Insights

Mid-May typically marks the start of a new influx of entry-level employees and interns into the workforce. But in the wake of COVID-19, students’ professional plans have been subject to delayed starts, a transition to remote work, or cancellation altogether. In early April, RippleMatch conducted a survey of 2,210 college students across 367 universities to determine the status of internship programs and full-time roles for today’s college graduates, as well as how these statuses vary by industry.

In the wake of the novel coronavirus epidemic, companies have largely shifted their workforce to working out of office. Veteran remote employees need little training and monitoring; they're used to working remote. On the other hand, many employees are working from home for the first time, including entry-level employees and interns.

During graduation season last year, it was a job seeker’s market. In fact, RippleMatch data found that nearly two-thirds of the Class of 2019 received multiple job offers. But the situation for the Class of 2020 looks very different. Due to COVID-19, the job market has turned and graduating seniors are having a more difficult time finding employment.

Over the past few years, RippleMatch research has consistently found that Gen Z college students prioritize professional development significantly more than other factors when choosing a job. However, the advent of COVID-19 has complicated the job search process for both candidates and employers. To learn if candidate priorities have changed over the past few months, RippleMatch surveyed 2,210 college students for the Navigating Entry-level Jobs & Internships During COVID-19 report. Despite the recent upheaval in the job market, candidate priorities have not changed as much as might be expected.

COVID-19 has upended the job search process, especially for those who are newest to the workforce: college students and recent graduates. In April, RippleMatch released a survey of 2,210 college students to learn how COVID-19 has affected their search for full-time jobs and summer internships. It turns out that even in the middle of a pandemic and record levels of unemployment, most college students are not deterred from pursuing their professional plans.

It’s a stressful time to be a college student. Halfway through the spring semester, most colleges transitioned to remote instruction and canceled major events such as graduation ceremonies. College seniors also have the added stress of finding their first full-time job in the middle of a global pandemic. Last month, RippleMatch conducted a survey of 2,210 college students across 367 universities to learn more about the biggest challenges that college students are facing in their job search during COVID-19. For most students, the biggest job search challenges are not knowing which companies are hiring and not hearing back from employers after submitting an application.

Due to the unexpected circumstances of COVID-19, some employers have had to cancel or alter their internship programs for this summer. Especially when an internship is designed as a recruitment pipeline program, there can be longer-term consequences for employers which are attempting to plan ahead for future hiring. Rescinding an offer—including an internship offer—can damage your company’s brand in students’ views. It can also have tangible, negative consequences for students, including loss of income, loss of the opportunity to build essential work experience, and in cases where students are required to complete an internship for their degree program, even a delay in graduation dates and extended college costs. How can you mitigate this damage and engage your top candidates—those who would have otherwise gone through your internship program this summer and potentially have been converted to new hires—if you have had to cancel your internship?

Even in uncertain times like these, starting a new job is exciting. This is especially true for entry-level employees who have spent their college careers working toward this milestone. However, transitioning into a full-time role – especially with added complications from things like remote work – can be overwhelming for new employees and eventually lead to burnout, defined as emotional & mental exhaustion from periods of prolonged stress.

For most college students, landing that first job or coveted internship is a stressful, but exciting, rite of passage. But the unfolding global health crisis has made taking that first step into a professional career significantly harder for millions of college students.