Experts Weigh In On Current Job Market Trends
January 30, 2021
Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market.
Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.
We spoke to professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the job market for recent graduates is heading, as well as how young graduates entering the industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our Panel of Experts
Northern Essex Community College
Northern Kentucky University
University of Notre Dame
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Wisconsin School of Business
Loyola University Maryland
Dordt University
Middlebury College
Duke University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Belmont Abbey College
Bethel University
Kathleen O'Keefe
Education and Career AdvisorNorthern Essex Community College
Adult Education.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates?
Kathleen O'Keefe: Underemployment is a potential consequence, much like with the recession in 2008. Psychology majors may be better positioned because of their skills and expertise - many of the lasting impacts of the pandemic will require good counseling and support and healthcare. All that said, much will depend on how quickly the economy as a whole rebounds. If people don't have discretionary money or health insurance, they may not be in a financial position to seek assistance for their mental health. This, of course, would negatively impact anyone working in this field but especially the new graduate who may have a harder time navigating the marketplace and who may have less in terms of skills and experience. It's also important to keep in mind that psychology majors go on to do a variety of things - many will go to graduate school, others will look for roles with non profits, working with community groups, rehabilitation services, business and industry, government, etc. Non profits have been negatively impacted so graduates need to be strategic in seeking out industries where they may have a better chance of getting hired.
What's a day at work going to look like for a recent graduate?
Kathleen O'Keefe: Initially many new graduates will probably be interviewing and getting hired in the virtual world. It will be important for them to be comfortable with all video conferencing platforms, including digital platforms, in order to best present themselves, their skills, and their experiences. A day at work may very well be remote/virtual but, I would imagine, as the vaccine is more readily available, many will be working in a more hybrid situation where they may be in the office periodically, but will also have the opportunity to work from home. New graduates need to be comfortable in both environments and to be adaptable and flexible - no matter what degree they have at graduation.
What technical skills stand out to employers?
Kathleen O'Keefe: Very much depends on industry but I believe you are most interested in psychology. MS Word and Excel; Google Docs and Sheets; video conferencing including Zoom, Google Meet/Duo, FaceTime, etc. Industry specific software or the ability to learn software with minimal training or tutorials
Yaw Frimpong-Mansoh Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy and Acting ChairNorthern Kentucky University
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Philosophy
What general advice would you give to a graduate beginning their career?
Yaw Frimpong-Mansoh Ph.D.: The current education systems need to aim at equipping students with transdisciplinary transferable competencies (e.g. innovative and creative thinking skills) that prepare them to suitably adapt to, and function effectively and efficiently, in the fast-paced changing world in which we live now. Many people hardly stay on the same job for long time, either through transfer to new fields or further training (and sometimes retraining). Also, students do not necessarily work in the fields that they originally studied or majored in. The trend now is that students use the qualities they learned and apply them anywhere to become highly successful. Having a college degree is less about the degree itself and more about proving to an employer that you not only have the skills necessary to complete the tasks but you also have the ability to adapt and function effectively and efficiently in a constantly changing world. A survey of employers conducted recently by the Hart Research Associates on behalf of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (2013) reveals that "Employers are highly focused on innovation as critical to the success of their companies and they report that the challenges their employees face today are more complex and require a broader skill set than in the past." Notably, the survey indicates that employers prioritize a job candidate's demonstrated capacity for "critical thinking, complex problem-solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings" when making hiring decisions. These are some of the highly desirable distinctive core career competencies and benefits that liberal arts students from the disciplines in the humanities, such philosophy, sociology, anthropology, history, English, World Languages and Literature, vitally contribute to the current corporate world. Whereas the knowledge learned in some of the specialized professional fields may be superseded by future discoveries or made obsolete by changes of circumstances, the general transferable skills (e.g. the ability of critical thinking) acquired from the humanities do not become devalued over time. On the contrary, the transdisciplinary skills are invaluable when new situations occur. For example, the study of humanity is what will take technology into the future because it helps to see the social problems that technology is needed to help us to resolve, as well as the ways technology can hinder society's growth. Students and employees who are equipped with innovative and creative minds and skills are those who guide technology to limit these dangers while maximizing its benefits.
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.
Associate Vice President and Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs (ND International) and Associate Teaching ProfessorUniversity of Notre Dame
ND International and Philosophy
WebsiteWill there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates?
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.: It is hard to see how the pandemic will not have an enduring impact on all of us; the question is whether the disruptions we are experiencing in the job market, in education, with social activities, and even geopolitical alignments, will continue long-term and to what extent there will be positive or negative consequences. The pandemic certainly has underscored the rapidity with which change can occur and the importance of resiliency and adaptability in the face of adversity.
