A new national survey of more than 2,000 college juniors and seniors by Seramount, a global talent solution company, highlights a growing disconnect between student and employer perceptions of career readiness. Almost three-quarters of survey respondents believe they are or will be ready for entry-level roles when they graduate. Meanwhile, more than half of hiring managers surveyed in 2024 said that recent college grads are unprepared for the workforce.
Across the board, survey responses show strong student confidence in their career pathing and preparation, with 72% of students feeling confident that they are on the right path to landing a job aligned with their career goals. Additionally, 70% believe they have a strong understanding of which jobs or career paths will be a good fit for them. Most (88%) feel their coursework is adequately preparing them for entry-level roles in their chosen fields.
“This isn’t just a preparation gap, it’s a perception gap,” says Tom Brunskill, general manager of Forage, Seramount’s job simulation platform. “Students feel ready because they’re doing well in class, but you can’t prepare for a marathon just by reading about running. Employers and colleges both have roles to play in ensuring students have the skills to meet workplace expectations.”
Survey findings also suggest many students have already defined their career plans by the time they declare a major. Nearly 90% of respondents say they chose their major with a specific job or career path in mind. This suggests employers who want to hire more recent graduates would benefit by engaging students earlier in their college journey.
The survey report includes additional findings as well as recommendations for employers that include the following.
- Create online, experiential learning opportunities that allow students to practice day-to-day tasks associated with early-career roles within your organization asynchronously and at no cost to students.
- Establish partnerships with universities committed to promoting experiential learning opportunities to students early in their academic journeys, ideally by the end of their first year.
- Identify colleges where students are engaging with your company online in large numbers and make those schools a focus for on-campus recruiting.
“Internships, which require significant staff time to manage, are not going to supply enough skilled, early-career talent to meet employer demand,” Brunskill adds. “Companies need to engage students before their junior or senior year and give them new ways to build the specific job skills they need to succeed in entry-level roles. At the same time, colleges need to emphasize career outcomes to show value to students, families, and accreditors—and traditional methods of career preparation are not enough.”
