By Parisa Akbarpour
If you’re in the final semester of your senior year at GW, you’re probably feeling the pressure to secure a job after graduation. According to GW Today, about 92% of the Class of 2019 got a job or went on to seek a higher degree within six months of graduation. As someone who doesn’t really know where they’ll be six months after graduation, that number weighs more heavily on me every day.
As commencement inches closer, it feels like everyone around me is getting jobs left and right while I’m not getting any leads. After all, I came to this school because of that high number that now gives me anxiety. It’s a high number for a reason, right?
But I haven’t given up hope, so I asked a few current and past students about their feelings toward, what I will call: The Spring Semester Job Hunt for Graduating Seniors. I found that my feelings were shared and that a lot of the pressure to find a job is something that seems magnified at GW, across all the schools.
“At least in the business school, there’s a lot of kids who figure out their post-grad plans early into senior year,” said Senior Grace Demeritt. “That causes a very competitive atmosphere early on, so if you’re one of the kids who doesn’t really know what they’re doing until closer to graduation, you feel like you’re falling behind.”
Each school at GW seems to be a vacuum for post-grad expectations, which is why it can feel so discouraging to see the people sitting next to you in class sharing their full-time offers on LinkedIn. Suddenly the people who have been your peers turn into your competition in the job market, and at a school like GW where everyone is so talented and smart, that can be intimidating.
Laine Williams, a Columbian College of Arts and Sciences student, told me that she feels a specific pressure being a political science major due to the lack of a clear route for a post-grad career.
“You kind of have to carve your own path and decide where you’d like to see yourself in five years, so what makes me anxious is finding an opportunity right after graduation since everyone always asks,” said Williams.
It’s no question that this anxiety exists, and that GW’s atmosphere contributes to its weight. The pressure seems to cast such a large net on the student body that it trickles down to non-seniors, causing anxiety rooted in the anticipation of getting to that job-hunting stage senior year.
Brooks Rupar is a junior in the School of Media and Public Affairs, who is already creating a professional portfolio for a possible future in graphic design. Rupar said they feel GW’s culture around career preparation isn’t really inclusive of fields in the arts.
“Being from a family that has never had a job like the ones GW promotes, it’s hard to know just how intense the application process is,” said Rupar. “I don’t really have the know-how to craft an enticing resume or [cover letter], so most of my anxiety comes from my lack of knowledge on how white-collar internships and job applications actually work.”
So why is this phenomenon so prevalent at GW? I spoke with Emma Clary, a Class of 2021 graduate who majored in Communications with a minor in Women’s Studies. Clary signed onto a position at a marketing firm in April of her final semester, but that’s not to say she didn’t struggle in her search.
“The job application process is set up to make you feel discouraged and frustrated and it’s really easy for that to get the best of you.”
Clary spent about three months applying for jobs and networking. She, like Demeritt, felt the pressure to find a job early into senior year as her peers were securing jobs in the fall semester. As more of her classmates shared their newfound positions at well-known businesses on LinkedIn, she felt there were high expectations for what she should accomplish.
“I was extremely anxious. It was something I thought about when I fell asleep at night and it was always weighing on me in my head,” said Clary. “There were a lot of places I applied to where I felt I was perfect for the position and I never heard back from them. I felt like everyone had these cool jobs and I wanted a really cool amazing job.”
Looking back on her experience now, Clary shared useful insight into the reality of finding a job after graduation.
“It’s okay if your post-grad job isn’t perfectly aligned with your intended career path. Your first job out of college is the hardest job you’re going to get in your life. It’s fine to settle for a job that is kind of aligned with what you want to do and pays well because it’s about the experience.”
The closer graduation gets, the more I remind myself that things will work out how they’re supposed to. Getting caught up in worrying about what other people are doing will only keep me from pursuing my own interests.
As someone in the same boat as the rest of the anxious Class of 2022, I’ll leave you with Clary’s advice:
“Once you start the process it gets a lot easier, and you get that boost of motivation. Starting is the hardest part because it’s such a daunting process and it’s intimidating but just starting gives you some more confidence and a sense of control. Everyone has their own time frame, so don’t let the expectations that GW sets out get the best of you.”
