Congrats to the class of 202

As the class of 2024 exits college and enters the workforce, the job market may not be exactly what they have been expecting. In fact, it can be rough out there. It might prompt some to question whether they should go for another major, or even a minor, to get an edge.

“Not at the expense of being able to do an internship, absolutely not,” Briana Randall told KUOW’s Soundside.

Randall is executive director of the Career & Internship Center the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. She was among three experts Soundside spoke with on the topic — new college grads looking for a job.

LISTEN TO SOUNDSIDE’S FULL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2024 HERE

Whether it was Western Washington University economic professor Hart Hodges, or Bonnie Dilber, a recruiting manager for the tech company Zapier, the sentiment was the same: “Experience” is what employers are seeking these days.

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It’s an important point, given that the current job market has some hurdles for newcomers, especially when it comes to white-collar jobs.

“I think a lot of people, when you go to college, you imagine yourself working in a corporate setting in a tech company, at one of those big, well-known companies, and those are the exact places that have been going through layoffs,” Dilber said, adding that such companies “are really scaling back on hiring right now.”

Job market

Some of this “scaling back” is a response to economic uncertainty, or because companies over-hired during 2021 and 2022, amid the pandemic.

“Now, they really have what they need and they’re being a lot pickier when they’re hiring,” Dilber said.

As a recruiting manager, Dilber sees hundreds of applications, so many that she notes some applicants don’t even get rejection letters and qualified applicants are often turned away.

Professor Hodges told Soundside that there has recently been less hiring for STEM fields that many college students have been studying for. More hiring is happening in the leisure and hospitality sector.

“It can be very mixed in terms of what they will find,” Hodges said.

Over at UW’s Career & Internship Center, Randall says there are plenty to choose from — nearly 32,000 jobs and 5,000 internships. The catch is that they are not always with companies students may be aiming for.

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“So there are plenty of jobs, but that’s not the case in all industries, and that’s not the case with all companies,” Randall said. “So we really encourage students to think a little bit more broadly and be open minded than they might be naturally inclined to do.”

Four job-search tips for the class of 2024

Throughout the conversation on Soundside, all agreed on a handful of points for the class of 2024.

1. Go for experience (internships and strong leadership experiences). Employers are looking less at GPA scores and more at experience.
2. Network. Talk to people in the field you’re aiming for. Get to know folks.
3. Your first job won’t be your last. You will changes jobs, and even careers. Take a job that provides experience. Maybe it’s not your dream job, but it gives you skills that you can put toward your next job. And instead of going for that major company right away, consider working for a small- or medium-sized company.
4. Location, location, location. Whereas remote work was common over the past few years, geography has become a factor once again. While many may want to stay around Seattle, their home, or another area, they may have to move to a new place to get started.

Perhaps it’s time to think outside your degree

There is a fifth tip that Dilber brought up: College grads may want to think outside their degree for future careers. While these experts could speak plenty about the issues facing the white-collar job market, the trades are seeking younger employees, but are having difficulty attracting them. Such careers include truck drivers, construction, or manufacturing.

“We have such shortages, the pay is great, but no one wants to do it,” Dilber said. “I think there is a real mismatch right now with the kind of work that people want and what aligns with their long-term vision and lifestyle, and what’s actually available on the market.”

KUOW’s Dyer Oxley contributed to this report.