International Journal of Psychology and Counseling. ISSN 2278-5833 Volume 12, Number 1 (2022), pp. 168-191 © Research India Publications http://www.ripublication.com Am I Ready? The Experiences and Challenges Faced by Filipino Fresh Graduates Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic Ma. Rovelyn Escoto 1 Jimboy Duran 2 Jhamby Agustin 3 James Paul Carrozo 4 Patrick Barcelona 5 Vince Adorza 6 1-6 Research Students, Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation, Inc., Bulacan, Philippines 1 escotorovelyn@jilcf.edu.ph Jhoselle Tus 7 7 Professor, Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation, Inc., Bulacan, Philippines 7 tusjoselle@jilcf.edu.ph Abstract People's lives were flipped upside down when the world's economies were forced to shut down as a result of the global epidemic that occurred. People's psychological well-being suffered greatly as a result of the loss of their financial resources. Students were required to experience the new educational norms in the same year, which included taking online classes and participating in a virtual graduation ceremony. Students' hopes were dashed by recent news reports that circulated the country, which suggested that online schooling may help them recover from the pandemic. Thus, this research explores the experiences and challenges of the fresh graduates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized to analyze the participants' experiences and challenges. Based on the results of the study, there are advantages and disadvantages during the new normal of education, but participants expressed that through courage, determination, a positive mindset, and social support one can cope up with the challenges of this COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: Fresh Graduates, Employment, Experiences, Challenges, COVID-19 pandemic 1. INTRODUCTION People's lives turned upside down as the economy around the world needed to shut down during this global pandemic. The loss of financial sources caused severe damage to the psychological aspects of people. Students had to practice the new normal of education in the same year, including online classes and virtual graduation. Online education should aid the years consumed by the pandemic, but students' hope got damaged on recent news circulating within the country. Sadly, graduating is not the end of their anxiety as the corporate world awaits them and has prepared a plate of rejection for them. "We saw a lot of companies that normally hire 20, 30, 40 interns and didn't know what to do and canceled a lot of their internships," stated UWM's Career Planning and Resource Director, Jean Salzer. "Students who would normally have 2, 3, 4 job offers and have companies challenging each other to offer the most were down to maybe one offer or no offers." She added. Students during the pandemic were dramatically declined for internship and job opportunities (Carpenter, 2021). Education is a significant component for a wholly developed and productive generation for Filipinos and every student worldwide. The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted negatively on people's lives. Manila Bulletin (2021) showed a survey from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealing that 89 percent of Filipinos enrolled for the school year 2020-2021, and their parents and teachers claimed that the new normal of education is difficult. COVID-19 affected some psychological aspects as well. According to the study conducted by Tee et al. (2020), during the early phase of the pandemic in the Philippines, 25% of their respondents showed moderate- to-severe anxiety, while 16.67% reported moderate-to-severe depression and psychological impact. Foreign countries, on the other hand, such as Switzerland, Norway, and Austria, have 95% of students who