The Student Professional Development Center reported an increased engagement and job placement among 2021 graduates compared to the class of 2020, whose career opportunities were severely limited because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SPDC has spread its presence through multiple career centers on campus, helping students explore majors, create resumes, look for jobs and internships and apply for graduate school. Brooke Buffington, director of the SPDC, wrote in an email to Elon News Network that a large number of students utilized SPDC resources, and the numbers increased in 2021.
“Student and alumni engagement in the office this year increased, which means that we were able to assist more Elon students and alumni with their professional development needs,” Buffington wrote. “Over 90% of our students participate with our office in some fashion by the time that they graduate.”
The 2020 outcome report from the SPDC says that 90% of graduates accepted a position related to their career goals. The SPDC is unable to provide the outcome report for the class of 2021 at this time because of data collection. Destin Flloyd ‘21 worked with the SPDC during 2020 and 2021 and found that after a year to adjust and regroup from the economic fluctuations caused by the
pandemic, companies began hiring again. “During my junior year, it was definitely harder to find an internship [and] job because it was the height of COVID-19 and a lot of companies weren’t hiring at all,” Flloyd wrote in an email to Elon News Network. “But during this past year I believe recruiting returned to a bit of normalcy and was sometimes easier as companies were more willing to do remote interviews as well as remote positions.”
Post pandemic surge, most jobs in the United States are now available in 2021. The SPDC has been able to help many students get jobs post graduation as unemployment rates drop.
“The class of 2021 saw an improvement in the job market this spring, as companies increased their entry level hiring opportunities, and the economy began to open back up nationwide,” Buffington wrote. “We are continuing to see recent graduates landing jobs this summer, and organizations are telling us that are seeking entry-level talent to fill open positions.”
Flloyd utilized the Elon Job Network, a job and internship database that provides connections and opportunities for students, to find his job. He now serves as a financial analyst after being on the search for two months.
“The SPDC was definitely fundamental,” Flloyd wrote. “From the resume building, to the interview prep, and the job search, the SPDC has been there to help.”
The 2020 outcome report from the SPDC says that 90% of graduates accepted a position related to their career goals. The SPDC is unable to provide the outcome report for the class of 2021 at this time because of data collection. Destin Flloyd ‘21 worked with the SPDC during 2020 and 2021 and found that after a year to adjust and regroup from the economic fluctuations caused by the
pandemic, companies began hiring again. “During my junior year, it was definitely harder to find an internship [and] job because it was the height of COVID-19 and a lot of companies weren’t hiring at all,” Flloyd wrote in an email to Elon News Network. “But during this past year