For seniors at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, graduation season is landing with a thud instead of a job offer. The spring job market is uncertain enough that plenty of would-be new hires are suddenly rethinking their plans, swapping straight-to-work dreams for graduate school applications, travel plans or stopgap gigs. For students in the Shidler College of Business, the early offer count is especially uneven.
According to The Garden Island, Shidler has 303 bachelor's candidates set to graduate this spring, and roughly 39% had accepted full-time job offers at the time of reporting. The outlet reported that 34 students planned to move straight into master's programs, while about 20 were planning to take the summer off to travel. Rick Varley, Shidler's director of internships and career development, told the paper students should "look past the negative" and treat the job search like a full-time effort.
Why The Market Is Tight
The chilly outlook is not just anecdotal. Economic data point to broader headwinds. According to UHERO, tourism has stabilized but remains weak, job postings have fallen and payroll growth is expected to be modest, conditions that can easily squeeze entry-level openings. The forecast also warned that federal workforce reductions and higher borrowing costs are added risks for local hiring.
Advisers and students told The Garden Island they are adjusting their playbooks in real time. Varley said AI can be useful for practicing interviews but "should not replace personal effort," and Walter Dods Jr. urged graduates to be adaptable, stay curious and learn from mistakes. Students did not sugarcoat how it feels. Nineteen-year-old biology major Faith Harriman told the paper, "it's terrifying," while others said they would take short-term roles to build experience.
Shidler's Track Record And The Gap
That anxiety hits harder when stacked against Shidler's recent track record. According to University of Hawaiʻi News, 91% of recent BBA alumni secured employment within three months in 2022 to 2024, and the college facilitates more than 400 internships annually, a pipeline that has historically led straight to hires. The current early-offer picture does not erase that record, but it does highlight how a tight local market can change the timing and shape of opportunities for new graduates.
What Students Are Doing Now
For now, students and advisers say the strategy is simple, if not easy, hustle. That means networking hard, taking internships or temporary roles and sharpening interview skills. The Mānoa Career Center offers resume reviews, mock interviews and a weekly updated jobs database to help seniors get some traction.
Some students are pivoting toward credentialed roles, with aspiring nurses, for example, pursuing CNA licenses to gain hospital experience. Others are running the numbers on master's programs or trying to tap into remote work that stretches beyond Hawaiʻi's tight market.
For a generation entering the workforce amid shifting industries and rising costs, flexibility and early planning look like the safest bets available. Graduates who treat the hunt like a full-time job, build any experience they can and lean on campus resources have the best shot at turning a rocky launch into a more stable landing.
