’s no point [in applying to jobs right now] since the only available jobs are in food [services],” said Brown. “If COVID-19 isn’t over before 2022, my plans after college were to pursue a career in media and film.”  

As of April 30, an additional 3.8 million people filed for unemployment bringing the total to 30 million Americans that have filed so far, according to The U.S. Department of Labor. Economists say the economy hasn’t seen numbers like this since The Great Depression in the 1930s. During the years of 1929 to 1933, 15 million people lost jobs. Another huge job market crash was during the Great Recession. The Great Recession lasted from 2007 to 2009 and led to 9 million people unemployed. 

While some may feel as though the Coronavirus outbreak has discouraged them from applying to jobs, Kean alumna Petruce Jean- Charles feels the opposite. 

“Coronavirus hasn’t really affected applying for jobs,” said Jean-Charles, Master’s student at American University. “If anything, I am using most of my downtime to apply for remote positions. Luckily my school is still doing online career fairs and posting online jobs”   

Many colleges have career centers, and with the switch to remote education, they are still offering services. At Kean University, the Career Services center is still offering resources for students and upcoming grads remotely. 

“We are offering all of our services virtually,” said Jessica Barzilay, Acting Director of Career Services & International Studies. “[That includes] resume reviews, mock interviews, career advice, and more online presentations.” 

Career Services is currently about to launch a virtual internship presentation as well as a presentation with tips for interviewing remotely. They have also currently launched a Kean Career Services LinkedIn page to make sure students can stay connected and grow their networks virtually. 

According to an article on CBS News, “If Americans remain out of work for much of 2020, economists say it would send the nation deeper into an already existing recession that would hurt [the class of 2020] for years to come”. 

In regards to seeking jobs right now, Barzilay wants to remind students to make sure they highlight the resilience and flexibility they have developed over the past few weeks while searching for jobs. Employers are actively looking for characteristics such as the ability to pivot and the ability to work remotely during this pandemic. 

“Also, they should broaden their search,” Barzilay said. “They may not get the job they were picturing and may not start in their preferred industry, but people are hiring.” 

 

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