What type of skills will young graduates need when they enter the workforce in the coming years?
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.: Critical thinking and communication skills, information and quantitative literacy, teamwork and problem-solving abilities, ethical reasoning, and intercultural competency-all hallmarks of a liberal arts education-will continue to be essential skills for the future. But because of the rapid pace of technological, economic, and social change, graduates will need to possess an ability to continually learn anew, to be comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, and to anticipate future trends or issues.
The pandemic has also shown that many of the big issues we are facing are complex, multi-faceted, and interdisciplinary in nature. Graduates who can integrate various paradigms into a larger framework will have a distinct advantage.
What experience really stands out on resumes?
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.: We often talk about the desirability of gaining T-shaped skills-ones that are both broad and deep. The future will require a metaphor that is more dynamic and iterative to capture the realities of the job market. Experiences that demonstrate a purposive range of activities to expand one's knowledge and abilities, such as service-learning, a professional experience, or undergraduate research, will be key for building this dynamic skill set.
Kirstin Wilcox Ph.D.
DirectorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Humanities Professional Resource Center, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Kirstin Wilcox Ph.D.: The pandemic, and the economic downturn that has come with it, has mostly amplified things that were always true but easy to ignore in a booming economy:
-employers are looking for skills more than specific majors
-students stand out who can present evidence of those skills in the form of work samples, relevant experiences, projects, collaborations
-in a period of rapid change, like this one, people who can think creatively, change direction easily, and communicate to multiple stakeholders are valuable to employers
What skills stand out on resumes?
Kirstin Wilcox Ph.D.: The so-called "soft skills" like communication, critical thinking, and the ability to cope with ambiguity are more important than ever listing them in a "skills" section of a resume is less effective than documenting them through thoughtful bullet points in an "experience" section that addresses the specific needs of particular employers.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for graduates to find work opportunities in this field after they graduate?
Kirstin Wilcox Ph.D.: Students in philosophy, like all the humanities, have a lot of options. What they pursue depends more on the individual's strengths and motivations than on the field they've chosen. Industries as wide ranging as pharmaceuticals, education technology, healthcare, sales and marketing, conversation design, information management, and media and entertainment need people who are intellectually curious, good at communicating, and analytical.
Julie Way
DirectorMilwaukee School of Engineering
Department of Career Services
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Julie Way: Unfortunately, we're already seeing a downturn in recruiting and hiring. It's far more challenging for students to find and secure full-time jobs and internships than before the pandemic. Some companies were forced to cancel their internship programs and curtail their full-time hiring. However, industries with a technology focus have been least affected by the pandemic in terms of demand for their products and services, they've been able to more easily move to a remote working model, and the consensus is that remote work has been hugely successful, certainly more so than expected.
I believe we'll also see an influx of innovative technologies and automation that will increase the ability for companies to offer online and remote services, and the technology sector of the job market will increase correlatively because of the demand for the design, development, and implementation, and management of those new technologies.
So, the demand for STEM students remains stronger than for most, and it will continue to increase technology sector will be the first to bounce back. We saw that in the 2008-2009 economic downturn, and it's predicted the same will happen when the pandemic is better managed, and things are able to open up again.
And then there's healthcare, where the demand for healthcare professionals is growing daily and expected to outpace every other industry in the next 10 years.
What skills stand out on resumes?
Julie Way: These are the most in demand attributes year after year...
-Problem solving skills and experience
-Ability to work on a team
-Industry related Technical skills
-Analytical and quantitative skills
-Leadership
-Communication skills
-Strong work ethic
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for graduates to find work opportunities in this field after they graduate?
Julie Way: While there are job opportunities for STEM students almost anywhere in the country, certainly large metropolitan areas hire more prolifically than rural and geographically challenging. I found a USAToday article that lists the top 15 cities hiring high tech workers, however, these lists will change year to year.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates?
Carl Barlett: I think so. While some students have struggled in a virtual environment, there are a great number of students who have grown in their ability to self-motivate and perform high quality work without constant oversight. The development of flexibility and autonomy inevitably feels like it is going to play an important role in a future job market that is unlikely to tie work quite so heavily to a single physical location. The ability to be a self-starter and problem solve feels like it will play an even more prominent role in recruiting talent in the coming years.
What type of skills will young graduates need when they enter the workforce in the coming years?
Carl Barlett: To me, the two primary skills that will retain the most value over time for students are the abilities to critically think and to communicate effectively.
