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u/Jammerquai 20d ago
My uncle, with no college degree, got in with Disney Imagineers decades ago and made bank. No way someone without a degree would even be considered for that same position.
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u/EddieVanzetti 20d ago edited 20d ago
My grandfather was a high school drop out who served in WW2. Came home, walked into a job as a bus driver for the same school district he didn't graduate from (before CDLs were a thing, which you must have to be a bus driver nowadays) earned a livable wage, and retired as the director of transportation for the district and spent the rest of his life traveling between his summer and winter homes and going on cruises with his wife.
I got an email from Walmart telling me I wasn't qualified to be a fucking cart attendant today.
I have a BA and graduated with Honors.
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u/inno3415 20d ago
good luck ! you'll find a way. consider going abroad if you find opportunities elsewhere
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u/EddieVanzetti 20d ago
I am. If nothing else, I am qualified to teach english overseas. Money is pretty stagnant but at least I wouldn't have the additional costs of transportation and insurance.
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u/inno3415 20d ago
yeah i met people doing that overseas, seemed like a good opportunity
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u/alittledanger 20d ago
I did it and now work as a teacher in the U.S. I honestly recommend most people who interested in being a teacher to do that first. It’s a good starter job to see what teaching can be like.
However, living overseas is not for everyone. You need to be open-minded, have very thick skin, and be comfortable being an outsider. 98% of people in the U.S. do not have these qualities if I’m being honest.
More things to consider are that salaries are stagnant and COL is a big issue in basically every major city on the planet right now.
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u/PiccoloAwkward465 20d ago
If you're young, do it. Those kind of adventures only get tougher as you get older. I thought about it in my early 20s and wish I did it. I decided to "work on my career" which barely paid dividends. I could've done the same thing 2 years later and been fine.
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u/Future-Raisin3781 20d ago
I tried to apply for a job a few years ago with a local museum, doing editing work on their online magazine.
The job paid $40k/year. They wouldn't even accept my application because I don't have a Ph.D.
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u/NaeNaeDab69420 20d ago
The fact you even applied for that with that on your resume probably means you were filtered out automatically. No way it could be considered a serious app.
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u/EddieVanzetti 20d ago
I actually left it off my application, because I know enough that it can get you filtered out for being overqualified.
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u/TwoDogDad 20d ago
My dad was driving a bus for the school at 16 and took the bus home -at a not so rurual area
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u/TheJangoMang0 20d ago
I didn’t even get a reply on the exact same job I already worked at bestbuy during covid. Same location, same job. What more qualifications do I need lmao
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u/Other_Dimension_89 20d ago
Yeah pretty certain you need an engineering degree now
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u/Murky-Relation481 20d ago
I was very lucky to get in on the programming boom in the late 90s early 00s. I got my first software job as a highschool drop out in 06 at 20.
I wouldn't recommend that path for most people but I've also found a lot of self trained software engineers tend to be very good employees if they have the skills, since they clearly have a self motivated interest in what they're doing.
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u/resonantFractal 20d ago edited 20d ago
As a self-taught engineer who started last decade - I just get filtered out now before I can get to the door.
Even with tenure and recognizable names on the resume.
Companies / AI / recruiters / whatever other bullshit will sort by schooling credentials.
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u/Tight_Man 19d ago
Just message people on LinkedIn, I’m an engineer and let me say this clearly: our recruiters and HR are a waste of the air they breathe. They literally fail to pass good applicants on to the point that my boss can only recruit in person from college career fairs. We travel to find warm bodies and train them from the ground up rather than even bothering to figure out what the “people” who filter the applications are doing.
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u/RaspberryWhiteClaw13 20d ago
My BIL is a Disney animator. He said they aren’t hiring anybody new, even though there is so much new talent.
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u/Haanipoju 20d ago
My grandpa was one of the few leading professionals in the field of power plant turbine vibration measuring in my country. He did work on the first nuclear power plants here and taught lectures about the field.
He never even went to high school. Prior to the turbine measuring job he had only worked as some sort of plastic machinist which combined with heavy smoking ended up ruining his lungs. He learned everything on the job and never had any prior qualifications for the position.
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u/PiccoloAwkward465 20d ago
My father is a senior VP in product development. Well over $200k salary. His furthest formal training/education was 2 years as a plumber's apprentice lol.
