New Survey From RippleMatch Reveals How College Students Are Navigating Entry-Level Jobs and Internships During COVID-19

By AIT News Desk On May 14, 2020

RippleMatch, a leading university recruitment platform, has released new research that reveals how college students are navigating jobs and internships during COVID-19.

RippleMatch has student users enrolled at 1,000+ top colleges and universities across the country, serving as the link between talented candidates and high-quality jobs & internships. Working mostly with Fortune 2000 companies and late-stage startups, RippleMatch is uniquely positioned to collect data on how entry-level candidates are beginning their careers and navigating these uncertain times.

In the largest survey published so far on how COVID-19 is impacting entry-level jobs and internships, RippleMatch uncovered the challenges students are facing in their current job search, as well as how students with existing job & internship offers have been affected by program adaptations and cancellations.

Read on for highlights of the data:

Navigating Entry-Level Jobs & Internships During COVID-19: Data from 2,210 Students

Uncertainty caused by COVID-19 exacerbates normal challenges of job search

83% of students say knowing which companies are still hiring is top challenge
74% say companies are unresponsive to applications
72% say the stress and uncertainty from COVID-19 had made the job search even more difficult to navigate

COVID-19 is pushing student job seekers to expand career preferences

72% of students are looking outside of their preferred role type to find a job during COVID-19
68% are looking outside of their preferred industry

Most employers are honoring their commitments to entry-level hires and interns

In total, 60% of full-time and internship programs are set to move forward despite complications from COVID-19

–Of that 60%, 46% of programs will move to a remote setting, while 14% will have a delayed start date or shortened program duration for internships

16% of respondents reported that their job offer had been rescinded or internship program had been canceled due to COVID-19
24% of students have yet to hear about concrete plans for their programs

RippleMatch is college recruiting made right. They build relationships with the best students on over 1,000 college campuses to help employers that care about building diverse, high-performing teams source the right candidates automatically.