This post was updated in September of 2022

It is an enormous relief for many graduates that the working world they’re now entering is much closer to “normal” than it was a year ago. Some aspects of it, however, will never be the same. The pandemic has undeniably made policies like remote work and flexible work hours more appealing to employers and employees. 

As much as the adjustment is an exciting step forward for work-life balance, this kind of change can still feel daunting to new job seekers.

Willis Towers Watson’s research indicates that 37% of organizations had no policies or principles to manage nontraditional work arrangements before 2020. And as of last October, 59% of employees now telecommute. It’s no secret that such a dramatic change can feel overwhelming for leaders and workers. But it impacts job seekers as well. 

Since they weren’t in the workforce when remote work became common, it can all feel unknown to young job seekers. As such, they likely have a lot of questions about how remote or hybrid work schedules will all shake out. And while it’s impossible to have all the answers at this stage, you can offer a 101 overview.

Here’s how to successfully walk students and recent grads through a basic breakdown of what to expect from flexible work hours:

Young adults often hear that if they pick a career path they love, their job will never feel like work. But not everyone has that opportunity. Whatever industry your job seekers have in mind, the burden of student loan debt can make finding job satisfaction difficult. 

The topic is unavoidable in the career center. Many students have already signed their loans and are worried about potential consequences. In fact, a 2021 study from ResumeLab reported that half of respondents experience medium to high levels of stress over their student loan debt. 

And there’s no doubt that this stress interferes with their career development. The study also found that almost 40% of borrowers accepted a job they didn’t want because of the salary. 

Those are some pretty bleak statistics, but conversations about it shouldn’t have to be all gloom and doom. Instead, be honest and informative. Offer support on how to tackle the job market when students feel like debt is hanging over their head. 

Here’s what you can do in your position at the career center to provide beneficial conversations on student loan debt: 

Despite the pause the world felt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are still entering the workforce for the first time. One of the most important tasks of the job search is crafting a strong resume. Not only is a resume a way for the job seeker to display their most valuable skills, but more importantly, a strong resume determines whether employers will even offer an interview in the first place. 

Since March of 2020, the resources most young job seekers are offered have quickly disappeared. College writing centers are temporarily closed, recruiters are no longer meeting in person with clients, and young job seekers are left feeling helpless and struggling. 

Thankfully, new options are arriving with the shift to a virtual environment. Universities now offer virtual resume-writing workshops, and job search companies are doing the same. Finding the right one for you can make all the difference in the success of your resume and ultimately, your job search. 

Being mindful of professional growth at the job seeker stage will improve students’ job satisfaction in the long run and improve their chances to push forward in their careers. 

With today’s competitive talent pool, it’s natural for students to lower their job search standards. But they aren’t doing themselves any favors by defining their job criteria as merely “a job.” 

Although it is essential to have somewhere to land after graduation, it’s never too early for students to consider what they would want beyond that first step. 

A crucial factor for job seekers to consider is how a position will help propel their professional growth and career development. Right now, not nearly enough students about to graduate know how to look for that. 

Here’s what you need to do as a career services professional to promote the importance of students’ professional growth: 

We’re not out of the woods with COVID-19. Cases are climbing higher than ever across much of the US, leaving folks in a constant state of uncertainty.

If you’re someone who was hoping for a career transition this year, your plans were likely put on hold back in the spring when unemployment peaked. And while unemployment has been on the decline since May, millions of people who didn’t anticipate being out of work have landed back on the job search. 

So, you wonder: is it even a good idea to seek out a career transition right now? It just might be. Let’s look at the pros and cons of shifting your career amid the pandemic:

Trying to prepare for the future has never felt more impossible for college students. With most classes online, life for many students feels limited to the size of a single room. In that setting, the future feels too far off to plan. 

Fortunately, this odd semester will soon end, and students can look forward to exiting their isolation. Between going home for winter break and crossing fingers to return to in-person learning, it seems like things should look better for students shortly. 

However, the effects of such a long time in isolation can still impact students after they’ve reconnected with family and friends. 

According to Cigna’s 2020 Loneliness Index from January, 61% of American adults are lonely, and college-aged young adults are even more lonesome than people over age 72. Being a population already prone to loneliness, it is no surprise that the CDC reported in June that younger adults were among the demographics disproportionately experiencing hardships with mental health, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. 

These challenges will not magically disappear when students come out of isolation, and that change in and of itself will likely be a difficult transition for many. 

One crucial way to help is to encourage students to use the counseling services available through the school. But what else can you do? What can you say to help students prepare for the future of the next couple of months?

Here are four ways to support students and help them prepare for the upcoming transition: 

It’s no secret: 2020 has been a mess of stress for pretty much everyone. I don’t know anyone who isn’t pumped to turn the corner and move on to 2021.