Wondering how to strategize about breaking into the labor market with a job or internship? A recent New York Times piece by investigative reporter Jodi Kantor, adapted from her forthcoming book How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work, offers a pragmatic but optimistic counter to the career anxiety that some may feeling this graduation season. Writing directly to the Class of 2026, Kantor pushes back against the doom-and-gloom narrative surrounding AI, entry-level job scarcity, and the challenges of searching for jobs in the digital age. Her core argument centers on two words: craft and need. By craft she means the specific thing you figure out how to do better than most through curiosity and determination. By need she means the demands of society and the wider world to solve real problems. Together, Kantor argues, these two forces are what separate careers that go somewhere from ones that stall.
Kantor’s perspective is relevant because some graduates are feeling a combination of pressure and discouragement…not least because of headline-grabbing stories from sources like the New York Times. For some, this may lead to choices that seem safe but uninspiring. For others, it may appear as a temptation to make as much money as possible as fast as they can before the “job apocalypse.” She points out that every generation has faced uncertainty and even the prospect of disruption during their careers. The students who are actually thriving right now, she observes, are the ones who identified a genuine need and pursued it by developing craft skills, even when their paths looked uncertain.
If Kantor’s piece strikes a chord, the UR career center is a ready for you! Schedule time with a career advisor through Handshake! We’ll also have a table in the SpiderShop on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. when you pick up your regalia. You can stop by, update us about your plans, talk to an advisor, and get some swag. As always, reaching out to UR alumni in fields you’re genuinely curious about can help you pressure-test your instincts.
Remember that UR Students have access to major newspapers and periodicals through the UR library. Staying current with the news is a great way to enhance your career development, whether you’re taking stock of your motivation and priorities or getting ready for your next interview.
