Another year, another graduation season, bringing both joy and stress to college graduates. According to National Bureau of Statistics data, the surveyed unemployment rate in the country’s urban areas was 5.3 percent in the first half of this year. But the unemployment rate for the 16-24 age group increased to 21.3 percent. This rise and fall indicate overall job prospects are not favorable for college graduates this year.

While the global economy faces a downturn due to the impacts of the three-year pandemic and geopolitical risks, China’s economy is still in the recovery process and many companies have become more conservative when it comes to recruiting new employees.

Furthermore, the number of students graduating from college this year is like to be about 11.58 million, an increase of 820,000 year-on-year. All these factors will make it difficult for many graduates to find suitable employment in 2023.

In recent years, the job market has become increasingly challenging, leading to social anxiety and psychological issues among college graduates. In response, the government and education authorities have announced policy dividends and increased employment opportunities for graduates. And universities are making greater efforts to strengthen their courses to help graduating students to learn the skills required by potential employers and find suitable employment.

Given the highly competitive job market, the young jobseekers need to seek certainty amid uncertainty, maintain their confidence, enhance their competitiveness, build clear and feasible career plans, seek help from others if and when needed and, most importantly, not fall prey to pessimism.

Understanding the overall situation is crucial for college graduates. They should be aware of the challenges of the job market, and not let the quest for an ideal job prevent them from grabbing the jobs on offer and thus miss out on opportunities.

College students should realize that employment policies will become more favorable, and the economy will get better, demand and the service sector will expand, and entrepreneurship and innovation will accelerate. In short, they should be confident about the job market improving.

Graduates should have a sound understanding of their personal needs, skills, interests and traits, as well as their life philosophy and desired lifestyle. This will prevent them from randomly applying for positions, as that could result in repeated setbacks, dealing unnecessary blows to their confidence.

Having a clear plan is important for college graduates. For some students who are preparing to sit the postgraduate entrance exam for the second time or those who are determined to get an ideal job rather than settling for temporary employment, it is particularly important to have a clear plan and a specific road map for the future.

They should set monthly or even weekly “small goals” and avoid losing focus during the long summer vacation, because the postgraduate entrance exam and the peak season for winter recruitment are only six months away.

There is also a need for college graduates to focus on building their capability and job skills. While the resumes of most college graduates are already fixed, they should reflect on their academic achievements, experiences and expertise and try to improve on them, enhance their knowledge, adapt to the changes in the job market, and strengthen their competitiveness.

For college graduates, short-term learning that can yield immediate results includes resume building, learning interview skills and improving communication skills. For slightly longer-term goals, they should, for example, consider acquiring new skills.

Some graduates who belong to financially stable families could continue to live with their parents and prepare to meet the challenges of the tough job market. And those who may not be prepared to face the pressure of the workplace as of now could take some time to build their confidence so they can overcome the challenges of the job market and find suitable employment.

Graduates should realize that by escaping from the pressure of the workplace, indulging in thoughts and isolating themselves from society, they will gradually lose their will power, competitiveness and fighting spirit to succeed in life. Workplace pressure and feelings of fear may increase with time, and in extreme cases, it could lead to social anxiety, internet addiction and a reclusive lifestyle.

The parents of such graduates should counsel their children to not be afraid of taking up challenges.

Employment is key to young adults having a sense of independence and building their identity in society. But they also need the support of others to succeed in life and career. Individual resources and information are limited for students, so when facing difficulties in job hunting, they should inform their teachers, parents and friends, and use new media and online job platforms to seek employment.

Moreover, when job pressure leads to excessive mental and physical stress, seeking help from counselors or psychologists can help reduce the graduates’ stress and help them start afresh.

The author is director of the Shanghai student mental health development center, Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences.

The views don’t necessarily represent those of China Daily.