For the Spring Class of 2026, graduation season is just around the corner. Although an exciting time, it’s also a time when many students aren’t as prepared for the real world as they think.
Studies have shown how difficult it can be for college graduates to find employment. In a CNBC report, a survey conducted in the summer of 2025 found that roughly 30% of the class of 2025 had secured a job, compared with 41% of the class of 2024. On top of this, the Wall Street Journal reports that the 2026 job market is expected to be the hardest post-graduate one in years, as AI and other technological advances continue.
Despite this daunting statistic, seniors at Florida Atlantic University are getting ahead of the curve by preparing themselves and using the resources their college offers. Among the many available, the most notable is FAU’s Career Center, located in the student services building on the Boca Raton campus, with other offices on their Jupiter and Davie campuses
Sarah Botero, a current senior majoring in political science and minoring in sociology and political communications, knows the stress of graduation season and the transition to the real world. She says she realized how unprepared she was for entering the job market, especially as an aspiring law student, and set up an appointment with the center for guidance.
“The last resume I had was from high school, and I needed someone to tell me the right format and what potential law jobs are looking for,” Botero said. “So they were able to help me with getting it formatted with stuff that they actually want to see and hear about me.”
Botero says she also used the career center to help her find internships and get her resume out there. They also assisted in polishing her LinkedIn profile, helping her gain new connections and prompting more organizations to reach out to her.
FAU’s Career Center is no stranger to assisting its student body. Melanie Cormio, the center’s director of career education and coaching, is proud of how much the student body uses it.
“Nearly 60% of FAU seniors and graduating students engage with the Career Center prior to completing their degree,” Cormio said. “This strong participation reflects a growing recognition that career readiness is a vital part of the college experience, not just a final step before graduation.”
The Career Center is no stranger to the stress graduation season causes its seniors. As Cormio states, “Graduating students are typically focused on navigating their next steps after earning their degree. Common concerns include securing full-time employment, deciding whether to pursue graduate or professional school, and understanding how to transition successfully from student life into the workforce.”
Despite this, she assures the FAU student body that the campus’s award-winning center is here for the students whenever they need it.
“The Career Center serves students at the Boca Raton, Davie, and Jupiter campuses, offers virtual appointments Monday through Saturday, and is here to support students at any stage,” Cormio said.
Another senior who has done his part in preparing himself is Christopher Ortega, a senior communications major. Although he says he’s made most of his real-world preparations on his own, he plans to use FAU’s resources to the fullest while he still can.
“Since this is my last semester, I’m going to use these people,” Ortega said. “I have an appointment scheduled for a couple of weeks from today just to do some more resume editing and create different versions of my resume for different roles.”
Through both his use of the career center and his own practices, Ortega says he’s ready for life post-graduation. “I feel for the most part hopeful about graduation,” said Ortega. “I’m excited to be looking at a new chapter and starting something new. I’m not sure if I’m going to be going to get another degree or if I just hop into a career role, but I’m still feeling hopeful regardless.”
Jon-David Delcastillo, an FAU alumnus who graduated in Fall 2024 with his bachelor’s degree in multimedia studies with a concentration in journalism, shared that in the months leading up to his graduation, he was aggressively looking for a job in his field. “From July of 2024 to I would say March 2025 … I was aggressively applying to multiple jobs within the field of journalism and a little bit outside of it.”
Despite boasting an impressive resume, including a former editorship at the University Press and an internship with ESPN, Delcastillo says he picked up a part-time side gig at a casino that eventually grew into a full-time job.
“You have to be able to afford to chase your dreams, especially in the journalism major,” said Delcastillo. “It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, but I would say it’s been the smartest decision financially for myself and my family.”
Julius Demosthenes is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, contact Demosthenes at [email protected] or DM jay_dem0 on Instagram.
