SALISBURY, MD – The Salisbury University class of 2026 graduated Thursday morning in a ceremony at Sea Gull Stadium.
With high gas prices, a competitive job market and artificial intelligence becoming more prevalent, some graduates told WBOC they are anxious about entering the workforce.
Lily Ngo, who graduated with a dual degree in computer science and mathematics, secured a software engineering position with a local manufacturer after completing an internship.
"The job market right now is really bad for people in my degree or my field,” Ngo said. “I was struggling a lot to secure one for myself or to even feel like I had a safeguard.”
Some students said they have been applying for months, but have rarely heard back. As a new holder of an outdoor education leadership degree, Ryle Jordan has an internship lined up with the Town of Ocean City that she hopes can become her first full-time job. She said high gas prices could make it hard to start repaying student loans.
"If I'm commuting from Salisbury to Ocean City every time I have to go to work, I'm not really making that back,” Jordan said.
Meanwhile, graduates like biology major Connor Kinch are returning home to save money while putting their full attention towards applying and finding the right role. He said he feels that using artificial intelligence to screen resumes has made it harder to stand out during the application process.
"I think it's a lot about researching and knowing tips and tricks of how to get your foot in the door,” Kinch said.
The graduates who spoke with WBOC also said they think networking is more important than ever before to get your foot in the door with so many applicants competing for the same jobs.
