When someone brings up the current state of the job market, I feel like people tend to underestimate how rough it is to find a stable enough income nowadays unless they are the ones actively seeking for work themselves. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), about 40-45% of full-time college students pursuing an undergraduate degree work while attending college, 35-40% of those students work primarily to cover basic living expenses such as food, housing, and utilities, while others work to contribute towards finances in tuition, student loans, or debt. So if you are currently experiencing burnout on your job search as a student, here is why you may want to diverge your expectations upon yourself, as there are other factors that you should consider that are out of your control and could be affecting your chances as a potential job candidate.Â
The shift in the Job market with remote opportunities in 2024
When we look further into the timeline of the job market, many of the top industries were significantly impacted by the pandemic back in 2020-2022. The pandemic brought work into people’s homes (WFH) as an option to get work done remotely, and as technology rapidly advances, it has now become people’s preference to stay inside and continue working in their own space. But in 2024, companies like Amazon and other big tech corporations are now mandating that all their employees must go back in office, making the trends of remoteness decline. This makes remote jobs even more competitive to get with the huge pool of people wanting its accessibility that is currently shifting in the job world.
Stories about others on social media (you’re not alone!)
Many people have gone to social media as a response to the job market. For instance, influencers Adam Salerno and Kelsey Ducasy have gained a Tiktok following in a series they call “No Direction”, which talks about the reality of post graduation after college. They explain that moving to a big city such as Tampa, Florida, has been tougher to manage in the time of economic inflation and hiring recruitment. They discuss how they’ve had previous experience working in the food service industry, but as they are try to find another food service job since their move, every restaurant they’ve called has been on “slow season” when it came to employment. At this point, they question if this is really true or if no one is hiring because the job market is over-saturated by too many people looking for jobs. This further demonstrates how social media has romanticized moving into a big city after college for work—when that isn’t the financial case for all postgraduate students to afford. All in all, they mainly express the expectations they had for employment after post-grad versus their reality, and how difficult the job market is to transition to based on their personal experiences.
Moving on, a former UCLA professor Dr. Daniel McKeown speaks up on social media to retaliate against UCLA putting him on administrative leave and their threat to take away his courses in the fall. He first posted on social media advocating for himself on the fact that he wasn’t paid enough to afford working at UCLA. As previously mentioned, living in such a big city can come with a lot more financial difficulty than it would seem on social media. This shows how it’s not just about the job positions, but the salaries for those jobs that have also played a role in why people can’t find jobs that fulfill all of their needs. People like Dr. McKeown are not getting paid enough for what they do when they’ve acquired the expertise in it, such as a Masters degree and Doctoral degree (PHD). Dr. McKeown has released a documentary called How I Became A Homeless Physics Professor, as well as a Youtube channel and Patreon where he’s continuing to educate and teach lectures on physics. You can show support to the teaching community through his channel here: @dr.danielmckeownastrophysics.
college students being the top Job demographic (how to avoid the bad ones)
Another reason why the job market may be difficult is because college students fit the demographic of being naive and vulnerable, desiring experience before they go into the “real world” so that it’s easier to find a stable career after finishing their education. Students are desperate now more than ever to start early, which could lead to risky situations like accidentally going into businesses that don’t portray themselves as true, such as pyramid schemes and other scams. Here are some things to look out for during your job search process to avoid these issues.
The first thing to proceed with caution are frequent job postings that ask you to “comment your email” to receive a job application link. Common platforms like LinkedIn use this tactic to harvest personal information or to gain followers, while legitimate companies would usually have a more structured application process that would not ask you to publicly share your email in the comments section for contact.Â
As mentioned before, remote work has been popularized by many people. Some scams may promote overly flexible jobs with vague responsibilities, or state that thrive solely on commission-based roles but with no salary. Therefore, even though these qualities may sound appealing, you should ensure that there is a fair pay structure in place rather than only commissions. Overall, research and verify information about the job posting and companies you are applying to for these jobs and internships.Â
Tips on maneuvering the job pitfall
So how can one truly maneuver the pitfall of the job market after all the high-risks of scams and such an over-saturated amount of people looking for a line of work? Well, you can stand out as a candidate by learning new skills that can boost your resume. For example, one can use this time of finding jobs to also do an online course for a First-aid and CPR certification, which could up-skill a resume if one was looking to work in a field with children. Another tip is to demonstrate interest to other companies when it comes to multiple round interviews. Just sending a quick follow up email can show how appreciative you are and make you stand out among the many other applicants receiving interviews. Lastly, is to use all of the resources and benefits you have available in not only the internet, but with educational institutions. Universities such as Chico State have a career center on campus that provides help with resume building, finding authentic internships and jobs and more.
As the job market remains challenging, it is easy to give up on hope, but it is safe to say that you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished so far and for what you have already overcome. Job cuts and wages have contributed to these harsh economic conditions, so remind yourself that social media can be deceiving, and everyone’s journey is different with their job and career. Keep those supportive around you and move forward with optimism, as you will soon get to where you belong!