When to Start Job Search
Hello Wise Ones,
My young adult is in their senior year of college. They're a liberal arts major planning to work for a year or two after college, preferably in a law or law adjacent job with a focus on human rights, domestic violence, criminal justice, etc. before attending law school (they have experience in these areas). Many of their friends are in the midst of applying for consulting jobs. They are not interested in a consulting job. They're beginning to become very concerned that they are not deep in the process of lining up a job to begin immediately after they graduate in May.
Its been a long time since I graduated from college, but this seems far to early to look for the type of job my young adult is interested in. Has the market changed that much? When do young adults graduating with liberal arts degrees in May begin looking for jobs?
Parent Replies
The market has changed. Did they secure internships? For some perspective, and hints, do some searching on the Grown and Flown Facebook group. Best of luck.
This is not a one size fits all thing and this is a decision for the college aged senior only, who is an adult, without parental interference. I have been an attorney for more than 25 years, in the corporate world. I took a year off between college and law school. Law school is grueling and then practicing law can be draining. I say , graduate in May and then look for whatever job comes about even if it’s Starbucks or a bookstore or whatever. A year or two after college to chill in a low stress job before entering the rigor of law school isn’t a bad thing. The student has the rest of their life to work. Incidentally, I also happen to have a college-aged senior attending a liberal arts college. I don’t know what school your student attends, but neither my child nor my child’s friends are looking for jobs yet, 9 months prior to graduation. Most (including mine) are working while attending college and are more focused on trying to graduate.
encourage them to visit their campus career center and make full use of those resources! (sign up for email list, go to resume workshops, practice interviews, etc)
a staff member there can advise them on timing.
you mentioned they have experience, which is great. If they haven't already done an internship, I highly recommend they get one for spring semester. Both my kids were offered jobs from the employer where they did college internship (one big company, one non-profit)
Yes, things have changed. Most college seniors I know have already been doing internships either over the summer or during the school year since their 2nd or 3rd year. Granted, most of these are STEM or Econ/Business majors, but the job market is tough in lots of sectors. If it were me, I'd encourage her to start exploring school-year internships this year, and as far as a job search, I'd encourage her to start as soon as January 2025. Hopefully her college has a robust program to help students with job placement. FWIW, the kids I know who did not bother looking for internships or work have graduated and are still looking for work. The further out from graduation they get, the harder it gets, both mentally, and practically. In my experience, the kids who don't have a job lined up feel like they are being left behind by their peers, and companies may feel that students who have not secured post-graduate work are not motivated enough to hire. But of course this is dependent upon the sector, in criminal justice or law there may be more opportunities than the ones mentioned here. Good luck to her!
If their school career center offers Handshake, it's a great resource. Mine found both an internship & summer job through the site. Not sure if the post grad job was also Handshake or LinkedIn.
I agree about suggesting the College Career Center. If they have trouble getting an appointment you can coach your child through that process which will be a useful skill. That way also, the college counselor helps your child become aware of the timing, rather than you being part of the process, which can be a source of conflict.