TAMPA, Fla. -- College seniors are about to graduate and enter the work force at a difficult time. Nationwide, millions of people have either been laid off, furloughed, or terminated.
So how are new grads going to manage to find a job?
Here are 3 things college grads should remember:
- Colleges and University Career Centers are holding virtual job fairs and seminars, setting up Zoom interviews with companies that are hiring and urging students to network.
- Career counselors say new graduates need to be flexible. They may have to consider pivoting to businesses that are still doing well right now, even if that means a career change.
- Resist the urge to put off job hunting until the crisis passes. Continue actively looking for a job.
One career expert says while the job market is "unpredictable," new grads shouldn't give up hope.
College career centers at University of Tampa and other campuses are working overtime trying to help upcoming grads cope.
"We've had students that have gotten internship offers, we've had students that have gotten full-time offers, but we've also had the opposite of that. We've had students that have had their start dates delayed because of this in certain industries and we've had others who've had offers rescinded temporarily," Mark Colvenback, UT Director of Career Services, said.
Career counselors say they're concerned some new grads will just give up looking and think "I won't worry about it until the crisis is over," but they say that is a big mistake.
"Jobs aren't going to fall out of the sky either," Colvenback said.
At UT they're hosting virtual job fairs and seminars, setting up Zoom interviews and encouraging students to network. They're also advising grads to consider targeting businesses that are still doing well right now, even if it means a career change.
Employment experts say the current crop of college students could actually have a leg up in the job market because of their digital know-how during these "virtual" times.