More than 16 million people have filed for unemployment as businesses halt their hiring process
Career counselors compare the dynamic to the 2008 recession but say there is hope for today's graduates.
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Kenny Conrade, a 21-year-old Hofstra University senior, echoes concerns heard around the country from young adults. Conrade was set to graduate in May.
Though his ceremony has been pushed back, he’s still getting his diploma, but what he’s not getting are job offers.
“Toward the end of March, like the last week in March, I'm not hearing back. I'm not hearing back, 'yes' or 'no' for anybody, and I'm not even seeing a lot of new jobs posted," Conrade said.
This “blackout” is a new reality for many seniors. Over 10 million people have filed for unemployment as businesses halt their hiring process and many soon-to-be degree holders who don't have jobs yet wonder whether they should even bother looking for one. (Elina Shirazi)
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"I'm looking for jobs, especially in sports public relations and those jobs just stopped being posted altogether … I think the feeling for seniors just on the college experience is that you kind of watch the movie. You're really into it. You watch like 80 percent of it and then you just had a blackout. That's kind of the way it feels for me is that one Sunday night, Hofstra was just like we're not opening this week, there may be a student with coronavirus, and then we never went back to school.”
This “blackout” is a new reality for many seniors. Over 10 million people have filed for unemployment as businesses halt their hiring process and many soon-to-be degree holders who don't have jobs yet wonder whether they should even bother looking for one.
“Disappointed is definitely what I'm feeling the most,” said 22-year-old American University broadcast journalism student Penny Kmitt, who had been set to graduate in May. Her university in Washington, D.C. is continuing with the ceremony virtually, instead of postponing the day, as many other universities have opted to do.
American University communications student Penny Kmitt, who is 22, had been set to graduate in May. Her university in Washington, D.C. is continuing with the ceremony virtually, instead of postponing the day as many other universities have opted to do. (Elina Shirazi)
“Commencement is still on the same date but now it's virtual, which ... feels really undeserving. I'd rather have them postponed it to a [later] time, or maybe in December when other people graduate," Kmitt said. "Virtual graduation just for some reason leaves a bad taste in my mouth. As for jobs, I had a really, really great position this year, being the sideline reporter for American University's men and women's basketball TV. I had this leg up, I had been on air, not just clubs and stuff. So I was really excited. I was starting to get kind of relevant in the basketball industry, like networking and meeting people. But now, sports are not being played. So I can't have a job in sports. You know, it’s just not possible."
Career counselors compare the dynamic to the 2008 recession but say there is hope for today's graduates to succeed in the job market, even if it takes time for the economy to rebound. (Elina Shirazi)
While Kmitt also shares concerns entering the workforce, she says one of the worst feelings are of being robbed of her senior experience.
Penny Kmitt poses alongside her Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters during a soccer kickoff charity event at American University. (Elina Shirazi)
“Coronavirus disrupted my year both socially, academically and emotionally. It really hit me as a student on so many different fronts. I feel like I did not get to say goodbye to people, to my college experience, to kind of still being a kid in a way. Now, I'm just applying everywhere and I am just going to take the time to think about it and figure my life out.”
Amanda Rizza, a senior at the University of Connecticut majoring in Communication and minoring in Psychological Sciences, says she is also feeling the anxiety of finding a job, but is trying to focus on the big picture.
Amanda Rizza is a senior at the University of Connecticut majoring in Communication and minoring in Psychological Sciences. She says she is also feeling the anxiety of finding a job, but is trying to focus on the big picture.
“It is one thing to be a senior stressed about finding a job, but it is a whole other situation trying to begin a post-graduate career during a pandemic to this magnitude," Rizza said. "Dealing with this while also balancing online academics and a part-time student job that I was able to continue remotely, is a daily challenge. I am grateful to be able to continue my academics and current job through the University of Connecticut, but the future is quite unknown for students who are in the same boat as me. It is stressful and anxiety-provoking, but all we can do is take one day at a time."
Michelle Kyriakides, executive director of Hofstra's career center, said: “We've been hearing about just a general sense of anxiety concerning the economy and what's going to happen. They see their relatives potentially losing their jobs, being furloughed and not knowing what that's going to mean for themselves."
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According to the latest employment data, the economy lost 701,000 jobs last month, causing the unemployment rate to rise from 3.5 percent in February to 4.4 percent by the end of March. Career counselors compare the dynamic to the 2008 recession but say there is hope for today's graduates to succeed in the job market, even if it takes time for the economy to rebound.
“I was a bit nervous, but when we're talking to our employer partners, they are still preparing for this to pick back up after COVID ends, which is optimistic for me and something we're trying to share," Kyriakides said. "Industries that often hire in bulk are still hiring in bulk, so the accounting students are doing OK. We're seeing a big pick-up in the amount of opportunities in health care and in technology, of course, because everyone has been virtual.
A look at Hofstra University's Sports and Exhibition complex on campus. (Elina Shirazi)
"Hospitality is a bit of a challenge right now," Kyriakides admitted. "So those are some of the internships and jobs that are kind of being put on hold at this point. I do think the nursing students are likely going to end up getting jobs. You know, I know I'm here in New York, so we're getting nurses from all over the country to help us out."
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Conrade said he was trying to keep in mind that he wasn't the only one struggling.
"It really might not have anything to do with your resumé or your cover letter or your experiences and so much the fact that there's an event that hasn’t happened, maybe ever, going on right now in the world," Conrade said. "Nobody's unaffected by this whole situation. So I think that that's maybe a little bit encouraging in a sense, where you feel like it's not just you."
He added, "For me, I think my game plan going forward is really just to keep looking at job openings, keep the search on, I guess, for now. I think that it's going to be like [it is] for everybody else, to kind of just ride it out and see what happens."
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