Mass layoffs, gloomy job market making college grads nervous
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- With big tech company layoffs in the Bay Area, there's a lot more competition for available job openings right now.
But for college students looking to enter the workforce, it's especially concerning.
Hrushikesh Pokala and Venkata Maithri are roommates who attend San Jose State University. Pokala is already looking for jobs.
He said last month, he was talking to Amazon and Meta recruiters. With the recent layoffs and a hiring freeze at those companies, all of that's on hold.
"It's pretty much scary now," said Pokala. "When are they going to resume? When are they going to open up new positions, especially senior positions which I'm looking at?"
Maithri can only hope things get better by the time she graduates next year.
"Some of my friends are searching for jobs right now and the difficulties they're facing," said Maithri. "It's really demotivating and upsetting to see a lot of posts coming in on LinkedIn that people are searching for jobs, and they're talking about their situation, and it's very sad to see all that really frightens me, and I'm really scared."
Anita Manuel, the Associate Director of Career Education at San Jose State University, advises students to start networking and looking for jobs several months before they graduate with an updated resume and LinkedIn profile.
"Those resumes that you put out have to be tailored to those positions," said Manuel. "There's tracking software that looks at keywords that really need to match those positions, so you want to make sure that you're at the top of the list, you have to have those keywords and updated information on your résumé."
Manuel had some advice to anyone recently laid off and looking for a job. She said now is a good time to re-evaluate what you want to do and to possibly pivot careers and suggested individuals consider their transferable skills.