by Huntington Bank Stadium sits empty on a cold, April afternoon. In the stadium that holds over 50,000 people you can hear a pin drop at the moment. But in a few weeks time, May 13 to be specific, the stadium will be filled with Gophers and their families and friends celebrating their next step in life. Graduation brings a flurry of emotions. For some, a job opportunity awaits on the other side. For others, an uncertain future weighs on them.
But is there much to be worried about?
Camilla Breen, a journalism major with a minor in interdisciplinary design will be one of the thousands of students receiving their diploma next May. For her, the future remains a bit uncertain.
“I graduate in two weeks and I really don’t have any plans.” said Breen.
The sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” continue to creep closer but this hasn’t put any pressure on Breen.
“I’m not very stressed out about it. I think like I don’t know. I think I’m a little bit delusional in this aspect but for some reason everything ends up working out for me anyways.”
For some, it might understandably feel a bit scary to enter the so-called “real world” without a concrete plan in place. But in this current job market, it’s not the end of the world.
According to CNBC, the job market is “red hot” with nearly 10 million job openings across the nation. This number is the lowest since May of 2021 but still a far cry from pre-pandemic numbers when it hardly approached the 8 million threshold. There’s not much competition either as the U.S. has only 6 million unemployed.
“”It’s not a big source of stress for me until I talk to like my mom or my dad and they’re like “Have you found a job yet?” Like obviously not. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if I’d found a job.” said Breen. The process shouldn’t be a huge source of stress for Gophers as statistics show.
For 2022 graduates of the Carlson School of Business, 98% reported receiving a job offer within three months of graduation. For 2021 graduates of the College of Liberal Arts, 87% reported trading in their cap and gown for either a job or a higher level of education.
Emma Carpenter, a senior on the golf team at the U, will be one of those pursuing more education.
“I’m gonna do a one year Masters program at the Carlson School of Management.” said Carpenter.
The process of finding a job isn’t just about finding the right opportunity, some believe it’s about knowing the right people. Hubbard career coach Becky Borg believes that networking is ultra important when it comes to taking that next step after graduation.
“I will say the big thing that will come up probably no matter who you talk to is the importance of networking? Most many, many and I will go so far as to say perhaps most jobs are found through networking.” said Borg.
On Saturday, May 13, thousands of Gophers will celebrate the culmination of so many years of hard work. Sleepless nights, skipped meals, deadlines they didn’t think they’d meet. There might be a bit of hesitancy as they progress, but everything will be alright. They are ready to enter the next chapter of the beautiful story we call life.
Good luck graduates.
