Graduates of Truman College celebrate on May 1, 2022, at Wintrust Arena during the City Colleges of Chicago commencement ceremony for associate degree earners. Graduates of Olive-Harvey College, Harry S Truman College, Malcolm X College and Wilbur Wright College were honored in the afternoon ceremony.
UIC nursing student graduates revive a long-standing tradition of jumping in the sports and fitness center pool in their scrubs in celebration of their achievement on May 4, 2022. A robust U.S. economy is fueling the uptick in hiring of recent college grads, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting the American economy added 428,000 jobs in April, with an unemployment rate of 3.6%, unchanged from March.
And unlike years past, when so-called “soft” liberal arts degrees in the humanities were considered by some to be impractical, Bruno said this latest crop of college graduates is being wooed by employers actively recruiting workers from a wide range of majors and backgrounds. Perez-Rivera, 21, the UIC graduate who begins her job with the technology team at Northern Trust in July, said she is less worried about earning a big paycheck and fast-tracking her career, and more interested in having a job she enjoys and that can support pursuits outside the workplace.
“I have the sense that right now, there are more jobs out there than interested students to fill them across the board,” Riordan said. Falen, the UIC nursing graduate, said she was successful at her first career in restaurant management, but decided to return to school and major in nursing “to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Despite the booming job market, most college graduates will still need to conduct a job search. When preparing for job interviews, soon-to-be graduates should ensure they have plenty of practice answering questions, and are ready to present a professional resume, cover letter and portfolio if needed, said Brenda Williams, managing director of DePaul University’s career center.Brenda Williams, managing director of DePaul University’s career center.
“There’s a lot of talent out there, and those candidates were not getting the same opportunities because they couldn’t afford college,” Coleman said.