The Class of 2020: Entering Into a Job World of Uncertainty
Caroline’s chocoloate strawberry “Class of 2020” cake
A typical college graduating class would have a proper ending to their final semester, a Senior Week with raging parties, a huge graduation ceremony with friends and family, and a grand send-off as they entered into their next chapter in life whether it is graduate school or a full-time job or wherever life takes them. But none of those things have happened for the class of 2020. Instead, we get an abrupt end to our final semester in college as if the coronavirus has pushed us all off a cliff. We did not get that well-deserved goodbye to our best friends, late-night study sessions in the library, late-night partying, dining hall talks with friends, and the feelings of freedom and independence that we cannot get from being home with our families. We have been working so hard for these past four years just like every other college graduating class did and in the blink of an eye, the coronavirus sent us all home instead of letting us cross that finish line. Everything changed. Classes moved online, video chats, calls, and texts became the new way of seeing our friends, wearing masks is added to the list of things you cannot leave the house without, and everyone was constantly reminded to stay at home to save lives. What this pandemic has taught me is to not take life for granted, specifically not to take my incredible friends for granted. So the next time I see my college friends who I have seen in four months, I am going to hug them so tight and I am going to tell them how much I love them.
Caroline Fiske posing with a “Class of 2020” sign in front of her house
All of this being said, these past few months have been filled with anger, stress, and confusion for the class of 2020. Between the coronavirus pandemic, the BLM movement, and every other curveball that the year 2020 has thrown at us, the class of 2020 has worked harder than any other graduating class to get their diplomas and graduate on time. Right now, I feel so lost because I have been applying to hundreds and hundreds of jobs and most of them don’t even get back to me. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way, because we are currently in a job market where hundreds of people are unemployed. In-person jobs and internships are now being canceled until further notice and the rest of us are just left in the dust. Students in the class of 2020 are not the only ones who are suffering job-wise right now, but instead of no reply at all, we need some certainty in our lives because there is too much uncertainty. By simply telling us that we didn’t get the job, we can move on with our lives onto the next application and not sit around and wait for you to reply back to us.
The class of 2020 is simply asking for employers to reconsider their hiring process for future jobs. Because finding a job is a job in itself. You have to constantly be applying and updating your resume and cover letters depending upon the job description. Looking for a job is hard enough as it is and employers should simply look at a class of 2020 resume into much more depth instead of just tossing it off to the side. The class of 2020 students may not have the specific qualifications that you are looking for as an employer, but what they do have unlike any other class is lots of persistence and dedication. They got all of their college work done in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. They attended countless Zoom meetings, had virtual office hours with their professors if needed, submitted all of their work on time, and they did everything that they would normally do for in-person classes online. They could have easily given up but they didn’t, they kept moving forward until they achieved their goals.
So to all of the employers who just so happened to stumble upon this article cut the class of 2020 some slack and give them a chance. Even though they may not fit your company’s mold and be the exact type of employer that you are looking for, if they can get the work done in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, then they can do anything. In the words of Tom Hanks, the class of 2020 are “the chosen ones.” They started school during 9/11 and they ended school during the coronavirus. They have been through hell and back. They will bend over backward to help your company and make it a better place. They will not let you down. Help make the job market for the class of 2020 and anyone who is unemployed during this difficult time from uncertain to certain.
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