Fresh grads, no job? The advice people shared

advice for – As college graduates face a tough mix of recession memories, pandemic disruption, and an AI-shaped labor market, readers and columnists offered practical, personal advice: build on what matters, network in the real world, pivot when life changes, and keep taki

When you graduate and the inbox stays empty. it can start to feel like time is moving but you aren’t. One recent graduate described rounds of interviews and skill tests as draining. while scrolling through posts of peers moving on with their lives. Another said she had to accept freelancing while working at a hot dog joint after graduation. Across those experiences. a consistent message kept surfacing: don’t wait for one perfect break—do something that connects you to people. purpose. and opportunity.

The discussion came from an Opinion Forum that invited USA TODAY readers and columnists to share what they wish they had known after college. The prompts were open to new voices, too. People were told they could weigh in at usatoday.com/forum. leave a voicemail at (202) 655-3923. or drop a note at forum@usatoday.com. The responses that followed were collected as a sampling of advice. with several themes repeating: build on what’s meaningful. lean on relationships. and keep moving even when the job market feels like it’s fighting back.

Build on what is meaningful, then let it grow

Traci Neal. from South Carolina. said her own path started with a leap that didn’t look like a traditional job search. After graduating from college, she went to Beijing to teach English to Chinese children for six months. She framed the experience as meaningful—especially as a woman of color—and said it helped her learn backgrounds beyond her own. She also tied the courage she gained in China to a later decision: in June 2020. she switched from aiming to become an elementary school teacher for 10 years to becoming a professional poet.

Neal’s “biggest yes. ” she said. came last year when she submitted her poetic style letter to the Letters to America project. She said the project highlighted America’s 250th anniversary from a Black woman’s perspective. Her letter, along with submissions from two other Black women writers, was composed into a song. She said the song was sung by soprano Karen Slack at Carnegie Hall on March 11.

Her advice to the Class of 2026 repeated the same core idea: “Build on what is meaningful to you and watch it grow.” She said everyone is unique. that individuals need to find a community to help change take place in impactful ways. and that “we win together. not apart.” She also urged recent graduates to unite around a strong desire for change—saying it can’t happen without uniting.

How to talk to employers, and who to treat well

Neal offered career-search tactics, too. She said the biggest tip for anyone searching for a job is to be assertive and approachable. In her view. phone calls or emails aren’t as personal as physically showing up at the job a person wants. She added that employers need to see people willing to take charge and said making yourself known is a way to do that.

She also advised graduates to be mindful about how they talk to people working on the job besides the manager and/or supervisor. Neal said respecting everyone—especially those already working there—can lead to someone putting in a good word “just by your conduct. ” and that how a recent graduate handles those on the job will probably show how the person would handle a client or customer.

In her closing, she said she feels “super excited and hopeful for the future,” and that what she does now will leave positive effects on the next generation and those to come.

Networking isn’t just a resume trick—it’s human

Nicole Russell, a USA TODAY columnist, pushed back on the idea that a resume, GPA, or work ethic will automatically translate into a job offer. Her advice focused on networking in the “real world,” arguing that time face-to-face is the most helpful for career advancement.

Russell said if someone isn’t a potential employer. they should still reach out to a mentor or someone admired in a field. She suggested taking them out for coffee and asking how they became successful or what nuggets they might pass down. She also urged people to honor the person’s time and thank them, then nurture those contacts over time.

Sara Pequeño. another USA TODAY columnist. added that networking can start with connections “even people who are your age.” She said she graduated from her alma mater without a job lined up. reluctantly accepting freelancing while working at the hot dog joint she’d been a server at in college. Pequeño wrote that about a month after post-grad. a friend reached out saying he was leaving his part-time job at the local alt-weekly and would recommend her for the role if she wanted. She said she eagerly agreed, and that part-time job turned into a journalism career.

Years later. Pequeño said the same friend helped connect her with an opinion editor in the USA TODAY Network when she was applying for the job here. Her advice to college kids was simple: “Lean on your connections. ” because the person who tries teaching you to skateboard in a parking deck might be the one who jumpstarts your career.

