COVID-19 changed the state of the job mar- ket by introducing the world to the concept of stay-at-home work. Concordia students have many different opinions regarding re- mote work, here is what they are saying.

Nati Zicker, a senior Business major and as- piring actor, said that while many aspects of work are now able to be performed at home and remotely, “I don’t think the job itself has changed much.” Zicker also said that he liked the idea of hybrid jobs that can be done both remotely and in the office, "I want the ability to work at home if I want to. But if I want to work at a desk, I can do that too."

Zicker is not alone in his observations. Forbes magazine published an article in February 2023 that said, “The terms ‘remote work jobs’ and ‘work from home jobs’ have hit their highest Google Trends search for all time in January 2023, indicating an en- thusiasm and desire among job seekers for these positions.”

Yet, despite the suc- cess of the implemen- tation of remote work, working in the office still may prove to be the superior method. Se- nior Engineering major Jake Stuart said, “I like
I work best with others. Work is a little easier to do with that in-person connection. Online, it is easy to get distract- ed and mess around.” Stuart added that while many people lost their jobs over the course of the COVID-19 pan- demic, there were also “a lot of online oppor- tunities. People took ad- vantage of online jobs.”

Stuart’s concerns re- garding the quality of remote work in spite of the growing usage and practicality of working from home is a con- cern that should not go unaddressed. This idea was brought up by ju- nior church leadership major Gordon Cucullu who said, “COVID-19 shut down the entire lowing year people were still trying to figure that out.” Still, Cucul- lu was able to find suc- cess in the post-COVID job economy. He said, “I’ve had so many post- COVID jobs. I’m mak- ing a great resume for myself.”

The job market is changing. The opin- ions, observations, and experiences of Concor- dia students show that remote work is here to stay, while the in-per- son method may also be available or preferred..

What type of job should you get? In the end, that comes down to you and what you think is best for your- self. Concordia Career Services is here to help.

The Career Center is lo- cated in the top floor of the Library Arts build- ing, or can be contacted through their email at careercenter@cui.edu.

Concordia Career Service’s mission is to “support the mission of Concordia University Irvine by helping un- dergraduate students discover their calling and vocation, create a road map toward ca- reer readiness, and live out their calling.” If you have any questions about a job, your career, or whether you should work remotely or in-person, Concordia Career Services will be happy to help you out.

Tags: Careers and Vocation

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