Job Prospects for ‘24, ‘25 Grads and beyond?

[blossom]

So back to topic- there is no reason why a kid- regardless of college, geography, etc. cannot launch a networking strategy.

Y’know those adjuncts we all love to criticize (or at least criticize the institutions who hire them)? They often have expansive networks. If they are still employed in their field- or used to work in their field- or work for multiple colleges simultaneously- that’s lots of connectivity right there. Y’know those TA’s we all criticize- “I don’t want my kid at a college where the sections are overseen by a grad student”. But guess what- those TA’s know people who know people. And they can point out the pitfalls– which professional organizations are great for networking, which ones are dull dull dull. And they can direct a student to industry focused job boards– where you need an access code (so you aren’t competing with the 5,000 other students who saw a listing on a public board like Indeed or Linkedin). Some of these jobs get 10-15 applicants, not the thousands and thousands.

[ucbalumnus]

@tsbna44

but job prospects ???

If this is a reply to the post by @CFP just above yours, yes, a parent in the profession or industry is an advantage to the kid who wants to go into that profession or industry. The parent may have some connections or networking to start with if nepotistic hiring is common. Even if not, the parent’s familiarity with the profession or industry can help the kid prepare and build qualifications for it with fewer mistakes and detours. Also, a parent in a less obvious profession or industry may let the kid know that it exists, while few others (who would be competition in the labor market) even think of trying to go that direction.

Not all kids want to follow in their parent’s footsteps, but it should not be surprising that doing so is more common than if there were no advantages to doing so.

[csfmap]

2026 Job Outlook

“Overall, a plurality of employers—45%—characterized the overall job market for Class of 2026 as “fair.”

The last time the largest group of employers identified the job market as “fair” was in 2021, when 52% rated it as “fair” and the overall hiring projections were also flat.”

I think “fair” means doable for the class of 2026. It may be harder to get that first job than in previous years but it’s not all doom and gloom.

[CFP]

Re: Networking

My D24 is doing an internship this upcoming summer at a different company than last year.

Her previous manager wanted her to come back. She decided to go somewhere else for a different experience. IMO, it’s an opportunity to double your network, learn new things, and increase options for post graduate employment.

I strongly believe that younger professonals need advocates. Co-workers who value them and want to hire them as they progress in their own careers. Having advocates at different levels within an organization is an important step in career progression.

I remember speaking with someone at my former company who was highly skilled but was “stuck” and couldnt get ahead. I told her the reason is because she was working for a moron. He didnt do anything other than suck up to his boss and had her do all the work. And since she worked for a moron, she wasnt going to get ahead.

My advice to her at the time was either leave the company or find more advocates in a different dept. She eventually moved on and away from her incompetent boss.

[twogirls]

@tsbna44

While most of these suggestions are wonderful, I think few kids do this. They’re at school - they’re studying, hanging out with friends, working, partying etc.

I think it’s just not realistic for 98% of kids. It’s the masses that struggle.

When we talk about the kid who meets with the head of supply chain and dining services, it’s just not the real world.

Yes, it’s on the kids but I don’t think the suggestions move the needle for - pretty much anyone. Those things - just don’t happen. For most kids, even networking doesn’t happen.

This is a very interesting post that warrants a discussion that is beyond the topic of this thread.

Where are these kids a year after graduation?

As far as networking goes (topic change) it is continuous and takes practice for some.

[jym626]

Become a Networking Pro: Tips for Making Connections and Keeping Them |...

I wish more colleges would teach this

[ECCA2026]

Agree. It is a tremendous life skill that anyone can benefit from. Good networking can lead to so many opportunities and so much growth and development that is actually tailored to one’s personal goals and interests. Bad networking (which to me, often feels transactional and like the young person is just trying to get something from me), can often lead to turning folks in position to help off. Teaching good networking is a tremendous value addition schools could provide.

[twogirls]

@blossom

But the manicured paths on campus, the coffee shops, the libraries, the labs, the university affiliated think tanks and archives are filled to the brim with “people who make things happen” whether it’s at startups, established medical device companies, renowned economic publishing powerhouses, other academic institutions, and corporate talent in any sector you could imagine. You can’t walk across campus without running into a team from a VC firm looking for their next investment in something weird and promising; you can’t add oat milk to your coffee without bumping into the scholar whose work on labor force participation or the impact of a rise in the minimum wage has influenced the policies of 12 different countries, not to mention 20 states in the USA.

The networking is strong even if you are not actively networking.

[jym626]

There are several life skills (financial management, networking, job search and good communication skills) over and above how to write a resume and interview that would be extremely helpful to offer. They should be a required course!

[anotheroboemom]

I hope it is ok to diverge from the business/engineering realm and share some (admittedly largely anecdotal) knowledge about the job market in the professional music world.

My son and his cohort graduated over the last couple of years with classical music performance degrees from a high level conservatory. Thankfully the industry has recovered well after the devastating impact of the pandemic. As always it takes hard work, talent, fierce determination and flexibility to succeed. But my kid and his classmates all seem to be finding work and moving up professionally.

