Undergraduates may be holding on to their graduation caps more tightly this year than in previous years. Facing waves of uncertainty after the semester closes is not a new story—many successful and gripping coming-of-age films have been made about it. But the Class of 2025 is navigating particularly rough waters.
Here’s How I Found Handshake Student Jobs Platform In New Release a report Which surveyed 1,925 incoming seniors. In a temperature check, the college career platform got a pretty tepid result. More than half (57%) of the Class of 2025 said they felt pessimistic about starting their careers. Last year, that figure stood at just 49% of the graduating class.
The source of these dark clouds is the deteriorating job market, as students apply for additional jobs and work harder to secure employment. Concerns surrounding student loan debt, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the current state of politics have also contributed to the growing sense of gloom, the report found. Faced with a different set of circumstances, this group is shifting its priorities.
“Faced with a challenging economic landscape, recent Gen Z graduates are taking a markedly different approach to their career goals than their older peers who graduated before 2021,” said Kristin Cruzvergara, Director of Education Strategy at Handshake. luck“I have noticed that previous cycles prioritized flexibility and work-life balance; more recent cycles have shown an increasing preference for stability and meaningful work.”
In other words, this young generation of Gen Zers is looking to secure a steady job. And that makes sense, given how difficult it has been for them to even get a job. Reports of job searches becoming increasingly long and drawn-out over the years have been emerging. This situation is partly due to the increasing leverage of employers following layoffs and the automation of the hiring process, Hilary Hofor writes for The Verge. Fast company.
“Success in this market requires a strategic and deliberate approach, and seniors are already taking proactive steps to stand out,” said Cruzvergara, who described the aspirational category as “short-term pessimistic and long-term optimistic.” Fears of a different market are not unfounded, with Handshake reporting that job creation on its platform this year “lags 2023 levels, consistent with national trends.” In response, “the number of applications per job was significantly higher than any of the past five years,” fueling the frenzy.
Undergraduates, however, trust the institution. They may be preparing for a more challenging end to their four years, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost faith in the system itself. Eighty-eight percent said college contributed a lot or a fair amount to their personal growth and development, and 85 percent said the experience shaped their career goals. Students are now preparing for a longer and potentially more difficult journey to their dream job. Many students, 45 percent, expect to change career paths at least once in their careers.
The yellow brick road to an entry-level position is getting longer these days, however. The current class has already spent more than 30 hours researching potential career paths. That comes after the Class of 2024 sent out 64 percent more job applications last year than the seniors who preceded them. The Class of 2025 is set to continue the tradition, having already submitted an average of 24 percent more applications per job compared to the Class of 2024 at the same time last year.
While this competition for jobs is the main source of stress (64%), with additional concerns about job security and adequate pay, worries about student loans (54%), generative AI and the upcoming election (45%) adding fuel to the fire.
Concern about loans has increased among women, black students, and first-generation college graduates, Handshake noted, as these groups are more likely to take on debt. And while the fate of federal relief remains uncertain along with a myriad of other social and economic issues, nearly half (46%) of respondents say the fate of the 2024 presidential election will impact their careers. Adding to the uncertainty is the implementation of artificial intelligence, which many Class of 2025 want to see slowed down, please. Most (70%) say generative AI should be more tightly regulated.
“I applied to over 100 jobs before I got my current internship,” the 2025 finance major told Handshake in the report. “I’m going through this process with one company now and it’s going well, but if it doesn’t work out I’m going to start applying to as many jobs as I can.”