Undergraduate students' career readiness is an important topic among educators, including how career-ready skills are developed and demonstrated to prospective employers. The impact of COVID-19 on the career readiness of undergraduate students is multifaceted, given the extent to which the pandemic may have affected their career planning and development. The COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected changes to the undergraduate student experience, which presented a unique opportunity for career educators to support students in making sense of these changes and adapting their career plans accordingly. There is limited educational research concerning the impact of unforeseen events on the career planning and decision-making of undergraduate students. To address this gap, a phenomenological study was conducted to qualitatively investigate the effects of COVID-19 on the career planning, development, and readiness of undergraduate students and recent college graduates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]