PRELIMINARY CAREER ADVICE FOR STUDENTS

  • Don't wait for the "perfect" posting. In a market where the hires rate is at pandemic lows, roles get flooded with applicants fast. Apply to positions that are 70 to 80% aligned with your skills and make your case for the rest. Waiting for a listing that reads like your résumé is a luxury this market doesn't afford.
  • Target the functions that are growing, not the ones shrinking. Right now, companies are cutting back on corporate support, marketing, and generalist roles while growing operations, supply chain, compliance, and technical implementation. If your ideal title doesn't exist right now, find the adjacent function that's still hiring and build a bridge from there.
  • Use current economic conditions as a conversation starter, not a reason to despair. Every company is thinking about cost pressure right now. In interviews and networking, showing you understand how energy prices, interest rates, or AI disruption affect a company's priorities signals that you think like someone already on the team, not just someone looking for a position.

 

TOP STORIES FOR LSA STUDENTS

1. New Grads Face the Most Challenging Job Market Since the Pandemic
College seniors are entering the toughest hiring market for 20-somethings since COVID. Nearly 6% of recent grads were unemployed at the end of last year, up from 4% in 2023, and only 19% of college-educated workers say it's a good time to find a job. The silver lining: once you're hired, degrees still mean lower turnover and higher pay. Getting in the door is just more challenging right now (Source: NY Fed).

2. Oil Prices Are Rising — and That Affects Your Job Search, Too
Gas prices have climbed significantly in recent months, and the ripple effects are wide: inflation forecasts are rising, the stock market is down, and some supply chains are under pressure. For you, the key takeaway is that when energy costs spike and the economic outlook gets cloudy, companies that were on the fence about hiring tend to freeze entirely (Source: NYT, Reuters).

3. The Fed Is Keeping Interest Rates High — Here's Why That Matters
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady at 3.5–3.75% in March because inflation is still running above its target. Most Fed officials now expect rates to stay elevated through at least late 2027. For students, this means two things: companies will keep budgets tight and hiring slow, and borrowing — whether for a car, an apartment, or grad school — stays expensive (Source: CNBC, CNN).

4. AI Is Quietly Destabilizing the Software Industry
Major investment firms are more exposed to software companies than previously understood — and those companies are being disrupted by AI tools that undercut their traditional business models. Software stocks dropped nearly 30% between late 2025 and early 2026. If you're targeting roles in enterprise software, consulting, or finance, expect fewer entry-level openings and more competitive interviews as these firms navigate an expensive transition (Source: CNBC).

 

For personalized advice, schedule a Hub Industry Advising appointment with one of the Hub's Employer Relations Managers: