When It Comes to the Job Market, There's a Lot of 'UB Resilience' Out There
July 28, 2020
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
In the midst of the nation's worst public-health crisis in decades, you'd be right to assume that things are topsy-turvy for current college students and recent graduates. With new uncertainties every day, how can you plan a career? How can you think about applying your education in tomorrow's unpredictable job market? How do you turn your new degree into a skillset that is needed right now?
For some University of Baltimore students and alumni, those are the top questions as we enter the sixth month of the global COVID-19 pandemic. But for many, the planning, the networking, the moving forward each and every day, continues unabated. The crisis may have affected their overall game plan, but the determination to get started on a career, or forge ahead on a job path they've already begun—this is the reality in 2020.
Lakeisha Mathews, director of the University of Baltimore's Career and Internship Center, says she is seeing a number of positive signs in the Maryland economy, and people from UB are reporting successes in their job-seeking strategies.
"Life is certainly different in this economy, but we're finding that there is a lot of University of Baltimore resilience out there," Mathews said. "In May, we reached out to all graduating seniors, and none expressed serious concerns about the current job market. Most planned to remain in their current jobs, continue their education or postpone their search plans."
Mathews reported that earlier this summer, 10 employers scheduled virtual Employer Happy Hours via Zoom to connect with UB students. And in the latest virtual career fair hosted by the Maryland Career Consortium in June, 74 organizations participated.
"UB was there, and we saw a lot of positive activity," Mathews said.
Having recently advised college-educated job seekers to be sure to include patience in their career planning efforts, Mathews says the job market may seem to be in a permanent stall—but the trend lines show some upward movement that could benefit those who are just starting out or heading off in a new direction.
"From a state standpoint, Maryland saw an 8 percent decrease in unemployment in June, and added 68,300 jobs in various sectors including education and healthcare services," she said. "I think those are decent numbers in a pandemic."
More positive news: Since March, 1,121 jobs and internships were posted to UB's community jobs board.
Over the worst of it? The calm before the next storm? It's hard to say. Maryland, like other states, will undoubtedly experience both good and bad times before the virus is brought under some measure of control. Until then, Mathews sees everyone affiliated with the University of Baltimore as having a distinct advantage.
"Our students come to UB, already ambitious and ready to go," she says. "We work with them on refining their job-seeking skills and their career choices. That upbeat attitude is a big part of our community, and I don't think anything, even this pandemic, is going to change that. They're confident, and they believe they're going to succeed. Time after time, we find that they're right."
The Career and Internship Center will host a fall 2020 Virtual Accounting Career Fair on Sept. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. and again from 5 to 7 p.m. Check the center's Events page for other upcoming sessions for career opportunities.