By, Kelly Kennedy, Asst. Social Media Editor
Manhattan College students have been reported to find more success in post graduation employment as the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions begin to ease.
The pandemic brought on a massive recession, and with that an incredibly high unemployment rate, but it appears that the job market is once again offering students ample opportunity to seek employment.
Because of the pandemic, most jobs and internships were conducted completely virtually and many companies faced economic hardship. As a result, much fewer companies and organizations were able to prioritize entry-level positions during 2020.
However, nearing the end of 2021, opportunities within the job market are on the rise. Even with many positions still being conducted virtually, there is an increase in open, entry-level positions within a variety of industries.
Rachel Cirelli, director of the Center for Career Development center, is seeing many opportunities arise for students, including new fields opening up that weren’t as popular pre-pandemic.
“There’s a lot of openings, and just lots of movement back and forth,” Cirelli said. “We’re rebounding again, and a lot of areas saw a lot of growth, whether it’s tech space, but also this whole idea of health and wellness is popping up everywhere.”
Not only are there new fields for graduating students to go into, but there are more options as well.
“Students are getting offers earlier and I think part of it is like they’re getting many offers so they feel even more emboldened to negotiate. And I’m getting a lot more students coming in and saying that they have so many jobs to choose from,” she said.
Aileen Farrelly is an assistant dean for the O’Malley school of business. For her students, being back in person has proven to be a massive asset.
“Last year, everything was remote, which was kind of I think what hurt the students as far as networking, and networking is what helps get jobs,” Farrelly said. “When I visit the College, and I physically talk to students, it’s not so much the presentation that the alumni give, but it’s what happens after the presentation with students walking up to them introducing them getting their card. You don’t get that when you do a virtual event.”
Now with everything back in person, students are able to network and make connections much easier. With the O’Malley School of Business operating almost entirely in-person this semester, students are able to engage with professors and classmates face-to-face to better develop their skills and learning, as well as attend important events that can help jumpstart opportunities for students.
As the initial impacts of the pandemic have been better analyzed and Americans are adjusting to an enduring “new normal”, many workers have left their fields, leaving companies desperate to fill their teams. This, too, has affected the opening of many entry level positions that MC students are more than willing to take.
Veronica Vitollo is a senior majoring in business analytics who has recently accepted a position at TD Bank that she will begin after graduation. While grateful for her position, she was surprised at how many options she had after graduation.
“I actually got a job offer because last summer I interned at TD Bank, and it went really well. I kind of wish I waited to accept the offer from TD so I could explore a little bit more. But, I’m definitely happy I chose it but I feel like there’s surprisingly a lot more options,” Vitollo said. Siobhan Hynes is an accounting major who also has recently accepted a full time position for post-graduation. Hynes has struggled in the past to find internships, but with the market opening back up she has found a lot more opportunities that have given her much more experience.
“The job market looks promising for the field I want to work in,” Hynes said. “I was of fered a full time tax associate position starting in the summer of 2022 with Andersen that I declined a couple months ago. This firm only does tax work, and I am not looking to get into that industry as of right now. I recently accepted a full time audit associate position starting in mid-August, with a company called PKF O’Connor Davies, where I will be working in their Harrison, NY office.”
The job market seems to be very promising for students in the upcoming years, giving hope to all who were worried about what a post-pandemic workforce would look like at the college.