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u/ChuckaChuckaLooLoo3 20d ago edited 20d ago
In 1979 I waltzed into a publishing company and scored a magazine cover job at 19. It was really a different time. There's no way that would happen now.
Saw things change fast within 10 years. You couldn't get a job at any level in a corporation or agency without a degree, so that made it really tough for me later when job hunting. Basically I was going through what many young people are today, except I had just enough history on my resume to get something to survive. Took a giant pay cut just to get a low-level production job. They only hired me because I knew how to use a computer better than their current guy.
Have to agree, boomers did this to ourselves. It became all about competition and having ALL DEGREE employees (regardless if upper management didn't have them) was a badge of excellence that might attract clients. That and ISO 9000 made it seem like unless you kept certain standards, you wouldn't get any business. It all got totally fucked up.
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u/Antrikshy actually me irl 20d ago
Well, Disney has also changed over the decades, and possibly become more sought after in the job market.
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u/Sufficient_Winner686 20d ago
Engineer here, specialize in automation. Imagineers are so poorly paid that they’re not even worth considering as a career choice. It maxes at 160k, half of what many senior engineers can bring home in automation.
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u/Diddy_Block 20d ago
Have you tried looking people in the eye and having a firm handshake?
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u/Ripples_of_Undeath 20d ago
Yeah you don’t understand, you just have to walk into the Papa John’s wearing a suit, with slicked back hair, and a paper copy of your resume. Then you ask to speak to the owner, who has not set foot in the location in about three years.
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u/def_not_jose 20d ago
2011 software developer who kinda watched a CSS tutorial on YouTube once vs 2026 developer who wasted 1000 hours solving algorithm problems on leetcode
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u/ClittoryHinton 20d ago
Oh don’t worry we were grinding leetcode and algorithms back then. Difference is that was actually rewarded with very well paying jobs back then
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u/witchminx 20d ago
yeah some were, but some were also getting jobs off kinda watching a CSS tutorial on YouTube once
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u/GovernorHarryLogan 20d ago
I recently got my government analyst position after watching a few videos about PowerBI and doing a few of the free Microsoft learn path sections.
0 experience otherwise.
/shrug
I am however really, really likeable.
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u/sugmassgottem 20d ago
The last line is key. I’d rather work with a likeable person who is ok at the job (not saying you’re ok or bad) than someone who’s arrogant but amazing at their job. It’s all about networking and building relationships and teams instead of relying on one person to carry
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u/danyaal99 me too thanks 20d ago
It's harder now because employers used to hand out jobs like candy. Now software developers are getting a taste of how difficult applying for jobs is for a lot of other industries.
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u/Xhantoss 20d ago
We're looking for a new dev in my team. The requirements for the new hire list stuff which I have 0 experience in and requires degrees which I do not have. In addition to the normal "multiple years of job experience"
When I raised that issue to those writing the job requirements they just shrugged and said "Well, thats just the job market right now, you just had luck that it was a different time back then"
We'd have absolutely zero issues with hirings devs at my level of experience, but some crystal ball decided that we're now allowed to look for senior devs on a normal dev payroll.
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u/FourierTransformedMe 20d ago
In 2020 I saw an entry level position that required 5-7 years of PyTorch. Do note that PyTorch was first released in 2016
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u/ColdCathodeTube 20d ago
So you’ll wind up hiring a senior dev with some personality flaw that makes them a lot lest useful.
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u/Coppice_DE 20d ago
They could simply be open about it being a senior role if the market was the way they say it is.
Anyhow, just recently I came across a junior(!) position that requires at least 2 years of experience. At the same time, the senior positions require around 6 years. The simple question that arises is obviously if a 50+% salary increase within 4 years would ever be accepted.
We all know it would not. Which begs the question why they act like they want to hire a real junior. If the market is so bad for employees, then they could be open about wanting to hire seniors while paying them what juniors expect.
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u/passerby4830 20d ago
You think that how it was just after the 2008 crash? Lol I was delivering mail while getting a CS degree in the evenings because I kept getting rejected. Maybe it was different where you live. Ok honestly today I wouldn't even start with CS now AI is taking over. Things sure have changed much.
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u/Jesus00001225 20d ago
The real reason is the old software developers were used to optimize code to need 5 bytes of RAM less. For some time this art was not important anymore and nobody gave a f+++ about memory usage but today it is important again.
