HARLINGEN, Texas — Finding a job after obtaining a college degree is already a struggle for many. With the pandemic, students could have more difficulty finding a job after graduation.

CBS 4/ LOCAL 23 spoke to Xiomara Garcia, 25. She is the first in her family to graduate from college. Her life-long dream.

Garcia says securing a job is a concern with graduation just weeks away.

“For me, it is a little bit a not difficult but there is not really anybody hiring but there’s still a lot of people that are looking to hire students, especially graduates,” she said.

Associate Director at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Career Center, Lourdes Servantes, says there are a few resources that can help.

“You can’t go wrong with just going to the organizations that you’re interested in. Going to their career site. They have a lot of their jobs posted on their sites,” Servantes explained over a video chat interview.

She adds that while there are some similarities between now and the 2008 recession, there are more resources available now.

“Students have opportunities to take advantage of virtual career fairs. Virtual information sessions that organizations are doing, doing interviews [through] virtual. Hiring is still going on it’s just you have to get a little more creative in the process,” she said.

In a normal time, it could take a college graduate three to six months to find a job. Right now with the global pandemic, it could take nine months to a year.

“You have to stay optimistic. It’s going to be tough just like any other job search at any other point in time. There’s rejection that’s involved in it but the point is to take each one as what can you learn from that opportunity and enhance your skills,” Servantes explained.

That can start by simply working on your resume, practicing interview skills and using your free time productively 

Which is what is keeping many like Garcia optimistic during this time.

“Get your name out there, network with other employers so once we are going back to normal society seeing people face-to-face that the employer would be like I remember this student that was going to graduate, I want to connect with them so we can hire them,” she said.

Taking initiative to ensure she lands the job she has dreamed of.

For additional information and resources you can visit the UTRGV Career Center website.