The launch of Business Finance graduate Prabhjit Johal’s career, an anticipated position with SMUD, has been altered because of the pandemic. (Photo by Yosemite’s Golden Photography, courtesy of Prabhjit Johal)

By Cynthia Hubert 

Just a few months ago, members of Sacramento State’s 2020 graduating class were poised to step into one of the sunniest job markets in history.

Then came the coronavirus pandemic.

Graduates now are navigating a whole new world, one in which many businesses are struggling because of a virus that has isolated people in their homes since March. Job interviews have evaporated. Internships that might have turned into permanent positions have disappeared. Furloughs and layoffs are occurring. Plans are on hold.

“This probably is the worst time in modern history for graduates to be looking for new jobs,” said Sanjay Varshney, a Sac State Finance professor who studies the region’s economy. “And before the crisis started, we had the best economy ever.”

Related story: New degree could help tourism, restaurant industry recovery

As they prepare for their virtual celebration on Saturday, June 6, graduates are searching for ways to adapt and remain optimistic about their futures.

Some will make an unexpected return to school. Others are prepared to take jobs outside of their fields, or positions that offer less pay than they expected. Many are seeking help from Sac State’s Career Center and other campus resources as they decide their next step.

Prabhjit Johal, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance, had planned to sign on with SMUD, a company she has long admired and has worked for part time since high school. During the past five years, she has acquired valuable skills and worked on important projects, gaining the respect of colleagues and administrators, she said.

“I absolutely love my job, my team and the work ethics of SMUD as a company, which is why I aspired to stay with them right out of college with a great offer,” she said. The COVID-19 pandemic took that opportunity from her, as SMUD has imposed a hiring freeze.

Johal is looking for jobs within her major, but finding few open doors. She said she fears that “I will have to start from scratch,” despite having performed meaningful work in her field throughout college. She also is considering graduate school.

Addy Calkins, who graduated with an Education Specialist degree focusing on school psychology, has a job lined up in Arizona. But she and other graduates who plan to go into the education field wonder what schools and classrooms will look like this fall and beyond.

“COVID has deeply affected the way that teachers teach and how schools will be run in the next school year,” noted newly minted graduate Serena Melo-Chew, who earned her bachelor’s in Child Development. Some schools will continue to teach virtually, others will open with strict guidelines for social distancing and other protective measures.

Varshney said the pandemic has wrought “all kinds of disruptions” in the economy and job market, with no clear end in sight. In many instances, workplaces of the future will look very different, with fewer employees and more people working at home, he said.

Hiring freezes likely will continue through the end of the year in many cases, as companies adapt. The Sacramento Kings and Uber are examples of businesses that recently announced major cuts in their workforce, Varshney said.

But he also offered some cause for optimism.

“It’s clearly an intimidating environment in which to be looking for a job,” he said. “But the economy is starting to open up now, and if we don’t see a resurgence of the virus, we may be pleasantly surprised to see a quick recovery.

“Companies will start to hire again, although there is no expectation that we will go back to the 3 percent unemployment” that Sacramento boasted before the virus took hold. Varshney cited nursing, engineering and construction management as areas likely to bounce back relatively quickly.

Melissa Repa, director of Sac State’s Career Center, said although the jobs outlook is challenging, particularly in service industries, opportunities are emerging for new graduates. Sacramento’s heavy government presence is a plus for job seekers, she said, and “many state agencies and some federal agencies are hiring.”

The Career Center continues to attract potential employers in its new virtual environment, Repa said. At a recent career fair, representatives of 74 organizations advertised open job and internship positions, she said. As of May 19, the center’s Handshake job and internship posting system listed 639 jobs and internships within a 50-mile radius of Sacramento.

The center’s website offers information about sectors that are hiring, including technology, shipping and logistics and online learning.

Repa encouraged graduates to “think differently with an entrepreneurial mindset” as they approach the launch of their careers. She urged job seekers to broaden their searches and consider contract or part-time work, or self-employment as the effects of the pandemic ripple through the economy.

“Don’t lose hope,” Varshney urged new graduates. “This too shall pass. Stay sharp and connected” through job platforms such as LinkedIn, he said. “Continue to be looking for opportunities. Graduates will need to work extra hard and climb a steeper wall, but they should not give up.”