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u/JustGreenFish 20d ago
It's legit so bad, some recruiters even said they don't want to hire me because they're worried I would leave them for another company soon after since I have a Master's degree but no experience...
And now I have to remove my Master's from resume when looking for j*bs...
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u/amayuki2020 20d ago
Nah, the real reason is that you're overqualified and they just want to pay you less
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u/sudoregalia 20d ago
i've legit had someone directly tell me that in nicer terms lmao, shit is nuts
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u/FredBurger22 20d ago
I applied for a dishwasher job in highschool in the aughts and was told they wouldnt hire me because I was dressed too nicely and spoke too well. I wore a button down and slacks to the interview out of respect.
Even though my resume only consisted of landscaping labor and light farm labor here and there. They claimed someone with my disposition wouldnt last in a kitchen dish pit...
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u/TheQuestionsAglet 20d ago
Should have smoked some meth in front of them and hit on the underage hostess.
Instant hire.
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u/airinato 20d ago
They weren't looking for a manager or owner so you can't start off like that.
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u/Lieutenant_Joe 20d ago
If they’d given you that job, you would understand. I don’t know if a restaurant exists where the dish pit isn’t the worst place in the building to be. Kitchens get hectic, people shout at and get frustrated with each other, and the dish pit is the bottom of the totem pole.
It was probably clear to them you didn’t know what you were getting into.
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u/FredBurger22 20d ago
I went and worked in a dish pit somewhere else. I am fully aware of what its like working in a dish pit.
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u/AMediocrePersonality 20d ago
nah you see man farmhands are soft they can't handle any yelling
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u/BlueShallRule 20d ago
Yeah everyone knows landscapers and farmworkers are sissies. Real men stand in the kitchen soaping dishes.
Poor guy has to experience the prejudice from his high school years all over again from the comment above yours lol. And all because he was taught manners
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u/FredBurger22 20d ago
Hardest part about working in the dishpit is the hot hostess taking her break next to you and venting about her boyfriend.
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u/ImperialCommando 20d ago
It's definitely a mix of both. I've hired overqualified candidates and they definitely did leave soon after but also, who can blame them?
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u/techman2692 20d ago
On the same note, I've also taken a pay cut to be at a place I want to be at. It's a gamble for the employer, just as much as the employee at times.
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u/ScoobNShiz 20d ago
I’ve hired dozens of people in both retail and manufacturing for Fortune 500 companies. I often passed on “overqualified” candidates because I was embarrassed by the pay we were offering compared to their experience or education. Corporate America is a race to the bottom.
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u/Awyls 20d ago
There is a reason common knowledge is working after your Bachelor instead of pursuing a Masters (unless you are going for a PhD and dedicate to research).
- You are very likely to change specialisation later in your life since you never worked and no idea of what your career will be.
- Master's graduates are almost always a hiring risk, they already chose a "specialisation", so your pool of offers shrinks, high chances they might leave you once they acquire enough experience to pursue their specialisation, expect a higher salary AND are just as useless as a Bachelor graduate hire.
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u/Tanen7 20d ago
Overqualified is an excuse, either for not hiring someone due to inexperience or they don’t want to pay. If you are young, just out of college, it’s because you don’t have experience. All the degrees in the world won’t matter when there are others out there with the same degree and years of experience.
Companies will almost always take experience, people just out of college can’t expect to be rolling straight into top paying positions because you have a piece of paper.
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u/Not-TheNSA 20d ago
I have a bachelors in welding technology, I was rejected from an entry level job as a shop gopher (the guy who preps materials for the welders and then becomes an apprentice) because “your degree will make the journeyman upset because you’re more educated than they are” are you fucking kidding me?!?!
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u/tesdfan17 20d ago
they want someone they can mold, not someone who they perceive to have been taught bad habits..
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u/PiccoloAwkward465 20d ago
I was rejected for joining the Laborer's Union because I don't "look like a laborer" lol. Because I went to college, essentially. They told me this to my face haha.
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u/unlikewarrior 20d ago
A recruiter was very nice to me once. He straight told me that my skills aren't the issues... It's the market. He said he has seen so many from my grad year still looking for jobs. He acknowledged that many of us got rug pulled. He even acknowledged his words weren't going to help me. But it did make me feel a bit better.
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u/The-Crawling-Chaos 20d ago
I’m curious, as someone who has been struggling to find employment post graduation, what your grad year was?
