The Impact of Covid-19 on Recent Graduates' Career Decisions and Outcomes

The Covid-19 crisis has a potentially profound impact on those entering the labour market, in particular recent graduates, seeking to gain a return on their human capital and access to appropriate forms of employment. Using a mixed methods longitudinal approach, this research investigates how the Covid-19 crisis is experienced across the most recent graduate population, its impacts on their career behaviour and outcomes and which graduates may be most affected. It aims to inform future policy on facilitating graduates' access to fair and sustainable employment outcomes. Viewed as a 'shock event' that is outside of individuals' control (Akkermans et al, 2020), the Covid-19 crisis potentially destabilises otherwise clearer and purposive transitions into employment and forces people to re-appraise careers plans and aspirations. This can be either transient or result in longer-lasting scarring effects that deplete individuals' capacity to (re)integrate into the labour market. Responses may also vary across individuals and groups depending on their life situations and dispositions. Career development literature shows that for external challenges such as recessions and pandemics like Covid-19, career resources and behaviours are important influences in how well people cope with negative career experiences and develop strategies and goals (Savickas, 2012; Brown et al, 2012). Such resources include access to networks, crucial labour market knowledge and adaptability and resilience (Tomlinson, 2017; Peeters et al, 2019). However, these may not be evenly acquired across the graduate population depending on their personal circumstances and background profiles. The current context raises significant equity issues around graduates' employment prospects.