Pictured Above: Kristen Boehm (left), a senior journalism and mass communications major, remains optimistic about her job prospects after graduation, even if she doesn’t end up in her desired field right away. Dominique Miller, a senior environmental science and policy major with a concentration in sustainability, has already secured a position with a large company and encourages other seniors to look into large companies as well.
Courtesy of Kristen Boehm and Dominique Miller
By Catherine Hicks
In the wake of COVID-19’s devastation on the U.S economy and job market, college graduates of 2020 and 2021 face an unexpected battle with employment.
These students began their senior and junior years amid one of the healthiest economies in decades, only to graduate into a shaky and an unpredictable one, but many remain optimistic in the face of the challenge.
According to the job site Glassdoor, job postings in May 2020 calling for entry-level job seekers were down 68 percent compared to the year prior. A CareerUp survey of 2,000 internship applicants shows that more than 50 percent of summer internships were cancelled because of COVID-19.
NACE’s Job Outlook 2021 survey showed that 52.5 percent of employers expect to maintain their hiring levels and processes from 2020 into 2021, while 16.5 percent expect to increase their hiring levels and 31 percent to decrease their new graduate hirings.
Studies also show that recent graduates are overwhelmingly flocking to tech industry giants, such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and TikTok.
This is the case for Dominique Miller, a senior environmental science and policy major with a concentration in sustainability finishing her second bachelor’s degree at USF St. Petersburg.
Miller was able to secure a job out of state with a large company in their safety department, a field Miller has previous experience in.
“(My) suggestions to seniors’ who are looking for employment after school: Start looking now,” Miller said. “Your final semester is the best time to prep that resume or curriculum vitae for whichever degree path you seek. The career center is an excellent tool. Also, foster relationships with professors you performed well with and ask for letters of recommendation.”
She also encourages her classmates to look at major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon.
“A lot of the large companies… are hiring recent graduates right out of the gate and have a ton of opportunities for you with competitive salaries. I’m lucky enough to have secured a position in an area I love,” Miller said.
“Create a LinkedIn profile and start networking. Recruiters will reach out to you directly on there if your profile is filled out enough. Additionally, having a website to showcase any (works) will help.”
For Kristen Boehm, a senior journalism and mass communications major graduating in summer of 2021, there isn’t complete certainty about finding a job in her field of choice.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to find work in my field and just start doing jobs. One of my classes this semester is about creating a resume and portfolio, and I’m in an internship that will help (give) me experience,” Boehm said. “I’m going to be looking around during school for (employers) that might be willing to take an entry level fresh college graduate. Other than that, the plan is to just keep surviving.”
Boehm remains optimistic about her job prospects after graduation, even if she doesn’t end up in her desired field right away.
“I’m (about) 70 percent confident I’ll be able to find something in the field I want right away, but I’m 95 percent confident I’ll be able to maintain at least some form of employment,” Boehm said. “I’ve been working a day job my entire time in college, so if I can’t land a big gig right out of school I still know I’ll be okay.”
Boehm also believes COVID-19 guidelines have made her and employers open to novel opportunities.
“I’m more open to online or long-distance work now because of the pandemic, and I think employers will be, too.”
