With U.S. companies saying 2026 will be the worst college graduate job market since 2021, colleges and universities need to reframe career readiness. The answer isn’t better résumé workshops. It’s helping students recognize their careers have already started.
According to the Cengage Group’s 2025 Graduate Employability Report, 48% of graduates say they feel unprepared for entry-level roles. Too often, students are encouraged to “get ready” for their careers. When we reposition “career” as something unfolding now, not next, we invite students to turn inward and to recognize, examine, and ultimately take ownership of the process of shaping their professional lives.
