The end of the school year is quickly approaching for college seniors in Northeast Georgia, which, for many, kicks off a season of job searching as the country recovers economically from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unemployment numbers are continuing to decrease in the Northeast Georgia region, and the number of jobs is slowly increasing across the nation. However, these are still not at pre-pandemic numbers, a situation which Steve Wanders, assistant director of Career Services at the University of North Georgia, described as “challenging,” for upcoming graduates.
“On our career platform called Handshake, we’ve seen about a 17% increase in the number of job postings over the same period last year,” Wanders said. “That said, the competition for those jobs is absolutely brutal.”
Wanders said with jobs returning, 2021 graduates will be competing with those who lost their jobs in 2020 and the class of 2020 college graduates who are still searching for a job.
At the University of North Georgia’s Career Services department, staff can help students plan for their career path through resume critiques, mock interviews and more.
Wanders said UNG has encouraged its students to take advantage of these services, especially in what could be an extremely competitive search for a full-time job.
Dr. Crystal Toombs, assistant vice president for student services at Brenau University, said soft skills are the most important thing for students seeking a full-time job.
“In times previous, we would look at job markets and we would be so focused on the specific degree skills, but we are seeing some trending back towards just the problem solving, the communication, those technical skills,” Toombs said.
Dr. Toombs said aside from supporting students and helping them grow these skills, Brenau has also focused on making sure the graduating class has the mental health support that they need.
“Yes, things are opening up, but not everyone is there … some of them may have to go back into an office setting,” Dr. Toombs said. “Also, preparing them for maybe some telecommuting, maybe they’ll be able to work from home.”
While students applying for jobs in some industries may face harsh competition, the job market in the clinical industry is doing extremely well, according to Dr. Gale Starich, dean of Brenau University’s Ivester College of Health Sciences.
“There are workforce shortages in all of our clinical specialties,” Dr. Starich said. “So, [for] all of our programs, particularly the clinical programs, the job market is extraordinarily good.”
Dr. Starich said she feels that the students who are aiming for a clinical position have been given a more realistic outlook on their careers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly because many of them have been involved in internships during the health crisis.
“They really know what it’s like, because they have to do their internships with all the restrictions that these clinical specialties face, and particularly in nursing they have seen a lot more death than they usually do,” Dr. Starich said.
Dr. Starich said many undergraduate nursing students at Brenau have become vaccinators in the last few months, something which has given the students a unique experience in the real world.
“They feel like they are being part of the solution,” Dr. Starich said. “I thought we might lose some students, but I think it’s really increased their passion, and also been a vivid example of how they can be instrumental in the solution.”
