CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF FINDING THE JOBS FOR FRESH GRADUATES IN THAILAND DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC CRISIS: CORPORATE PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Nowadays, the labor market has changed and been affected dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing this thematic paper to focus on studying the challenges and opportunities of finding jobs for fresh graduates in Thailand during the COVID-19 crisis. It emphasizes the corporate perspective to know most organizations' expectations, the changing situation, and the criteria to consider hiring the new graduates. Thus, all fresh graduates can know the challenges and opportunities they facewhile finding jobs. This research used three main concepts, pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 situations, to identify the topic theme mentioned earlier. Also, this study used the qualitative method via in-depth interviews with 10 people from various organizations, such as the managers, assistant managing directors, supervisors, and HR officers responsible for the recruitment process. In terms of the data analysis, all interviewees expressed their opinions similarly because they stated that it depends on the position of each company and is subjectively to the job description before new grads are hired.