CNBC(@CNBC):Rachel Grandis has no shortage of work experience. But when the 22-year-old graduated from Elon University with a strategic communications degree in May, she found her years of experience weren’t helping her land a full-time job offer. Today’s new grads say they’re up against unrealistic expectations from employers: 77% of grads believe businesses are calling for too much experience for entry-level jobs, while 75% believe there are too few truly entry-level opportunities, according to a new employability report from Cengage, an education tech company. Learn more about the gap between student experiences and employer expectations:

2026.10.09 23:00

Rachel Grandis has no shortage of work experience. But when the 22-year-old graduated from Elon University with a strategic communications degree in May, she found her years of experience weren’t helping her land a full-time job offer. Today’s new grads say they’re up against unrealistic expectations from employers: 77% of grads believe businesses are calling for too much experience for entry-level jobs, while 75% believe there are too few truly entry-level opportunities, according to a new employability report from Cengage, an education tech company. Learn more about the gap between student experiences and employer expectations: