The Class of 2025 is facing a challenging job market with 56% feeling pessimistic about career prospects ahead of graduation. This sentiment reflects broader economic trends but is also prompting students to adopt more creative job-seeking strategies. Graduates are applying for significantly more positions than prior years, indicating increased effort in their job search. Their priorities include job location, stability, and salary. Despite being open to hybrid learning, most prefer in-person roles after graduation, highlighting a desire for traditional work environments.
A significant share of students say they're looking for a job near their family (69 percent ranked this as a moderate or high priority) or their hometown (58 percent).
Those sentiments aren't entirely surprising given the downward trends in the U.S. economy and job market. But there's an upside, said Christine Cruzvergara, Handshake's chief education officer: The circumstances push graduates to be adaptive, flexible and innovative in the ways they think about their careers.
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