A 2017 survey by Strada Education Network and Gallup of 32,000 students at 43 four-year institutions found that the vast majority of students feel unprepared to get a job after graduation; only a third of students believe they will graduate with the skills they need to succeed in the workplace, while just half believe their major will lead to a good job.

Diane Hudson, director of the Certified Professional Career Coach Program, a certification of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches, said recent graduates today often lack the interpersonal skills needed to land a job. Reliance on social media and limited experience with face-to-face interaction means they no longer know “how to properly shake a hand or look somebody in the eye. They have to learn social skills later.”

Natascha F. Saunders, a career coach specializing in teens and adults who is based in Boston, said over-involved parents can hamper a job search. She recalls one parent who showed up with her child at a job interview. Ms. Saunders insisted she wait in the lobby, but the parent approached her daughter right afterward and wanted to know exactly what happened: what was said, what questions were asked and how she responded to those questions. Ms. Saunders said she has also seen parents attend career networking events geared to students and alumni.

“The parents mean well,” she said. “They want the best for their child, but their actions aren’t helpful.”

Maureen Tillman, a clinical social worker in Maplewood, N.J. who started College With Confidence & Beyond, a professional practice to help young adults become emotionally and financially independent after graduation, says many recent college graduates do not have resiliency skills “as a result of being bubble-wrapped in high school and college” by parents who want to protect them.

Resilience is key in a stressful job market. Even though the unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree recipients ages 20 to 29 is at 8.3 percent, the lowest it’s been since 2007, Dr. Kefalas has seen “disturbing trends in underemployment and stagnating wages.” The salaries her students earn after college aren’t much higher than they were a decade ago. Competition for jobs can be fierce. On average, 250 people will apply for a job through a campus recruiting event.

“Hundreds of students are vying for one entry-level role. Employers are demanding more of the potential applicants. It’s tough to get that particular job,” Ms. Saunders said.