When the job hunt keeps failing, change the route

Kahwit Tela, from Tennessee, described the slow pressure of repeated rejection even with an advanced degree. She said she graduated in 2022 from college. and despite graduating with her master’s degree in journalism last May. she still hadn’t secured a full-time job. Tela wrote that she was grateful for support and encouragement from family and friends. but added that it’s been hard to remain hopeful.

She said comparing herself to friends and peers who moved ahead—engagements. marriage. new jobs—has been difficult while she remained unable to get a job because of the job market. Tela described “countless rounds of interviews and skill tests” as draining. She said her birthday is coming up in June and that all she wants is a full-time job in a place where she can grow and flourish with good health benefits.

Kofi Mframa also centered the emotional toll. writing that he knows what it’s like to graduate into an unforgiving job market. He said his own experience came after graduating high school amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and then graduating college into the job market. Mframa said he was able to find an amazing opportunity to start his post-grad career. but he recognized that “not everyone’s story is the same.”.

He described scrolling through LinkedIn. Instagram. and X. seeing posts of people struggling with job applications that were met with rejection or ignored. networking attempts that led to dead ends and empty promises. and hope that dwindles when people feel they are doing everything right but have nothing to show for it.

Mframa’s message was a long-view reassurance: the road to success is long and winding. and roadblocks may lead to more roadblocks. He wrote that one day—“maybe tomorrow. maybe five years from now”—people will reach a destination. even if it isn’t exactly what they envisioned. In the meantime, he said, “just know you’re not alone.”.

A volunteer year, grad school, and pivoting toward a calling

Kahwit Tela wasn’t the only writer to describe pivoting. Another contributor said she graduated college in 2022 and. after job rejections in her home state of Tennessee. decided to take a leap of faith by doing a volunteer service year in Minnesota with Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She said she served and worked closely with the unhoused community for an entire year and that it made her realize the kind of work she wants to do with her life.

After that, she said she went to graduate school at Georgetown University for two years and graduated in May 2025. Her advice was to “take a leap of faith and take more calculated risks. ” and she wrote that her only advice she wishes she received in college was that her journey is different from everyone else’s journey. She said you’ll reach goals in due time, stay in your lane, and continue rooting for others.

She also included a passage from Takehiko Inoue’s “Vagabond. ” quoting: “Preoccupied with a single leaf. you won’t see the tree. Preoccupied with a single tree, you’ll miss the entire forest. Don’t be preoccupied with a single spot. See everything in its entirety, effortlessly. That is what it means to truly ’see.’” She applied it to life advice: don’t get caught up on one thing or one city or one job. be open to pivoting. and understand that life doesn’t go as planned. She said if she hadn’t done the volunteer service year in Minnesota. she wouldn’t have found a calling for human rights writing and advocacy.

Her practical suggestions were broad—network if you haven’t already. start taking courses to boost professional skills. volunteer. freelance. exercise or pursue hobbies. and remain hopeful. She also urged people to be kind to themselves. saying the job market is tough right now and that rejections shouldn’t be taken too hard. She closed with: “It’s not ‘if’ but ‘when.’”.

Purpose over endless applications

One response pulled the message into a direct instruction for recent grads struggling to find work. Julia Lapan. from Virginia. wrote that if she could give just one piece of advice. it would be: “Do something.” She said she wasn’t talking about sending in one more job application. but taking action that serves a greater purpose—helping another person or organization. forging a meaningful human connection. or creating something others might find useful.

Lapan said to find someone who needs what you have to give and go there. She urged asking how you can help and showing what you can do. She wrote it probably won’t be the dream job and may not pay the bills “(yet).” Still. she described taking small steps toward meeting the world’s needs with what a person has to offer as a powerful act of trust and generosity that can have positive consequences for both the person and others.

Her final line was blunt: don’t wait for the right opportunity to find you; go out and make it happen.

Through all the stories—from Beijing teaching to an alt-weekly job turning into a journalism career—one thread stayed intact: the job market can be harsh. but the responses weren’t built around one magic application. They were built around people, purpose, and motion. Even when the path changed—freelancing after graduation. volunteering before graduate school. pivoting into poetry or advocacy—each account pointed to the same idea: the next step has to be taken.

MISRYOUM

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