No matter the major, most college students are usually worried about the same goal after graduation: finding jobs. While this has always been the case, the job market is tough right now. With the popularity of hiring sites like LinkedIn and Indeed, AI taking jobs, and economic instability, many students find it harder to stay positive about their future careers. 

Natalie Smith is a junior English major who plans to work in high school English education and described the current job market as stressful. 

“I’m a little nervous because I feel like a lot of the places are already full of teachers, and if they aren’t, they are just being laid off,” said Smith. 

While Rowan University is known for its education department, Smith feels unprepared, not in her training to be a teacher, but in her potential hireability. 

“I feel like, at least now, at least, it is kind of just getting our [teaching] hours in and looking at how to teach and not how to find a job afterwards,” said Smith. “I feel like they also promote the job interviews with CHSS. So I do think if I did that, maybe it would help a bit. But besides that, it’s just – go in the classroom, learn how to teach, and not how to find a job.”

Alexandra Aguilar is a senior biological science major whose ideal field is within the physical therapy field, and reflected on opportunities at Rowan, and also chose to describe the current job market as stressful. 

“I do see that they have a lot of opportunities for students to check their resumes and interviews, and stuff like that. That’s something I haven’t done yet, but it would probably be beneficial and could help with getting a job in that specific field,” said Aguilar. 

Nico Colasanti is a pre-med biological sciences junior whose career goal is to be an orthopedic surgeon, post-medical school. 

“If I match, then I kind of get a job in the field, so that’s kind of the nice part of medicine. I feel Rowan has set me up for success. I think it’s all pretty straightforward,” said Colasanti. 

While headlines remain dim on the state of the job market for young graduates, there are still many Rowan students who remain optimistic about the current job market. 

Even if a student believes they will get a job or not, Rowan University has various resources to help students prepare for their future. While not every college under the university has a center for professional success or development, Rowan offers a general office as well. The Office of Career Advancement is located in Savitz Hall, which offers career services, cover letter and interview advice, mock interviews, career fairs, and networking opportunities. 

The Spring Career Fair and Graduate School Fair will be held on April 6. This event is not major-specific and is open to all Rowan University students.