The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the job market for many, including class of 2020 college graduates. These students were planning to graduate into a strong job market, but the coronavirus pandemic changed many of their plans. For those who did not have a job lined up for post-graduation and were searching for one, it is now very difficult to find work. Many companies are not hiring anymore and are laying off employees. Some college graduates had jobs and lost them due to the pandemic. They have had to start looking for other opportunities as well. The more lucky college graduates who have jobs lined up for the fall (and who still have these jobs despite the pandemic) now face potentially lower earnings, as is the case for many who enter the job market during a recession.
Some college grads are choosing to enter graduate school in order to delay looking for a job in these circumstances, or to gain more specialized skills in order to be more competitive candidates when they do resume to search for a job. Many students are also looking for different types of jobs than the ones they had in mind six months ago. This pandemic and the pressure put on new graduates by the recession caused by the pandemic are making grads less selective about their job prospects.
The particular circumstances of the pandemic and its unpredictability make typical ideas about job security obsolete. Companies and industries that one would normally assume to be safe in terms of job security are proving to not be secure in light of coronavirus. This is a challenging time for anyone searching for a job, but especially for those just starting out their careers. Hopefully the effects of the pandemic will not permanently change the job market and job prospects.
Leave a comment