New grads say employers set the bar too high for entry-level roles: 'No job is…
Rachel Grandis has no shortage of work experience.
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Over the last five years, she's worked as
Over the last five years, she's worked as a content creator for her school's athletic department, managed the business school's social media accounts, secured several social media and marketing internships, and even worked in restaurants and at summer camps.
But when the 22-year-old graduated from Elon University
But when the 22-year-old graduated from Elon University with a strategic communications degree in May, she found her years of experience weren't helping her land a full-time job offer.
"Entry-level to these companies is somebody who's coming
"Entry-level to these companies is somebody who's coming from three years of experience in the workforce," Grandis tells CNBC Make It. "It's hard when they want all this experience, but no job is willing to give you that first experience to have on your resume."
Even though she has related work experience from
Even though she has related work experience from her time in college, Grandis wonders if AI-assisted applicant tracking systems flag that she's a 2026 grad and automatically remove her from the pool. "If I had gotten a chance to speak to someone and talk about all my experiences within my school," she says, "[maybe] I'd have a better chance of getting a follow-up interview."
Today's new grads say they're up against unrealistic
Today's new grads say they're up against unrealistic expectations from employers: 77% of grads believe businesses are calling for too much experience for entry-level jobs, while 75% believe there are too few truly entry-level opportunities, according to a new employability report from Cengage, an education tech company.
The Cengage report is based on surveys administered
The Cengage report is based on surveys administered between April and August 2026 to 931 full-time hiring managers, 759 post-secondary instructors, and 1,100 recent graduates with four-year degrees, two-year degrees, credentials or certificates across the U.S. The report has an approximate margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
"The reality is that many employers have raised
"The reality is that many employers have raised the the bar" in what they expect from junior workers, says Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage. He says employers are especially focused on young workers coming equipped with solid critical thinking and decision making skills, especially as they invest in AI and need employees to manage the changing technology.
In other cases, Hansen says employers tell him
In other cases, Hansen says employers tell him that many new grads don't have the interpersonal skills they're looking for, like an ability to rally a team, organize a project or solve a problem. These are all skills hirers expect students to have picked up from social settings like classrooms, clubs and internships — but they aren't showing up to work with them.
A majority, 72%, of employers say the pace
A majority, 72%, of employers say the pace of workforce change has made it difficult for colleges and university to keep their workforce readiness programs up to date, according to the Cengage report. Even so, many business leaders expect young workers come ready to deliver results on day one, Hansen says, and "don't have the patience anymore to train somebody in the basic skills that they might have had 10 years ago or even five years ago." The gap between student experiences and employer expectations
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New grads say employers set the bar too high for entry-level roles: 'No job is willing to give you that first…
Rachel Grandis has no shortage of work experience.
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Source: CNBC