Most College Students Optimistic about Job Prospects Despite Pandemic
Though the coronavirus pandemic has created challenges for colleges as they balance in-person and virtual learning, students remain hopeful that the situation won’t hurt their ability to find a job once they graduate.
Barnes & Noble Education, a provider of education materials, surveyed college students to see whether the coronavirus outbreak had dampened their expectations about the future. It found that while the uncertainty caused by the pandemic hasn’t swayed most students from their chosen career paths, it has still created financial challenges for some.
The sweet spot for landing a job
A majority of respondents indicated that a job is the next major chapter of their lives. When asked what they expected to be doing six months after graduating…
62% expected to be working at a full-time job
27% expected to be working at a part-time job
22% expected to be taking part in a full-time internship
However, respondents were mixed on how long it would take them to find that first job after graduation. Nearly half of students surveyed (48%) said they were optimistic that they would find a job within two to six months after they graduate. A smaller percentage (15%) expected it to only take a month to find a job, although 14% said they believed it would take six months or longer.
Among respondents who had recently graduated, 56% said they were confident that they would find a job in their chosen field, while 24% were uncertain of that.
The pandemic’s effect
Despite their optimism for the future, many students reported that the pandemic has had a negative impact on their college experience.
More than half (53%) said the move to online learning decreased their academic confidence, with 52% pointing specifically to the dependence on virtual interactions as a problem.
Similarly, 46% said they expect the uncertainty of the pandemic to impact their ability to find a job in the months immediately following graduation. The good news, however, is that most are still intending to move forward with their career plans, as only 13% said they plan to make adjustments to those plans because of the current situation.
Many students also reported concern over the pandemic’s impact on their financial situations: Most (74%) work part-time or full-time while in college, but many have experienced furloughs, layoffs and lost wages amidst the pandemic.
As a result, 44% said the COVID-19 outbreak has affected their ability to pay for college. Among first-generation students — those who are the first in their families to go to college — that proportion rose to 56%.
Paying back student loans is also a concern, as 58% of respondents said they worried about being able to repay their college debt — in particular, 66% were concerned about finding a job that pays enough to handle repayment.
Methodology: Barnes & Noble College Insights, the market research division of Barnes & Noble College, surveyed 1,330 college students across the country in May 2020.
