Three in four college students graduating this spring do not have a job lined up yet, and 34% of soon-to-be grads in a Resume Templates survey haven’t even started looking for one.
Experts say now is when they should be actively looking for their first post-college job. Getting the jump in today’s hiring market can mean starting a job sooner. Depending on the profession and the company, the hiring process could take several weeks, or even months.
For those who haven’t started looking, some of their reasons may trigger older, working professionals, and maybe their parents.
Julia Toothacre is a career coach who works with young adults, including college students, and generally downplays Gen-Z stereotypes. But when it comes to reasons for why graduating students say they haven’t started looking yet, the answers for procrastinating surprised her.
“Well now, I think this is very Gen Z. One of the reasons is taking a mental health break,” Toothacre said. “And most shocking to me was going home after graduating, and they didn’t feel an urgency to find work.”
Other reasons for procrastinating given in the Resume Templates survey included intending to travel, pursuing another degree and believing that current economic conditions make finding a job too challenging.
Toothacre advises that one of the best places for students to connect with new employers is right under their nose.
“Go to the career center on your campus. It is free. It is part of your tuition. You pay for it. You do not want to have to pay hundreds of dollars to someone like me later,” she said. “Use the services that they have. Get your resume’ reviewed. Maybe help them narrow down some job options.”
This is the time of year campuses are also hosting free career recruiting events, with companies that are looking for graduates to fill entry level jobs setting up free face-to-face interviews with prospects.
The Resume Templates survey also included responses from soon-to-graduate college students who have already lined up a job. Among those, 81% said they landed full-time roles, while about 20% will be working part time.
For many, the source these students used to make a hiring connection was through LinkedIn, a networking tool that has been around for about 20 years, but, until recently, has been mostly considered a platform for professionals looking to climb the ladder.
“I think a lot of professors and career centers really push LinkedIn,” Toothacre said. “I think a lot of parents probably push LinkedIn. I know in a class that I teach, it is an assignment for them go on LinkedIn and create a profile and get to know that program.”
Salaries for first jobs out of college vary widely based on profession and location. Salary expectations reflect that, although roughly 40% of those graduating students in the survey cited salary expectations of between $50,000 and $80,000 for their first job, and 12% are expecting $80,000 to over $100,000.
“I do think that some of the salary expectations are a little bit high. However, if we think about cost of living, then they’re probably pretty in the ballpark of what they need to be able to live,” Toothacre said. “I make my students do a cost-of-living analysis based on where they want to live, and it’s always a very eye-opening experience for them.”
Full responses to Resume Templates’ survey of 378 students graduating from both two- and four-year schools, conducted in April, are online.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
