Career Advice

STEM majors have many career options after graduation, both in STEM roles and in alternative fields. Luckily for grads with science, engineering, technology or math degrees, the job outlook remains very positive. STEM occupations are slated to grow at more than double the rate of non-STEM jobs over the next ten years, and the median salary for STEM roles is significantly higher than non-STEM positions. This isn’t necessarily surprising, as many STEM jobs require extensive training and education in the field.

It’s no secret that the environmental impact of the corporate world can be significant. And job seekers are noticing. A 2019 Deloitte Study showed that one in four millennials and Gen Zs believe that companies should do their part to stop climate change and help the environment, but only 12% believe that corporations are actually working to actively be sustainable. RippleMatch’s Gen Z Job Seeker Report mirrors these results, with almost a third of respondents from the class of 2021 citing a company’s social impact initiatives as a factor in their job search. As the workforce becomes more socially conscious, job seekers are paying more attention to companies’ sustainability initiatives.

Internships are a great way for students to gain exposure to corporate life and start building their networks. The best internships give students practical experience in their field, complementing their school learning and preparing them for the workforce. This is particularly true of engineering internships, which are critical for helping students develop real-life skills they can’t learn in the classroom.

Cultivating a sense of community at work is a priority of most organizations, and for good reason. Company culture is one of the most important factors graduating seniors cite when evaluating job offers. That’s why many companies encourage activities like meet-and-greets and team lunches to help entry-level hires get to know each other and build relationships.

While more women are working their way into the C-suite, women’s career woes are far from solved in 2021—and most face roadblocks long before they near a corner office. After five years of research, McKinsey and LeanIn.org have found that most women are derailed in their first few years in the workforce: when their first promotion is delayed or never happens, it sets the course for their entire career trajectory. This “broken rung,” as McKinsey calls it, is the biggest factor for continued workplace inequality.

You sit in your chair, drumming your fingers aimlessly on your desk. You’re about to get interviewed for a job you really want. You know what you’re good at and you know what you’re going to bring to the table. Yet you’re nervous, because this isn’t just a phone call – it’s a video call. You’re used to phone screens and attended class on Zoom for months, but interviewing via a video call isn’t exactly the same thing, and you’re worried about what might go wrong.

America has a student loan problem to the tune of $1.5 trillion. That number is shocking on its own, but even more troubling when you drill down and realize most college graduates today owe an average of $30,000 according to Student Loan Hero. Today, about 8% of companies are offering some version of student loan repayment as a benefit, similar to 401k matching, as a way to entice younger hires and keep employees happier. So what do these benefits actually look like? Every company does it a little differently, but the rewards for employees are undeniable across the board.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, we’ve been hearing a lot about public health and the healthcare field. In fact, while many other industries are experiencing huge layoffs, public health and healthcare may be one of the few sectors which might be growing.

While you’re on the job hunt, the company you work for isn’t the only thing you’ll need to consider. Where that company is located – and where you’ll live as a result – is important, too. Even if remote work in some capacity is here to stay, where you choose to 'call home' after graduation can have a big impact on your finances in the long run.