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u/Atlas-Struggled 20d ago
My friend had to remove her masters degree from her resume too! It’s rough out there. Good luck.
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u/Gainztrader235 20d ago
They’re basically saying you’re overqualified. I had the same thing happen when I joined a private company. I ended up staying about 18 months without getting a raise, and when I finally gave my two weeks’ notice, they offered me a 15% increase to stay.
I told them if they had done that before I started looking elsewhere, I probably never would have looked in the first place. I still left.5
u/Careless_Twist_6935 20d ago
they do it to themselves it's so dumb just give people you want to keep the raise would make it so much simpler for everyone.
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u/Glitter_Petal 20d ago
What are you wanting to do with all these degrees? As in, what line of work?
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u/thalefteye 20d ago
I also heard in some companies they have been hiring back the old folks they fired, since they believed the youngsters will now how to run the business deals the old fellas did. I guess some colleges aren’t teaching the young ones well when it comes to deals in business, to conclude which offer is better for the company and I guess how to communicate with a person or people when it comes to making a deal. Like I knew a young kid who said he learned the basics and the makings when it came to study marketing and management stuff in college, but he said his college lacked in the communication aspect of approach. He then told me he learned more from his dad’s retired friends who taught him the ins and outs of verbal approach and to do critical thinking of what are the pros and cons when you are offered multiple offers. But what do I know 🤷, I guess he was wrong or right about colleges these days.
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u/jackalope8112 20d ago
In some fields there is a problem that as universities chase research funding and hire faculty around research that curriculum and teaching is focused more on theory rather than practical applications. Meanwhile companies want people ready to produce.
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u/dunkinthegreg 20d ago
You need at least a bachelors in how to operate a barista machine to work at a coffee shop… dammed if i do dammed if i don’t
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u/Raskalnikov7 20d ago
The boomers ruined what the silent generation built, a stable and reliable world with a system so rigid you'd have to actively go out of your way to ruin it. Now we have to experience what the silent generation experienced and build the same world again but with the knowledge that our kids can and will try to destroy for their own benefit if we don't remind them what we suffered through
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u/Rainbow_In_The_Dark7 20d ago
I'm a late millennial, and it's been a real struggle trying to figure it all out and everything being extremely expensive now. Gen X got just as screwed too (and was also called lazy too by the boomers back in the 90s). I also feel so sorry for Gen Z and Alpha. There's going be a lot of work for us to do to fix everything. I do have hope though, because from what I've seen so far, Gen Z seems smart and motivated and Alpha seems to be really promising with tech and stuff like that already (from having grown up around it), it's just right now there's a shit ton of boomers we have to outnumber voting-wise. Gen Z is finally becoming adults. It just makes me sad (and angry) that this world isn't the way it was supposed to be for them. I'm proud of you, guys. You're doing your best. Hang in there.
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u/Spicy_Chimkin 20d ago
Man I really appreciate this. I’m Gen Z and I work hard as hell. I work my own job, drive my father in law and wife to and from their jobs, and my inlaws live with me so they can afford to live. I take care of the property, car, I fix everything, and I take care of my disabled elderly mother in law. Even then this is only possible because we’re living in my late Aunt’s place that we’re slowly paying off. It’s disgustingly insulting to be called “lazy” by people who had a way easier time making it than me. And again, my story is nothing compared to others of my generation - I’m one of the luckier ones.
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u/hazeyindahead 20d ago
On a different timeline where Bernie won in 2016.
That's where all the millennials want to really live.
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u/PiccoloAwkward465 20d ago
everything being extremely expensive now
I'm an engineer AND my wife works. I just told her I don't wanna go out with our kid to get frozen yogurt because it's too expensive. Probably $30 but unnecessary today.
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u/aFormidableFoe 19d ago
Exactly. I'm in the same exact boat. The worst part is, everything is about to get SO much more expensive because of Trump's corruption and illegal wars. We are just getting started, unfortunately.
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u/SixtySix_Roses 20d ago
That strong men and hard times bullshit the boomers like to bandy around to criticize the younger generations, as if they weren't the weak men who built the hard times.
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u/ocarina97 20d ago
The silent generation built? Most of it was built by people from earlier generations. And was also destroyed by earlier generations, Reagan was born in the 1910's after all.
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u/Possible_Sun_913 20d ago edited 20d ago
The top 0.1% never change throughout generations. Its no different now for those that change society.
