Graduates beginning their careers virtually learn to be flexible in evolving economy

With remote work becoming more common over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students and administration alike have had to adjust their approach to entering the workforce.

Logan Butts  |  03/17/2021

Entering the working world for the first time can be a daunting task for a new college graduate. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

Now, with an increasingly competitive job market and a world where virtual events have become the norm, students and colleges alike are having to adapt their approach when it comes to securing jobs post-graduation. 

From online career fairs to meeting your new colleagues over Zoom, Lipscomb students and staff have both had to be flexible.

Lipscomb’s Assistant Dean of Career Development Monica Wentworth notes that because the job search and interview process has changed so much in the past year, students have to be prepared for a slower, more online transition to the workforce.  

"Upcoming graduates must be able to network online and connect with companies electronically,” Wentworth said. “ This new method of interviewing prepares them for life-on-the-job because so many positions may be remote. Graduates that embrace this new method of communication and use all their resources are the ones most likely to land employment quickly. 

“Companies are still hiring, but it takes significant time to move through the process. My best advice for upcoming graduates is to reach out to the people they know, keep their LinkedIn profiles updated, and keep an open mind about jobs."

Leah Hampton graduated last May with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a minor in applied mathematics. But due to the pandemic, the start to her job as a missile systems engineer and analyst with the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC) was delayed for five months. Having previously had an internship with MSIC, which falls under the Department of Defense, has helped her in the onboarding process.

“Beginning a career here has a steep learning curve as it is, but starting amidst our restricted operations posed a unique challenge and an even steeper learning curve when grasping how to best fulfill my position,” Hampton said.

“Having the experience at MSIC to look back on, it was much more difficult to get acclimated to my position this time. This was primarily due to the simple fact that the teammates and supervisors I would have relied on heavily to learn the ropes, were not even on the same shift most of the time.”

Nathan Morgan, a May 2020 graduate from the Master’s of Accountancy program, echoed Hampton’s sentiments that his previous internship with his current employer helped navigate an unprecedented situation. 

Morgan interned with Ernst & Young (EY), referred to as one of the “Big Four” accounting firms in the industry, while pursuing his undergraduate degree in accounting. In October, he began working in their assurance practice. 

“It has changed the dynamic of interacting with my team. For instance, I was able to intern with EY in the summer of 2019. While there that summer, if I had a question, I was able to roll my chair to the co-worker next to me, ask them my question, and they could roll up to my desk and walk me through things,” said Morgan.

“I was also able to hear about many different parts of the audit, from the more basic tasks at my level, all the way up to the partner on the engagement. There would be random moments of the team talking about other-than-work topics, and it really added to the camaraderie. Now, the personal interactions happen much less often, and we have to be much more intentional of checking in on each other, more so about how things are going outside of work.” 

John Wynia, a May 2020 graduate with a finance degree and a concentration in accounting,  emphasized the importance of virtual events in getting to know their new co-workers. Becoming familiar with your colleagues at a new place of work has always been key for fresh college graduates, but it has become essential when you do not interact in person on a daily basis. Wynia quickly found this out when he started on as a master data analyst at Philips in June.

“One of the things I realized early on is that it would be really easy to log in every morning and just keep my head down and get my work done without really having to talk to that many people. But especially with the lack of human interaction every day, it is very important to stay involved with the team,” Wynia said.

“This has pushed me to attend as many virtual events as possible just to stay connected. This is really the only way to get to know my co-workers and to create relationships with these people. Working from home makes this more difficult, but not impossible.”

Suzanne Sager, the associate dean for professional development and engagement in the Lipscomb College of Business, has utilized virtual tools and programs to prepare students for the virtual job hunt and to navigate the virtual working environment.

“We are continuing to do whatever we can to connect students and employers. We do resume workshops, webinars, panel discussions, and prep sessions, and we're doing all of that virtually,” Sager said. 

Software like Big Interview, used to prepare students for job interviews, and Handshake, a job-hosting platform where college students and potential employers can interact, are necessary when most of the connections students have with businesses are virtual. 

“Virtual interviewing is where it's at right now, so I think Big Interview can be incredibly helpful, even when we come out of COVID just for students to practice,” Sager said. “And I've had a lot of students get their full-time and internship roles from Handshake. I don't know what we would do if we weren't on there. That's how we're hosting our virtual career fairs. It's been a fantastic platform for this era.”

Despite the challenges students have faced entering into a virtual workspace, there have been some positive outcomes, including the innovation of the workplace. 

“I think the current situation has pushed a lot of places to be more flexible and innovative when it comes to what a ‘typical day at the office’ looks like,” Hampton said. “Our work being tied to the defense of the nation, we have been doing everything possible to stay on top of our duties. That just now includes things like working from home and regulated shifts in the office, as well as an expansion of virtual meetings, online training, and the like, which were not heavily used in the past.”

Since the pandemic has made the transition from college to the workplace more difficult for many students, businesses are going the extra mile to help ease those difficulties for employees. 

“As crazy as the transition has been, I try to remember to be thankful every day,” Morgan said. “I’m blessed that I wasn’t let go or furloughed before I started. I’m blessed that I have a job that I can continue to do without being at another physical location. And I think taking time to acknowledge those things has made a huge difference in the transition.”

“It was not what I was expecting out of my first job, that is for sure,” Wynia said. “I have not met any of the people on my team in person or stepped into the office downtown. I am grateful that Philips put a lot of time and energy to make this transition as smooth as possible. The training process was very new for everyone in regards to teaching and learning all of the systems over a video call. Even with all of this, I think I am more eager than before to get into the office and meet everyone. This experience is just another illustration of how God works in many ways.” 

With businesses responding readily and students adapting earlier, could these changes morph into more permanent fixtures in the future? Hampton seems to think so, especially with regards to the newfound flexibility of many work environments.

“Though there are a lot of drawbacks and many challenges to starting a new career during a pandemic, there are a lot of positive things I think we can take away from this experience as a whole,” Hampton said. 

“Organizations and individuals, alike, are learning the strengths of a flexible work environment and ‘thinking outside the office’ as I call it. But even greater, we are learning how to overcome immense challenges together, and that is something that translates to any career, and life as a whole, no matter the time or place. Even though we may not be able to rely on each other in person as we are used to doing, we are learning how to continue to rely on one another despite any circumstances that we face."