Boston area college students worry about job prospects amid rising unemployment
Seniors at Bentley College in Waltham say finding a job when they graduate is a tough proposition, especially with unemployment rising.
Inside Bentley's Career Service Office on Tuesday, students were on the hunt, hoping to land a job when they graduate.
"I think stepping into the real world is intimidating. That's going to happen with any student," Bentley senior John DeStazio said.
Students said finding a job can be intimidating for seniors preparing to enter the workforce. Over the last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate increased for some with associate's degrees from 3.2% to 3.5%, and for those with a bachelor's degree or higher, it increased from 2.2% to 2.5%.
Bentley Professor Jim Pouliopoulos tells his students: Don't panic when it comes to finding a job; don't let your degree define your career; and build your network early. It takes work and patience to land a job, but the opportunities are out there.
"I think the outlook is actually pretty good because there are always sectors of the economy that are growing. When you approach graduation, tech, healthcare, AI - all of these fields are emerging, opportunity there," he said. "Don't panic. Because you will get a job as long as you just keep following the process, and it'll happen. You'll be able to move out of your parents' basement at some point."
Administrators say getting internships as early as sophomore year is important to gain career experience and begin working.
Bentley senior John Destazio is a finance major and just landed a job at Merrill Lynch, where he interned the previous year, as a client associate.
"I was intimidated. I didn't know what to expect, but I came to the Career Center, and I got so much help when it came to my resume, when it came to my cover letter, my LinkedIn," DeStazio said.
Bentley offers extensive career education curriculum classes beginning in students' freshman year. The college has been ranked No.1 five times as having the best career services office by The Princeton Review.
"At least 97% of our graduating seniors will have a job within six months after graduation, and in 2024, it was 99%," Director of Undergraduate Career Development Alyssa Hammond said.
That's a plus for junior Sophia Marchand, who is searching for a job now. "Real life is staring, and the nine-to-five is coming, and you just got to be ready," she said.
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