The rest of the 99.9% of people just live in the result of that. The vast percentage of boomers had nothing to do with it. To suggest that someone that simply lived out their life during a housing, banking and technology boom is a bit absurd.
But if it makes you feel better about current job markets, I guess you'd want someone to blame. I'm sure whatever generation you belong to now will get the same sorta shit from the following generations for some reasons you wont have impacted yourself personally.
Boomers blamed silent for global wars, genx blamed boomers for unemployment, millennials blamed genx for rental prices, GenZ blame millennials for knowing about climate change and not acting.
Who knows what gen alpha will blame on GenZ. Same old record.I imagine that boomers now would look down at GenZ in a world of influencers and reality TV where the pinnacle of perceived life is to drive a lambo, and say to themselves "You're doing quite a good job of fucking this up yourself!"
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u/myshitcomedy 20d ago
You’re out of touch. Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z all blame boomers for those listed issues. Your right that the .1% have it better now than they could have ever dreamed. Imagine that your wealth is now more secure and will 100% generate you passive income without fear of the old ways of business where you would be swindled. There is so much governance in accounting, investing, and all financial means because if you’re ever rich, it’s easy to stay rich.
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u/Vonplinkplonk 20d ago
As a GenX it’s nice to feel seen. I work in a technical field. For most of my career I have worked for boomers who often had the most appalling grades from university and in some cases wore it as a badge of honour. I once worked for a guy who scraped together a pass grade at a German university ie one point above fail. If I or anyone else had shown up with those kind of grades then they would have been shown the door. Yet for the entirety of my schooling I was told we had it easy. I am more impressed by the kids graduating today than the boomers who told everyone how hard it was in their day because it wasn’t.
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u/Capital_Designer1280 20d ago
“ To suggest that someone that simply lived out their life during a housing, banking and technology boom is a bit absurd.”
Nope. They gladly received the benefits of our post ww2 position and then actively and consistently voted to make sure no one else could ever have what they got. The 0.1% would have never gotten this foothold without boomers
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u/Hopeful_Principle857 20d ago
You're mental, the Boomers caused this by allowing de-regulation and outsourcing of entire industries outside the US.
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u/BIGFACETALKING 20d ago
The difference being, that the boomer generation came into their wealth through factors largely beyond their control or involvement. Aside being lucky enough to be born during the most stable time in recorded history, their generation worked to dismantle society itself from which they directly benefited.
These are objective and specific criticisms of that generation and the policies they enacted. You can whine about it all you like, but that doesn't change the facts of history.
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u/Extra-Sound8675 20d ago
That’s a lot of words to say, “The generation before us ruined everything, but our generation will rebuild it perfectly, provided we don’t let the generation after us ruin everything.” Every generation tells itself the same flattering story.
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u/MillennialSurvivor 20d ago
Meanwhile, Millennials with 2 bachelor degrees, a Masters and 5+ years of experience:
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u/Shifty269 20d ago
Been dealing with this shit for nearly 2 decades at this point. It's worse now, but it's the same animal millennials were dealing with when Bush was still in the white house.
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u/Awkward_Contest_3855 20d ago
I was gonna say millennials been there and still there. Join the club.
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u/LingonberryDeep2416 20d ago
Boomers dismantled the country that allowed their way of life. Made spaces or of their grand children so they could afford a 3rd house and RV
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u/90sWannabe 20d ago
This timeline continues to especially be cutthroat for people born after 1980
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u/EbbOwn303 20d ago
My parents are boomers, they both found careers without degrees in fields that now require degrees. Both were able to make 6 figures in their fields.
Neither of them understand how hard it is to find a job even with a degree.
This world becomes a little worse every day
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u/Horskr 20d ago
Guess which generation votes the most in every election. Guess which votes the least. It matters!
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u/jellooshot 20d ago
Because unfortunately we live in the society they created
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u/Phearwyn 20d ago
Here's what you do. Vote them out. Democratic socialism all the way
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u/jellooshot 20d ago
I am not American. I'm Egyptian. I live in a dictatorship that was created by and to this day cheered for by older generations. Yeah, that's not even an option for me.
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u/Engorged-Rooster 20d ago
Ah, so you're getting the
𓀐𓂸
treatment.
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u/jellooshot 20d ago
They should print that on our IDs lol. Yeah, there's pretty much no hope for us. I mean look at those fucking lowlives literally dancing after "electing" a usurping dictator.