-Solving problems where the answer does not reside in a book can be a drastic shift from high school to college in the way that students perceive education. This becomes even more important in the modern workforce. With advancements in computer programming and the internet at our fingertips, employees are less repositories of knowledge than critical thinkers solving problems with incomplete information. If a student can achieve a level of comfort with that and make educated decisions in situations involving risk, they have the potential to add a lot of value to their company.
-I firmly believe that regardless of how smart an employee is, their value is gated by how well they can communicate their ideas. Additionally, employees increasingly need to be able to communicate their thoughts clearly and coherently to someone without their academic background. It is easy to get into the habit of using certain terminology or assumptions that someone in your area of expertise would know. However, once you enter the workforce, you are often communicating cross functionally with other departments or clients that do not have that same background. The ability to clearly and concisely communicate the value of your ideas to others through writing, speaking, and presentations is a skill that can be overlooked in the pursuit of technical skills, but is more in demand than ever.
What experience really stands out on resumes?
Carl Barlett: While good GPAs and relevant majors are all well and good, students put too much focus on them in my experience. When I interviewed potential employees, what stood out for me on resumes was always something that made me want to ask them more questions. This might have been anything from in depth projects or simulations they had participated in, case competitions they had voluntarily taken part in, or even unique hobbies they pursued in their free time. Anything that showed a spark of intellectual curiosity was paramount to me. In my experience, those with genuine interest and the desire to continue learning about what they do will always outlast those that approach their resume or professional skills as a checklist to complete.
If a graduate needs to take a gap year, what skills would you recommend they try to enhance and how should they go about doing it?
Thomas McCreight: Our students tend to take a few years before settling on a career path. Many go to law school (our most recent grad who did so got a boatload of money, which is pretty rare for law schools); historically, all our graduates who have applied have gotten into good placs, and most in top-20 institutions. The three other graduates of 2020 took different paths: one is working for a relative who runs a business essential to the COVID response; another (double major in Writing) spent time writing for a few specialist journals and has applied to an MA program; the other, a second-generation immigrant, plans to apply to graduate school in Europe after the pandemic calms.
Over half of our majors double major in another field (we even had one in Chemistry about 20 years ago), and that gives them added flexibility (History and English are the two most common other majors for our double majors). Even in these tough times for academia, we have had students apply to and get large fellowships and scholarships for further study in Classics or History (2 Ph.D. acceptances, 1 M.A. in the last 4-5 years). A good percentage go into secondary education (teaching Latin and, often, something else in high school or junior high); these tend to work toward getting a master's degree in teaching as they move through their first years of employment. A couple have taken jobs at Loyola in administration or student life and used the university's benefits to get a degree in another field: for example, one double History and Classics major (and Phi Beta Kappa) got an MBA at Loyola and is now working in administration at another university. A few more of our double majors (Art History is another common component) have worked in the publishing industry, sometimes starting on the ground floor as proofreaders and have then moved up. One of these then moved into a Ph. D. program in Linguistics in Europe and hopes to land in a think tank or government agency here or in the EU.
Over the last 10 years or so we have had graduates spend 2 or more years in service-related work (the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Teach for America have been common destinations) before continuing with work in the religious sector or social work.
What type of skills will young graduates need when they enter the workforce in the coming years?
Thomas McCreight: We graduate interesting and interested people with broad curiosities and varied but complementary skills. Oral and especially written communication skills are probably their greatest strong point, along with a taste and capacity for hard work: one doesn't learn Ancient Greek on a lark. Managing hard languages from ancient societies, and being able to imagine oneself into a culture far removed in time, distance and culture, require flexibility of mind and spirit and a willingness to take intellectual risks. Additionally, over the last 6-7 years I have noted an increased trend toward valuable group work and collaboration in a cross-disciplinary way, and more sophisticated work with computers (this trend is, of course, not restricted to our department). For example, one student (a double major in Art History) who wrote an honors thesis (and took the medal for the highest GPA in his graduating class) did some of his own programming. He designed some tools to track changes in pronunciation of Latin (as evidenced, for instance, in gravestones of soldiers) in France, Spain and elsewhere in Europe as vernacular languages began to emerge from Latin as the empire splintered.
Dr. Timothy Soelen
Director of CACE, Professor of EducationDordt University
Education Department
WebsiteWill there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates?
Dr. Timothy Soelen: While we are certainly going through something awful, there are are also some silverlinings. Education graduates are experience something unique, something so disruptive to the norm. They are experience life, and in some ways, life in the real world that has ups and downs, varying flow versus the slow, steady, somewhat static life of school. The pandemic has broke this imaginary but real boundary. Adapting to this disruption, finding alternative solutions to learning, should be an incredible value-add to their problem-solving skill set. I'm imagining a new curricular that taps the here and now for project-based and problem-based elarning. And assessments that move way beyond simple answers but ones that require an understanding of the complexity of the world we live in.
What type of skills will young graduates need when they enter the workforce in the coming years?
Dr. Timothy Soelen: I was going to say flexibility but I'll choose elasticity instead. The abilty to change and adapt, be stretched and compressed. People capable of pivoting as quickly as our best educators did in March of 2020.
What experience really stands out on resumes?
Dr. Timothy Soelen: I encourage my advisees to have a variety of experiences that demonstrate the love for who they teach, the love for what the teach, and the love for how they teach. The resume tells that story, what the candidate has chosen to engage in to prepare themselves for the vocational calling to teach.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates?
Don Wyatt: One of the enduring lessons imparted to current graduates by the pandemic will be the ongoing prominence of virtual platforms of communication. By necessity, the pandemic has forced us to realize that certain tasks that were previously thought to be either extremely cumbersome or plain unworkable remotely are not only doable but that they even result in unexpected efficiencies. For this reason, whether or not there is ever a return to something approximating normal, precisely because of these more productive outcomes, graduates should expect that the use of much online technology, such as Zoom-for meeting, for interviewing, for instruction, and so forth, will be retained well beyond the pandemic.
What type of skills will young graduates need when they enter the workforce in the coming years?
Don Wyatt: In addition to facility at communicating virtually, both orally and in writing, I think the most important "skills" are really attitudinal, being versatility and optimism. Versatility is epitomized by being flexible enough to relocate to and work productively from any variety of locations other than the conventional workplace, as well as being able to approach and even embrace suddenly changed job conditions and responsibilities fluidly. Optimism involves remaining upbeat about an economy that is bound to change but not always at all for the better. As "skills," versatility and optimism are also important to develop because they are mutually reinforcing.
What experience really stands out on resumes?
Don Wyatt: The experience that most stands out on resumes is of two types, having been rather constant and very likely to continue to be so for the foreseeable future. They are the demonstrated abilities to work independently and also to work as part of a group. The first indicates one's capacity to be resourceful and creative as needed, especially under such pressures as deadlines. The second shows one to be an effective collaborator, to be able to function constructively and harmoniously as member of a team. Being truly successful in the world of work requires some combination of both types of experience.
Michael Munger Ph.D.
Professor of Political ScienceDuke University
Department of Political Science
WebsiteIn your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Michael Munger Ph.D.: We will never go back to full time jobs, punching a clock, with medical benefits and retirement plans. It is likely, as I discussed
in my book TOMORROW 3.0 (Amazon),
that we will increasingly move to gigs, short term jobs for ephemeral, short-lived firms. A model is the movie industry, which uses short term contracts for the duration of filming and production, and then reforms again for the NEXT project, with kaleidescopic change in personnel.
The real problem is that service jobs of all kinds are rapidly being replaced by software. There are three reasons:
A. software is cheaper, and can be more reliable for things like taking orders at MacDonalds. A kiosk is always there, and always open. It gets the order right, and charges the right price.
The old model was that I went in, read some words off the menu board, and the human behind the counter looked for the corresponding words on her cash register. JUST TURN THE CASH REGISTER AROUND! Now the customer presses the buttons on a touch screen.
B. There is a misguided move to increase the minimum wage. This will help experienced people, but it's a disaster for those who lack experience. Many young people will never find a "first job"
if we insist that entry level jobs pay enough to support a middle-class family. Software is cheaper already, but the new $15/hour minimum wage is terrible for young people starting out.
C. COVID. Software can't catch the virus, and can't transmit. This factor alone would be enough to take a lot of business online, and wipe out sales people and bricks and mortar establishments.
The downstream consequence will be dramatic increases in inequality. People with experience, and skills, will have jobs with medical benefits and pensions. Everyone else, and that will increasingly be young people without degrees or experience, will be stuck as a permanent underclass. COVID has already prevented young people from getting relevant and useful experience and education. That gap will NOT be made up.
What skills stand out on resumes?
Michael Munger Ph.D.: Anyone serious about getting a job, almost any kind of job, should have had at least one class in computer science, and be reasonably literate in either PYTHON or HTML programming. Whatever the job, adding those skills make a person much more flexible, and much more useful. Another skill is video production and editing.
Notice that all these are on TOP of substance area skills. You can't just know stuff, you have to be able to share it and influence others.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for graduates to find work opportunities in this field after they graduate?
