WORCESTER, Mass. - A whole new graduating class is entering the workforce and its been a transitional 5 years as most of the college grads this year applied to schools back during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the class of 2025 prepares to join the workforce fulltime…

“Companies are still hiring,” WPI Heebner Career Development Center director Amanda Laungani said.

“The forecast looks good,” WSU Career Development Center director Dannie Lacks said.

According to MassHire Central, the job outlook for college graduates in Massachusetts this year is positive with a 7.3% increase in hiring compared to 2024.

Career Development directors at WPI and Worcester State University said opportunities are available for their new grads.

“There's a lot of uncertainty in the market but based on what we're seeing from the state of Mass and our employers," Lacks said, "they're not in a position now to start any hiring freezes or layoffs because the economy is so strong here in the state.”

“We're working a lot with employers and they're looking for college grads," Laungani said. "And so I think, you know, at a STEM institution like WPI, we're pretty well positioned for our students to be successful in the in the job market.”

But you can’t wait until graduation day. Languani and Lacks said it’s important for students to think about their futures throughout college.

“Really," Laungani said, "students when they're coming into college should be thinking about, ‘Where do they want to go in four years?’ and garnering experiences along the way to set them up for success as they graduate.”

“Employers want to see those soft skills that you have that you get through work experience or an internship," Lacks said, "and those transferable skills will move into the skills within the workplace.”

For the third consecutive year, according to MassHire, fewer than 40% of employers report using GPA as a screening tool and it’s important to know what skills job seekers are looking for.

“An employer will come in and talk to our business class and say, ‘This is what we're looking for when we look at a resume. This is what we're looking for at an interview. These are the skills we're looking for in this particular industry,’" Lacks said. "So, it's not us telling them that, it's real-life experiences that they hear from real employers who are hiring our students to help them prepare for that transition.”

As far as what the class of 2025 is looking for, it seems they’ve got a new perspective on work-life balance with many prioritizing location and smaller employers.

“I think a couple of years ago, I think students were more, open to taking risks and going somewhere new where they've never been. I think students are looking for more risk averse options," Laungani said. "They're thinking more about, is this going to fit into my lifestyle? Is this going to fit into my values? Is it going to fit into my culture? And so, we're seeing that a lot in this class.”