What the job market looks like for graduating seniors

Seniors across the country are walking across the stage, accepting their diplomas, and victoriously tossing their caps up into the air of endless possibilities. A moment of pure elation and accomplishment. Four years of hard work and dedication towards a solid future is now behind them and the world of endless career possibilities awaits. But how hard will it be for the Class of 2023 to secure well-paying first jobs out of school? Harder than one might think.

Many employers are scaling back their plans to hire new graduates. According to this CNBC article, employers project to hire 4% more new college graduates than they did last year, but that is still down from the year before. So what can these fresh, ready to work professionals do to stand out from the heavily saturated job applicant pool? Let’s dive in.

First and most importantly, start your job search early! Like super early, like you should have already started it about six months before you graduated. If you haven’t started to look for employment yet, allow six months to a year to find that first job out of college. Graduates should be sending out their resumes and interviewing with as many companies as possible. Make sure that every resume and cover letter you submit is tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Up next, the age old saying of “it’s not what you know, but who you know,” still rings true. Build your professional network. Attend campus career fairs, go talk to employers, shake a few hands and share a few smiles. In person networking can go a long way and don’t forget to utilize online networking tools like LinkedIn, Indeed, Facebook and even apps like Instagram and TikTok. There are no limits when it comes to building your post-grad black book. 

Finding a job takes a lot of work. New grads need to have resilience. Luckily, they have time and age on their side. Be prepared to get a lot of rejection emails or no responses at all. All it takes is one yes, but oftentimes to get that yes, you have to receive a lot of no’s.

Job searching isn’t for the weak. It takes determination, a little innovation, and a lot of persistence. If you need your resume updated or help with writing your first cover letter, check out Our Services and Schedule your Free Consultation with Birch Group Career Growth Services today!