Read the full article on KETV 7
As she prepares to walk across the stage, Creighton University senior Lily Eltztroth isn’t worried about where she’s going.”Very nervous to enter the real world, you know? But I’m very excited,” Elztroth said. “I’m entering the workforce, I’m working at Elemental Scientific.”In 2025, Cengage reported the job market was the toughest it had been since 2020, especially for entry-level positions. The Class of 2026 will not face as difficult a transition, and Elztroth said her search was a quick process.”I feel like if you just really put yourself out there and make those connections, I feel like it’s not as hard as it seems,” Elztroth said.Annalise Frodermann, another senior, is not entering the job market just yet. Instead, she’ll head to Yale in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in public health, but she said her friends haven’t experienced the same ease as Elztroth.” definitely stressed,” Frodermann said. “I mean, it’s hard to find jobs, and I know a lot of people who have applied to a million different things before finding where they end up.”Jeremy Fisher, senior director of the John P. Fahey Career Center, said fresh college graduates are entering a better job market than in 2025.”An employer survey that went out nationally indicated that hiring for college grads this year was up 5.6% from last year,” Fisher said.The National Association of Colleges and Employers also reported hiring increases in the construction and engineering industries. While Fisher named several fields for his students, neither of those options was mentioned.”Our number one industry that our students go into for employment every year is healthcare,” Fisher said. “We see a lot, especially in the business school and other relevant majors, going into financial services and insurance.”He said the biggest hurdle new grads will face is the economic factors.”You have government shutdowns, you have tariffs, increased taxes on corporations and goods and services,” Fisher said. “It’s more of an impact on the job market than AI right now.”Instead of completely taking jobs, Fisher said AI is instead part of the job.”Up to 25-30% of job descriptions looking for AI skills in their positions,” Fisher said.While some graduates dream of big city jobs, Fisher said it doesn’t hurt to stay close to home.”From our class of 2025, we just looked at the date, and 45% of all of our undergraduates ended up staying in Nebraska and primarily in Omaha,” Fisher said.He also encouraged students to develop strong analytical and communication skills.
As she prepares to walk across the stage, Creighton University senior Lily Eltztroth isn’t worried about where she’s going.
“Very nervous to enter the real world, you know? But I’m very excited,” Elztroth said. “I’m entering the workforce, I’m working at Elemental Scientific.”
Advertisement
In 2025, Cengage reported the job market was the toughest it had been since 2020, especially for entry-level positions. The Class of 2026 will not face as difficult a transition, and Elztroth said her search was a quick process.
“I feel like if you just really put yourself out there and make those connections, I feel like it’s not as hard as it seems,” Elztroth said.
Annalise Frodermann, another senior, is not entering the job market just yet. Instead, she’ll head to Yale in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in public health, but she said her friends haven’t experienced the same ease as Elztroth.
“[They’re] definitely stressed,” Frodermann said. “I mean, it’s hard to find jobs, and I know a lot of people who have applied to a million different things before finding where they end up.”
Jeremy Fisher, senior director of the John P. Fahey Career Center, said fresh college graduates are entering a better job market than in 2025.
“An employer survey that went out nationally indicated that hiring for college grads this year was up 5.6% from last year,” Fisher said.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers also reported hiring increases in the construction and engineering industries. While Fisher named several fields for his students, neither of those options was mentioned.
“Our number one industry that our students go into for employment every year is healthcare,” Fisher said. “We see a lot, especially in the business school and other relevant majors, going into financial services and insurance.”
He said the biggest hurdle new grads will face is the economic factors.
“You have government shutdowns, you have tariffs, increased taxes on corporations and goods and services,” Fisher said. “It’s more of an impact on the job market than AI right now.”
Instead of completely taking jobs, Fisher said AI is instead part of the job.
“Up to 25-30% of job descriptions looking for AI skills in their positions,” Fisher said.
While some graduates dream of big city jobs, Fisher said it doesn’t hurt to stay close to home.
“From our class of 2025, we just looked at the date, and 45% of all of our undergraduates ended up staying in Nebraska and primarily in Omaha,” Fisher said.
He also encouraged students to develop strong analytical and communication skills.
