Why Is It So Hard For Recent College Graduates To Find A Decent Job? (2024)

FAQs

Why Is It So Hard For Recent College Graduates To Find A Decent Job? ›

The job market is extremely competitive, as more and more Americans attain college degrees. Furthermore, employers are requiring unrealistic professional experience for entry-level positions, making it difficult for recent graduates to compete in the job market.

Gain Clarity About The Job You Want

Many college graduates struggle to find a job because they are not clear about what they want. Spend some time creating a clear vision of the kind of job you are looking for, the industry you want to work in, and the skills and experiences you offer and want to gain.

High competition: Many graduates are entering the job market at the same time, vying for the same positions. Uncertainty about career path: Many graduates may not be sure about their ideal field or role, leading to less focused job searches.

It's common to have difficulty finding a job in your field (or sometimes any job) after graduating.

Some experts say that companies and workers are having a hard time meeting each others' needs right now. But Goldstein pinpoints three specific factors fueling the job search drag. For one, there's still spillover from the layoffs we've seen this year and last at companies who overhired during the pandemic.

As more companies pause hiring, they're trimming their talent acquisition teams, too, says Kaplan, which means there are fewer people to manage job postings and respond to applicants, further exacerbating confusion in the job market.

“College often gives you a safety cushion between adolescence and full-on adulthood,” Peterson says. “Now it's time to get a job, pay back loans, and start meeting all the other all expectations and responsibilities of adulthood. That can cause a lot of angst.” Your friendships and social life have changed.

It takes about three to six months for the average college graduate to find a job after college. As of September 2023, the unemployment rate for bachelor's degree holders was 2.2% compared to 4% for those only holding a high school diploma.

You're not making personal connections

Take a targeted approach by creating a list of companies where you'd like to find your first job, and then share it with your sphere. “Speak to every single person in your network,” says Carbia. “You never know where your next job is going to come from.”

3. What is a disadvantage of graduating from college and looking for a job in the spring? The disadvantage for that is that you are competing with other graduates to get a job so it could possibly be very hard considering everyone else probably has more experience than you do. 4.

Why is it so hard to get a job in 2024? ›

Coupled with slow wage growth and inflation, job-seekers are facing a tough time today. A recruiter has now explained why it is so hard to find jobs in 2024. Kourtlynn Faith says layoffs in recruiting divisions across companies could be one factor as to why these companies are slow to fill vacancies.

More than half of recent four-year college graduates, 52 percent, are underemployed a year after they graduate, according to a new report from Strada Institute for the Future of Work and the Burning Glass Institute. A decade after graduation, 45 percent of them still don't hold a job that requires a four-year degree.

The latest unemployment rate for recent graduates, at 4.4 percent, is higher than the overall joblessness rate and nearly double the rate for all workers with a college degree, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Whether you're new to the workforce or have several years of experience in your industry, the job search can be challenging. Common obstacles include the tendency for companies to hire internally and the prominence of qualified candidates.

Here are three reasons you might be struggling: You haven't picked a career path that might fit you best. You need more training or experience to get the job you want. You need to narrow down a direction.

While the loss of skills and experience through retirement is certainly a contributing factor, the leading cause of the skills shortage is the integration of advanced technology, AI and automation in the workplace.

It takes about three to six months for the average college graduate to find a job after college. As of September 2023, the unemployment rate for bachelor's degree holders was 2.2% compared to 4% for those only holding a high school diploma.

Survey reveals tough job market for Gen Z grads due to employer preferences. WASHINGTON (TND) — A recent survey found nearly 40% of employers avoid hiring recent college graduates in favor of older employees. According to Intelligent.com, Gen Z college graduates are struggling with many aspects of professional life.

Key Takeaways. College graduates are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers who only have a high school degree. Typical earnings for bachelor's degree holders are $40,500 or 86 percent higher than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma.

For most, it's a ticket to their first major career milestone. And great news: many students are reaping the benefits of their academic success to find their way into their first jobs! College graduates ages 25 to 34 boast an employment rate of 86%, based on a 2017 study by the National Center for Education Statistics.