With the competitive job market, students are struggling to prioritize their academic goals
Have you noticed that it's becoming more difficult to get a job?
Some are fortunate to have an established network of people who help make securing a job easier. However, seeking a job solely on your own which can involve sending out several cold emails, endlessly browsing job boards, and creating a network, often proves to be more difficult than anticipated.
As a co-op student, it felt harder than necessary to secure a job for my first placement. Out of the 70 jobs I applied to, I only received four interviews.
Although this may not be the case for everyone, many students have also experienced this when it comes to job hunting.
The co-op program at McMaster University requires students to secure a job placement before their allotted work term. If a student is unable to get a job their work-term can either be moved to another semester, they may only be required to complete three work terms or they may also be removed from the program if they have not been actively searching for a position.
With limited prospects in the current job market, having to pursue one of the alternatives listed above can significantly impact our academic terms.
For many co-op students, in third year we often have our fall semester as an academic term whereas our winter and spring/summer terms are work placements. We then have a regular term during our fourth fall semester. In the winter of our fourth year, we begin looking for our next placement for the upcoming spring/summer and fall semesters of fifth year. We finally end our undergraduate careers on with one last academic term.
For a student whose work term is moved to another semester, also known as resequencing, they may not get into their required classes. We must enroll for the co-op course instead, while some of our required courses are only available during certain terms. Since students will be on work terms during the spring/summer semesters, it may become more difficult to catch up on missed pre-requisites as they are on a co-op placement during this time.
Although it is possible to begin catching up while on a work placement, co-op students are only allowed to complete one course per semester during a work term with permission from their supervisor. If your course is offered during these semesters, it can be difficult to balance this and full-time work.
If we fall behind, we don't have much room to catch up with courses. Failing to find a co-op placement in part due to the current job market being so limited faces us with dire consequences when it comes to obtaining our degrees. We are disadvantaged from successfully completing our academic requirements. We also may be putting our dreams of a thesis at risk as resequencing causes us to have a work term during our fourth year.
However, this struggle is not only limited to co-op students. The current job market has not been kind to any student. With positions being more difficult to secure, the stress we experience interferes with our academics.
The process of actually finding a job may not be the cause of stress for non-co-op students. The financial aspect of what a job promises can cause students to displace their focus from academics to job seeking. Meanwhile, many students need a part-time job to pay their expenses that OSAP and other financial aid services might not cover cover.
With jobs difficult to secure and the rising cost of living, we are detracted from prioritizing our studies. How can we, if we have to worry about next month's rent with no income to support ourselves?
When we worry about fulfilling our most basic needs like rent, food and tuition, it becomes difficult for us to focus on our education.
When we worry about fulfilling our most basic needs like rent, food and tuition, it becomes difficult for us to focus on our education.
I am not sure if you can relate, but I am more inclined to skip a lecture when I have more urgent matters to attend. Can't get into a course that is crucial for a concurrent certificate? I'm skipping a lecture to talk with an academic advisor. Can't secure a position for co-op with the deadline fast approaching? I'm skipping another lecture to try and find a solution.
Although these are conscious choices that I am making, the external influence of the tight job market becomes detracts greatly from my academics as I worry about the implications of not having a job.
This is something many students face. I hear it frequently when talking to my peers. Many of us are seeking jobs to help supplement what OSAP does not cover, but are struggling to get a job because of the current market. This constant struggle keeps us distracted from our academics, negatively impacting our performance.
It's tough finding a job in the real world.
As undergraduate students, we have access to resources that make the job-hunting process slightly less challenging. Jobs listed under the student-work program and co-op-specific job board are exclusive to McMaster students. Access to these resources limits the size of the applicant pool, increasing students' odds of securing a job.
Nevertheless, the process of job hunting doesn't get easier after we graduate. The co-op job hunting process is not a reflection of real-world competitiveness due to the supports and exclusive job board we are given.
With many companies cutting back their available positions due to a lack of funding, everything has become increasingly competitive. Being thrown into this without support can be challenging.
However, using university resources to your advantage to create a network can help improve your chances of securing a job. By connecting with your professors early on and attending campus events, you are building bridges to help facilitate the connections needed to get you into your field of work.
Using university to your advantage to create a network can help improve your chances of securing a job. By connecting with your professors early on and attending campus events, you are building bridges to help facilitate the connections to get you into your field.
Although job hunting is not easy, my biggest piece of advice is to keep working away at it. Maintaining resilience and working early ahead are the best things you can do to overcome the challenges we all face as students while maintaining your academic performance. By starting the job application process earlier, you will increase your chances of securing a position because the more jobs you apply to, the more likely it is to secure a position - it's a numbers game.
And remember, you aren't alone! Take advantage of the support McMaster has to offer. It may take some time, but you will be able to secure a position.
Disclaimer: This piece was written prior to the changes made on Jan. 17 by the Ford provincial government regarding tuition for postsecondary education. Changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program include increasing the length of time students must have graduated high school to qualify as an independent student from four to six years, removal of the grace period for repayment of loans upon graduation, and removal of many grants for lower-income students. Read the provincial government's statement here: https://news.ontario.ca/maesd/en/2019/01/affordability-of-postsecondary-education-in-ontario.html
The Ontario Student Assistance Program, a financial aid program offered through the provincial government, has helped many Ontario students get through university. OSAP offers funding through grants and student loans, and can be used to help offset the cost of tuition and school-related expenses.
Almost all Ontario residents may apply for OSAP but the amount of aid offered to each individual is dependent on the individual’s education expenses, course load, and personal financial situation. This last factor essentially boils down to your family’s income. If your family makes enough money deemed by the government to sufficiently cover educational expenses, then this renders you ineligible to collect OSAP.
While this appears to favour students from low-income households, as it should, it neglects the possibility of students from high-income households where parents do not or cannot pay for tuition. There are many reasons why this occurs ranging from the parents’ genuine inability to allocate funds for their children’s education to refusing on the grounds of principle. Though these students truly demonstrate financial need, their concerns often go unrecognized.
As these students are not able to collect OSAP, they typically have to work several part-time jobs to pay for tuition, or try their luck at applying for private loans that do not carry the benefits of student loans like interest relief during schooling and grace periods after graduation.
As of now, the only way to receive OSAP if you are from a high-income family is to be considered an independent student with an income below what the government deems as excessive or to declare a family breakdown. To be considered an independent student, one must meet several criteria. For example, both your parents must be deceased, you’ve worked full-time for at least 24 months in a row, or you’ve been out of high school for four or more years.
These provisions show the assumption of the provincial government that parents will support their children for four years of postsecondary education. This often false assumption also has no rational grounds; why the decision for a seemingly arbitrary four years? What occurs only after four years from high school that makes someone financially independent?
The alternative, to declare a family breakdown, is also insufficient. To declare a family breakdown renders you an independent student but you must show proof of estrangement from your parents “due to documented mental, physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse or drug or alcohol addiction in your family”. This provision is too narrowed and does not reflect the many other reasons that parents may be unwilling or unable to support their children’s postsecondary education expenses. Your parents could very well be supporting you, just not financially.
Rather than requiring students to jump through hoops to receive aid, there should be an honour system for students applying for OSAP. If students claim that they are financially independent from their parents, they should be believed at face-value. Perhaps the stipulation can be a restriction for these applicants to receive student loans only, so that grants can be reserved for students from lower-income families.
There will undoubtedly be individuals that misuse such an honour system. But is the potential for misuse strong enough cause to warrant not supporting individuals who could legitimately benefit from such an option? That’s subject to debate.
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