Navigating Job Search as a College Student: What We Know and Where Scholars, Job Seekers, and Recruiters Need to Go

College job seekers have become a core sample for organizational scholars seeking to learn about the affective, cognitive, and behavioral experiences that unfold during the job search process. Yet, with the changing world of work and the challenges over the last several years due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that there is still much to be learned as work arrangements-and expectations for a healthy work-life-swing to the forefront of job seekers’ decision-making processes. In this chapter, we provide a review of the core takeaways from studies of college job seekers, which often take within-person approaches to understand how affect, motivation, and sociocontextual cues week-to-week affect job seekers’ efforts and ultimate success (e.g., interviews, job offers). We also carve out ways that scholars can continue to advance the study of college job seekers, presenting a review of missing methodological approaches, missing theoretical perspectives, and new considerations stemming from the changing world of work as we rethink what it means for this important population of job seekers to ultimately obtain employment. We pay particular attention to what recruiters of this unique population need to be mindful of when it comes to recruiting and hiring college job seekers.