Michael Munger Ph.D.: The best "place" to work is one with a very fast and reliable internet connection. This means that many rural areas, on top of their previous economic difficulties, are now even further behind because of lack of broadband.
Aaron Ebata Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Human Development and Family Studies
WebsiteIn your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Aaron Ebata Ph.D.: I think schools, agencies, and companies have found that there are some advantages to employees working remotely, and that the future will include some aspect of that. But an increase in remote employment (whether forced or voluntary) creates other challenges to individuals and families. This also means that there may be new opportunities for goods and services that focus on meeting these new needs. For example, new models of shared childcare or home schooling focused on someone coming into a home (or "pod" of like-minded families).
Schools and not-for-profit social service agencies may be feeling a financial crunch and may not be hiring - but the pandemic may have also let to retirements or people quitting which may open up positions.
Students who are entrepreneurial will be at an advantage.
What skills stand out on resumes?
Aaron Ebata Ph.D.: Evidence of the ability to take initiative, work independently, and meet deadlines. Evidence of success in doing remote work (completing projects or developing products) individually or in teams. Evidence of using critical thinking and creativity to solve problems. Evidence of working well with others. Evidence of flexibility and being a quick learner.
These are not new or surprising skills and competencies, but students will need to be able to show evidence for or illustrate their competence.
In our field, just having "a soft heart" is not really enough; students need to demonstrate that they are "tough minded" and can get things done.
Dr. Julia Beeman Ph.D.
Chair and Associate ProfessorBelmont Abbey College
Department of Criminal Justice
WebsiteIn your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Julia Beeman Ph.D.: In terms of how entering the workforce will look different, we know more interviews are happening over Zoom rather than in-person. Our students have done a great job keeping up with the technology, and have navigated those adjustments quite well. Criminal Justice practitioners must be prepared for all situations and be able to adapt quickly. I am impressed with the manner in which our majors and the entire Belmont Abbey campus have come together and worked on behalf of the safety and health of everyone.
What skills stand out on resumes?
Dr. Julia Beeman Ph.D.: The skills needed during the pandemic are the same ones needed before: strong communication skills, the ability to use data to problem-solve and be flexible, and the desire to work with people for the betterment of society. Our Criminal Justice majors (a small graduating cohort this year) are on their way to law school, policing, and graduate school. Several more are in the application process for various police departments in the southeast. In spite of the difficulties in the field, our students have learned that society flourishes when law enforcement and communities develop relationships that empower both to work for the benefit of law abiding citizens, aid the vulnerable, and provide avenues for transparency. Their senior thesis projects have prepared them for real-world research and policy decisions. They are excited to move forward, in spite of the dangers and uncertainty, and are committed to serving cities and towns across the US.
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Christopher Gehrz Ph.D.: I'm not sure a historian will be the best predictor of future trends. But I do think the pandemic's dislocation of the economy underscores how unlikely it is that new college graduates will spend their careers on a single track. When not just individual companies but whole sectors of the economy can be thrown into turmoil so quickly, it's important that college students use liberal arts studies to cultivate a breadth of knowledge and skills. Not only because that kind of learning transfers easily from one job to another, but because it prepares people well for the more advanced graduate and professional studies that will help them retool, adapt, and advance.
If a graduate needs to take a gap year, what skills would you recommend they try to enhance and how should they go about doing it?
Christopher Gehrz Ph.D.: In one sense, almost any gap year activity could be helpful, since one of the skills that AACU they value most highly is the ability "to work independently." It's hard to make the transition from K-16 education, where so much of your time and work has been structured for you, into a work environment where supervisors will expect you to set priorities, accomplish tasks, and manage time on your own. So a gap year of any sort might give you a chance to hone such skills. COVID permitting, a gap year can also be a time to travel, to develop more of the intercultural competency and facility with languages that are increasingly important in an economy where your bosses, coworkers, customers, and clients might live halfway around the world, or at least come from a very different background than yours.
What general advice would you give to a graduate beginning their career?
Christopher Gehrz Ph.D.: First, be sure to sustain the life of the mind. You're no longer a college student, but you're still a learner, so you need to keep exercising those muscles. And you won't have people like me giving lectures or assigning books anymore, so you need to find your own ways to nourish your interests, sustain your passions, challenge your assumptions, and enhance your understanding.
Second, keep in touch with your college professors. Not only might you need to ask people like me for recommendations at some point down the road, but in turn, you can provide something to your alma mater more immediately meaningful than donations: helping us answer questions like these from newer students wondering how they'll connect their studies with their careers. (For example, I keep a list of several dozen alumni in various fields who have told me they'd be willing to be interviewed by first-year students wondering what they can do with a History major.)
