For college graduates today, landing a first job is difficult—and in some areas more competitive—than it has been in years.
Postings for entry-level jobs are declining in many industries, unemployment for recent graduates is rising, and many of the tasks that once served as a stepping stone into the workforce—like administrative work, basic data entry, and basic coding—are increasingly being taken over by AI. In fact, the current unemployment rate for recent graduates between ages 22-27 is 5.6%, while overall unemployment has remained stagnant for months at 4.3%.
This disparity in unemployment is “not something that throughout history has been true all that often,” says Cory Stahle, senior economist at Indeed.
While the traditional entry-level playbook may be changing, that doesn’t mean opportunities have completely disappeared. Data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that hiring demand for the class of 2026 is up 5.6%, but growth is uneven across sectors and employer types.
Here’s what experts say recent graduates can do to stand out in today’s market, regardless of industry.
Network Strategically Before You Apply for a Job
“One of the suggestions I have to anybody who’s looking to enter the workforce is to make connections thoughtfully and strategically with an objective in mind,” says Dorren Coles, senior director of talent and learning at ADP.
Rather than connecting with people just to build your network of individuals you know, Coles says you should “look to learn something from the individual, look for what their expertise is, and ask them about that and use it as a way to exchange knowledge or to gain knowledge.”
Doing this, she says, will make for a more memorable conversation and exchange.
Additionally, when thinking about your career and where you want to be, Coles says candidates should list out the ideal companies they want to work for and the ideal industries and roles they may be interested in. From there, they should work to find connections in those fields before even applying to a job.
She explains that trying to make connections only after you’ve applied to a role can feel self-serving, versus if you try to make those connections before then it can feel like you’re authentically trying to learn and gain knowledge.
Turn College Experience Into “Real” Experiences
Employers know that recent graduates don’t have tons of formal work experience under their belt, if any at all. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use your time in college to show that you’re qualified for a role, says Coles.
“I always say, look back at your college experience and look for those transferable types of activities or tasks that you engaged in that are applicable to the role you’re [applying for],” she says.
For example, Coles says if her son who just graduated from college with a mechanical engineering degree asked for her advice while applying for jobs she would tell him to “look at the club that he was in for engineering and did he get to design something? Did he get to build something? What was the problem that he was trying to solve?” Her point, she says, is that recent graduates need to think about how their college experiences can be translated into the professional world to show they have handled relevant responsibility even if it wasn’t within a company.
Specify Your Impact
In a competitive job market like today, Priya Rathod, workplace expert at Indeed, makes clear that using generic claims like, “I’m a fast learner,” on your resume and in an interview likely won’t make the cut.
“The people who are really finding their footing right now, they’re the ones who are showing up with specific skills and the ability to talk about their work in concrete terms,” she says.
Similar to Coles, she advises young professionals to think about the organizations they joined, the summer jobs they held, and the internships or volunteer experiences they did. If you held a leadership role and managed the budget, then explain that. If you solved a campus issue, then specify that.
Rathod emphasizes that “specificity matters more than ever when you have fewer entry points” because it shows you’re a results-driven person who can drive impact at an organization.
Be Open Minded About Opportunities
Debbie Duncan, director of talent acquisition at Northwestern Mutual, says one of the biggest mistakes new graduates can make is being too narrow-minded with their job search. During a time where job growth is uneven, she says it’s important for young professionals to know that their first job may not be directly tied to their degree or desired field. In fact, she says many companies are willing to train you for a role if there’s an increased need and you show some level of interest.
As someone who is in charge of hiring and training financial advisors, Duncan says when she talks to new graduates she often hears, “Well, I don’t know anything about financial advising. I got a degree in psychology.” But what many recent graduates don’t know, she says, is that most financial advisors start without much experience and they gain it by getting trained at a company.
In a saturated job market with fewer entry points, Duncan emphasizes that candidates “should always keep an open mind as it can lead to opportunities they never even knew about.”
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