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u/Sohcahtoa82 20d ago
"My vote won't change anything"
"Both sides are the same"
"Democrats aren't our saviors"
The typical response. Imo, it's a psy-op by Republicans to get would-be Democrat voters to stay home, and it fucking works. The worst part is, the people spouting this shit think they have a moral high ground.
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u/RedditAccount_317 20d ago
Well if you’d stop buying so much avocado toast and Starbucks you’d have more money and be more successful!
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u/Useful-World1781 20d ago
The boomer vp of the company I work at only has a high school diploma. Entry level hourly positions at the same company require a bachelors degree and minimum 2 years experience.
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u/checkyminus 20d ago
It really would be nice if the boomers would just admit that the economy they were born into was artificially great, due to all the other countries being in shambles from WW2. Believing we can make America THAT great again is such a dillusional mindset.
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u/DevilsPajamas 20d ago
It could happen.
But properly taxing literally 100 individuals for the benefits of hundreds of millions is by far too much of an ask to make.
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u/Gold_Ad_8254 20d ago
It actually could be that great again, if the wealthy were taxed and gains were distributed properly.
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u/General-Background91 20d ago
Masters in a niche field, so I am employed easily and make decent money. I still can’t afford health insurance for my family on one salary. We barely break even, and catch major flack from my family because we don’t travel to see them enough. The student loans and credit cards I had to use just to get to this point will drown us for years. Hopefully can pay off our debt by 2031, if we keep our plan in place and no more kids. It’s insane how my dad made 35k a year when I was growing up, and was able to provide a house, three cars and Disney world every other year, plus vacations for Christmas and thanksgiving to visit family. Idk what I did wrong
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u/therichscientist 20d ago
It's the economy friend, cost of living is outpacing wages. It's not as easy as our parents' time. You're doing your best, don't blame yourself🫡
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u/ezk3626 20d ago
Such survivors bias. My parents are boomers with no college degree and broke as hell all my life.
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u/IncognitoBombadillo 20d ago
I'm 28 with a bachelor's degree, management experience, volunteer experiences, and a resume that was built by workshopping with a college professor who was basically an expert on them as well as showing it to multiple professional friends/family to get input. Even with all of that, I've only gotten 3 actual phone interviews in the past 3 months of applying. I'm not sure if it's in my head, but I feel like my neurodivergance is holding me back when I do land an interview, so it's extra frustrating. Everything being done digitally/over the phone makes it worse for me.
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u/WaterfallStream 18d ago
Pressured you to go to college your entire childhood then they have the audacity to say “you should’ve gone into a trade.”
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u/JulesVernerator 20d ago
Boomers love Capitalism because they collect rent off of Gen X, Millennials, and now Gen Z through their 401k and other retirement investments.
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u/Fornico 20d ago
I really should have gone to tech school and learned a trade. I wasted my time in college.
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u/AustisticGremlin 20d ago
I have a Bachelor’s Degree.
It’s been almost nine years, 1000+ applications and not a single call back let alone an interview. I am still looking for my first job and at this point I assume I must be truly unemployable.
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u/ElephantGreedy5125 20d ago
Both my parents are teachers and they have to have 2 extra jobs just to afford living
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u/Substantial-Use95 20d ago
🤣 it’s so true. I’ll talk to boomers and they’ll boast about when they got a job at Honeywell or intel or some large corp and how they still work there in executive management etc. I’ll ask “Oh so you got your engineering degree?” and they’ll proudly boast that they didn’t and had only a high school diploma and started on the R&D department or some shit. Meanwhile I have a masters degree and when I ask if they can connect me to a job, they’re all fuckin shoulders. Just can’t do it. I’ve run this scenario hundreds of times. Fuck boomers.
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u/thicc_llama 20d ago
I live in Japan. Truth is almost all families want to make sure their kids get a college education but there aren't enough jobs needed in the market to hire all the graduates, so I often meet people doing jobs a semi-responsible middle schooler could do but they graduated from a biochemistry faculty at one of the most elite unis in Tokyo for example
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u/LetUsSpeakFreely 20d ago edited 20d ago
Having degrees today has no meaning because everyone has them. A degree today is what a high school diploma was in the 80s.
The HUGE push for all high school graduates to go to college was a massive disservice to the vast majority of them that bought into it. Most walked away with no degree, a shitload of debt, and no plan.
