By Sophia Glenn
Let’s go ahead and get the elephant out of the room– as college seniors, we are all secretly freaking out. At this point, it shouldn’t be so taboo to talk about the struggles of finding a job because, right now, it feels nearly impossible. May’s graduation is right around the corner, and once we walk across that stage, there are no more excuses. Just as we are expected to breathe air, we are also expected to have an excellent job set up straight out of college. It seems easy enough. Wrong!
Over the past four years, the opportunity to secure a well-paying job straight out of college has gotten more challenging, especially after the whole world shut down in 2020. People were laid off, companies filed for bankruptcy, and everyone seemed to struggle financially. People were forced to start from ground zero and rebuild their lives there. The problem with that is now everyone is competing for the same things. It could be a better situation.
One of the many problems college students are facing is not only trying to compete with those who already have years of experience, but ultimately, we are competing with each other. More Americans are starting to get degrees than in previous years, and now employers are looking for more than just a diploma when hiring. If we think back to when our parents or even grandparents were looking for jobs at our age, it was a much simpler experience. They may have had a handful of applicants for one singular position, compared to today, where one position may have hundreds and even thousands of applicants. This makes it even more difficult to stand out to recruiters since, most of the time, the first few waves of the review process are conducted through A.I. This means if my application does not match specific keywords the employer programmed it to scan for, my application will most likely never even be looked over by an actual person.
I know from experience that some positions listed as “entry-level” require 2-3 years of professional experience. So basically, to get hired, we need experience, but to get experience, we need to get hired…how does that make any sense? I think for many of us, “frustrated” is an understatement.
Many students see their peers’ accomplishments posted online and feel like everyone else has their lives figured out. The reality is that more students are in the same boat as you. One out of three college graduates need help finding work, especially in their field. So don’t let your friends’ LinkedIn posts discourage you.
The stress of this situation is not easy to deal with, and we are in our last semester of college, which can also be overwhelming. This can directly affect students’ mental health, causing an increase in anxiety and depression. Knowing you are not alone is an important part of the process. Talking to family, friends, school counselors, and even your professors can be a great way to get tips on how to move forward.
Contact (813)-253-6250 for more information about the U.T. counseling center, and email counseling@ut.edu for weekly support groups.