Job Hunting During A Pandemic: The Unprecedented Struggles Recent College Grads Are Facing

LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — The phrase “we are living in unprecedented times” has undoubtedly become a sort of mantra for over a year now as we recently passed the first anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of a global pandemic. This phrase especially rings true for college graduates who were one of the first to experience remote interviews and the difficulties of finding a job since the outbreak of COVID-19. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly two million students graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree, during the early stages of the pandemic.

The United States saw a massive spike in unemployment during the past year, and since trying to search for a job right out of college already has its challenges, this increase in the number of businesses letting people go only made it more difficult for the class of 2020. It impacted whether the recent graduates continued to look in their field or settled for anything to be employed. It also hurt their motivation to keep searching if they have been unsuccessful.

Anoi Hindle majored in economics at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and graduated in May 2020, but saw the pandemic take its toll on him.

“I had a vague knowledge of what I wanted to do upon graduation. I knew I wanted to work in the personal finance field, but given the current job market I am open to more than just that.” Hindle also explained that he was more hopeful and motivated at the beginning of his job search.

“After months of being turned down and struggling to find opportunities it has affected my motivation slightly,” Hindle said. “I am still actively searching for a job, but it does get hard after hearing the same things over and over again.”

When asked how the pandemic has made the job search more challenging he said, “Many companies are trying to let go of employees instead of hiring more, and if companies are looking to hire few people, they prefer individuals that have prior work experience which I do not have as a recent graduate.”

Entering the workforce in the early summer after they graduated with the country’s unemployment rate around 13%, the class of 2020 was up against more than the usual struggles of finding a job. Without much previous experience, employers were more likely to overlook recent graduates and hire people with some form of professional experience if they were hiring at all.

The lack of job openings had a different effect on Kerri Corcoran who graduated from State University of New York College at Plattsburgh in 2020 after majoring in Biochemistry.

During the quarantine period of last year, the only employees who did not work remotely were the essential workers, making it difficult for Corcoran and people like her.

“It’s a very different world for people within the STEM fields,” Corcoran explained. “Especially with the entry-level positions you get right out of college, you aren’t able to work remotely because you’re very hands-on and don’t hold a strategic role in the company yet.” The type of field the graduates were entering impacted their method of searching for starter jobs.

For Corcoran, her immediate goal was to get any experience in her field. As a highly motivated individual, she was driven by the looming impacts of quarantine to continue to find a job out of fear of being trapped at home.

“After some internships, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the biopharma industry,” Corcoran said. “For the most part, even when I was applying to jobs I didn’t have a specific role in mind. I was just trying to get my foot in the door and gain some experience in the industry so I can at least start to build my career and CV.”

The increase of remote jobs introduced new challenges for recent graduates to begin their careers. Corcoran knew the general direction she wanted to head, but because of the impact the pandemic had on businesses, her options were limited.

“When I was applying to jobs, a lot of smaller companies were hit hard by the pandemic, which resulted in a lot of hiring freezes,” Corcoran explained. “There were very limited opportunities to get the roles I preferred immediately. I had to take on a role as an Associate Scientist for a contract lab rather than go straight into the industry.”

It is not unusual for recent college grads to start in a position that is not their end goal and have to work their way to their preferred passion over the years, but the decrease in the number of introductory jobs has further harmed new members of the workforce in ways not seen before.

Many still try to remain positive throughout his job search experience.

“It is hard, especially right now, but it’s possible,” Hindle said. “No matter how many times you get told no, all it takes is one yes. This has helped me a lot during the pandemic. Every time you get turned down, learn from it and try and present yourself as a better candidate for the next company.”