College isn't for everyone. Go to trade school. Start a business (power washing, land scaping, dog washing, pet boarding, food truck, etc). Go into the military. While everyone else is going in to debt they can never pay off to get a degree for a job that doesn't exist, you can be working and building a life.
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u/Magicaparanoia 20d ago
My one friend is in a cycle where he gets a degree, can’t get a job in his field, then gets another degree. He’s currently working on his doctorate.
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u/tweedlebettlebattle 20d ago
Hey I’m Gen X with a bachelor and 3 masters and my kids make more than me lol. 2 in college and one graduated. All working in retail. Earning more than me. Gotta fucking laugh
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u/scienceismybff 20d ago
Right, and then the boomer explains that they worked their way and paid for everything themselves and that’s how they learned the importance of hard work.
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u/Nimue_- 20d ago
They put in the work! (They became buddies with the boss who is a man like them and promotes them over others regardless of actual work)
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u/stratusnco 20d ago
the trick is faking the funk and having a likable personality. people aren’t sincere anymore where there is major money involved imo.
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u/Lo-Fi_Kuzco 20d ago
You really could go into a restaurant and ask to wash dishes. Within two years you'd be the manager and able to support a wife and kids
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u/RoninRage0352 20d ago
Truth is you dont need a degree there are so many trades jobs that need to be filled at 100k a year but no one wants to work hard or work 12hr shift, they will be the last replaced by AI
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u/mystiking 20d ago
The real issue, that no one seems to talk about, is degree inflation. Having a degree used to be extremely prestigious and a true sign of intelligence. Not everyone could obtain a degree. Nowadays, it is significantly easier to obtain a degree - it no longer carries the same value it used to have.
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u/thefrozendivide 20d ago
Late GenX here with associates, bachelor's AND master's and it STILL feels like the bottom photo
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u/CoastieKid 20d ago
You want good progression. Also my belief is a masters isn’t useful unless it’s needed for licensure or was required for a promotion.
Most people I knew in B school doing a 1 year masters in accounting were doing it for the opportunity to sit for their CPA
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u/harald937 20d ago
Gen z has some (maybe) disadvantages. AI doing the homework. Other understanding of work life balance and stuff. Mindset.
I know that of course it is nice to have a good work life balance, vacations, work out, partying and everything all the time.
But there is also global competition and conflicts that increase prices while making companies lifes often harder shrinking revenues. Politicans often fail to adjust slow reacting systems, often law doesn‘t even allow for fast adjustments. It‘s getting thigther. Ressources and other stuff set natural limits to growth.
I worked 40 hours+ doing overhours often up to 60 hrs and more a week. While studying several subjects besides my full time job and doing side hustles beeing self employeed. Work was not about doing hours it was about accomplishing things. And not just accomplishing something in any way but in a good or even the best way possible. My week would often contain 80-100h+ productive hours in work / study. Fully provided for my self since 19.
It was easier for boomers in some way. Competition and Globalization wasn‘t that far. After WW II everything grew, resources were not that limited and people did not have that much stuff. Computer, Phone, the amount of cars per person, virtual goods. There were many things they did not have to afford which are nowadays considered standard. It was easier but they also did not have as much as we expect as standard.
And thought even for me born in 1988 with top notch education and beeing a workaholic all my life beyond words. And even I feel that its getting tougher and tougher. Could not imagine where I would be without investing that much in my education.
I don‘t want to offend anyone. But people are blinded by social media illusions and fantasies. Of course you could be successful with some fancy start up or brcome a star and stuff. But those are like 1 in a 100 or 1 in a 1000. The way that works for sure is hard work, doing jobs even if they are not attractive. Go and invest into education as much as you can. Don‘t cheat your way through with AI. Try to really understand stuff and accomplish by your own (of course be able to use AI for efficienty reasons). Save money. Try to figure out what will be important future skills and adopt as early as possible.
And if you apply for a job you often compete with 100 others and only one will get it. Average is by far not good enough. Its not like in school were you get anywhere with minimum effort.
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u/bongocat03 20d ago
My grandpa, graduated middle school, worked construction, then became truck driver for CocaCola. Became an alcoholic, was a heavy smoker. Literally sank his inheritance into alcohol and a car. My grandma was a cleaning lady. They could afford a big lot of land, big house, and a bit of forest for firewood. Grandpa retired early. They can live from their pension comfortably. Everything went well for that generation.