A few important points:

@CFP

I strongly believe that younger professonals need advocates. Co-workers who value them and want to hire them

This is such an important aspect in the music industry. Advocates can be teachers or other mentors who facilitate the first few “sub jobs” that lead to more work. Young professionals’ careers blossom by being able to show their talent and professionalism and networking with more and more musicians and orchestra managers.

@ucbalumnus

the parent’s familiarity with the profession or industry can help the kid prepare and build qualifications for it with fewer mistakes and detours.

I think this can be a huge advantage in the music world and likely one reason that many musicians come from families of professional musicians. Of course, being surrounded by high level playing, access to instruments and concerts and lessons from the day you are born helps.

My son learned so many valuable lessons about the industry from my professional bassist husband and the many amazing musicians who were part of his life growing up. I watch my son now as he makes his way in the profession and know he has taken them to heart.

The pathway for most young classical musicians is to take a variety of gigs as one continues to practice/develop and audition for higher and higher level jobs. It is really all about networking throughout. And the high level orchestra world is a land mine of high profile and sometimes challenging personalities.

Key points:

Be professional at all times (early, prepared and accepting of feedback)

Honor your commitments (never back out of a job for one that pays more, word gets around)

Be confident in your playing, but respectful with your demeanor (no one likes a diva youngster)

The bottom line is that there are a lot of very talented musicians out there, so it is important to also be a person that others want to work with to get called back. And to get referrals for other jobs.

I am proud to say that my kid is fully supporting himself with what he loves to do. It may not be the most easy or stable life, but he is very happy.

[jym626]

Congrats to your son and his friends. They have clearly learned the importance of establishing connections and relationships and recognizing that it is an ongoing, important need in order to succeed. This is true in most professions. There is another platitude (referencing another thread) that rings true: “It takes only a minute to develop a reputation and a lifetime to live it down”. That is not a good thing

[ECCA2026]

So much of the good advice and observations you reference here apply broadly to so many fields.

On the parent thing, so many industries from plumbers to professors to professional basketball players have a disproportionate number of people whose parents did that thing too. There are a host of factors that contribute to that, several of which you mention. For something like music, I’d think inherited ability would be a factor too. I suspect no matter how early I was exposed, there is no way I could ever become a professional musician. The talent just isn’t there.

[Darcy123]

When studies are done on why FGLI and other groups of students are disproportionately benefited by school name, networking is a massive factor. The student who has a strong family network can choose a variety of schools without a huge impact on outcomes as they already have the benefit of a strong network. The student without one is greatly benefited by attending schools with strong alumni networks and strong name recognition. When the market is frothy, it’s easy to discount the power of networking, but when the market is challenging it makes a huge difference.

[jym626]

And as someone who can’t draw a straight line with a ruler, I could never be an artist, no matter how much support/training/assistance I got.

Kidding aside, it is important for those seeking jobs to know what their strengths are and how to “sell” them. This leads to the importance of boing selective when looking at job boards, etc, to apply first and foremost to those where =one’s skills and (even if limited) experience makes them stand out amongst other applicants.

[ucscuuw]

It looks like the market is meaningfully worse for 2026 grads but there are still jobs out there with more emphasis on technical skills and AI literacy. This seems consistent with the “vibes” I get. One other thing of note is that relative to prior years more hiring might get pushed to the spring of 2026 so if you are a 2026 grad you shouldn’t be overtly concerned if you haven’t yet landed a role by the end of the year.

[jym626]

Interesting graph! Where is it from?

[ucscuuw]

from the post above by @csfmap

Job Prospects for ‘24, ‘25 Grads and beyond?

“Overall, a plurality of employers—45%—characterized the overall job market for Class of 2026 as “fair.” The last time the largest group of employers identified the job market as “fair” was in 2021, when 52% rated it as “fair” and the overall hiring projections were also flat.” I think “fair” means doable for the class of 2026. It may be harder to get that first job than in previous years but it’s not all doom and gloom.

[threeofthree]

I know this has been said before (by me for one) but don’t discount how friendly working alumni and retired alumni are at sporting event gatherings, especially in major cities when they are far from their school. A little wine and beer and nachos makes for happy talking and the older folks love the younger folks and get a thrill out of being helpful. This may not be applicable to non-athletic schools (Stanford/Berkley etc) but lots of good jobs for SEC/ACC/Big ? schools out there where you don’t have to be an elite school student. If you don’t like sports, go and share a beer and just chat - see them at the next meeting and you become one of them after a few meetings.

[ECCA2026]

@threeofthree

This may not be applicable to non-athletic schools (Stanford/Berkley etc) but lots of good jobs for SEC/ACC/Big ?

The shade at Stanford and Berkeley here.

[ucscuuw]

moot point since Berkeley and Stanford grads don’t have to try that hard to land coveted jobs