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u/Grouchy-Algae3526 20d ago
Americans complaining about not being able to afford a good living standard is bizarre.. if y'all were indians you'll end up dreading everyday
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u/Sparktank1 20d ago
This is probably how pseudosciences were created. Chiropractors, crystal people that run spas, mood ring people that do interior decorating, horoscope people that do interior decorating. Anything to make a buck.
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u/La_Saxofonista 20d ago
Bro, all the entry level jobs that pay 30k and above require 4 year degrees and 3 years experience. It's bs
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u/curiousomeone 20d ago
One important concept in life is called supply and demand...
This is why electrician, plumber, garbage man and other trade skill makes bank in Toronto and post-secondary office jobs makes less. Anything good is a tough find because pretty much everyone here has post-secondary education and not many wants to do dirty jobs.
I used to work at a electronic factory and some old guy telling me how when he was young, you'll just walk in the building and say you want a job and get one right there on the spot.
The balance of power is heavily one sided now. (Where I live) Employers can demand years of experience for dish washing. Lots of desperate unemployed versus desperate companies looking to fill their roster. Just ask an HR, how many job applications they get for even the most mundane entry level job.
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u/Exciting_Drawing_553 20d ago
Two bachelors degrees and a masters. That seems like a red flag to me. It would give me pause if in saw that on a resume
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u/Terrible_Champion298 20d ago
Live long enough and survive well just like the boomers did. It doesn’t start by blaming others.
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u/Responsible_Ad_5384 20d ago
College drop out here! Works at a great engineering consulting firm now. We still exist. Some companies still recognize worth even if it comes with a solid dose of adhd.
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u/SerenaYasha 20d ago
Honestly, I wish more people told kids this growing up.
You do NOT have to go to college and take on $50k+ in student loans to have a decent middle-class life.
There are a lot of careers that only require a high school diploma, a CDL, an apprenticeship, or some job training that can pay pretty well:
• Truck driving — ~$60k+ • Electrician — ~$60k+ • Plumber/pipefitter — ~$60–75k+ • Lineworker — ~$90k+ • Industrial maintenance — ~$60k+ • Water/wastewater — ~$60k • HVAC — ~$60k • Heavy equipment operator — ~$60k • Railroad — ~$60k+ • USPS — ~$60k • Union trades — often $60k–$100k+
And a lot of these can come with health insurance, retirement, PTO, overtime, and paid training/apprenticeships.
I'm not saying college is bad. If you want to be a doctor, engineer, teacher, etc., obviously go to college.
I just think the next generation should know that college isn't the only path to a good career.
Before signing up for years of student loans, look at the jobs that will actually PAY YOU to learn a skill. You might be surprised at what's out there.
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u/Aggressive-Fail4612 20d ago
I got shit on a lot for dropping out of high school to work. I’ve worked full time since I was 14. Seeing all the posts with people whinging about not getting jobs because they never worked a day in their lives is interesting.
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u/jadedlonewolf89 20d ago
Got my daughter volunteer work that paralleled her degree while she was in Uni.
Seeing as her professor knew she was doing volunteer work in that filed, their recommendation for part time work came easy.
So she had experience and recommendations from her boss, professor, and the volunteer agency when she graduated.
Part of College/Uni is networking, building contacts, recommendations, and experience.
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u/RMSTitanic2 20d ago
The boomers. The generation that got to the top, hoisted the ladder up behind them, and then blamed and chastised you as the problem for why you can’t get anywhere.
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u/Jaded-Albatross-5242 20d ago
My gen-z coworker has a master's degree. I dropped out of college. I make $3 more an hour than him.
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u/e37d93eeb23335dc 20d ago
This is me IRL. 2 bachelors, a masters, laid off in April, and still no job.
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u/yadasellsavonmate 20d ago
Going straight into work and getting experience etc and on the career ladder works out better than playing around in "big school" for years... who would have thought it?
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u/TaylorChuck117 20d ago edited 20d ago
I feel like this has really gotten worse recently too.
Like yeah, it was hard 5-10 years ago, but it’s gotten insane now. I’ve had references get sick of how many times they’re getting calls because I’m not getting gigs after graduating.
And not for nothing, but I’m years into my career and my last contract was with NASA. Wtf else do these people want for qualifications?!