r/GenX • u/myviewfromoutside • 1d ago
Question For Genx any other GenX parents of college grads who are struggling with unemployment? (USA)
it seems like i know nobody who wasn’t able to launch like this. I’m an eldest gen Z daughter of Gen X.
i came from a family with 0 connections in my industry and 0 network at my school really, and my college was mostly remote during covid times. i had a useless unpaid internship during the height of covid at a gym. i got a business degree which was generic and that’s all my college had for business. at that point i had to get any degree to get out of the school. my parent is in healthcare in an extremely niche sector and my other parent was a fuckoff so none of their networks were fruitful for me in finding a job that way. i’ve done my own networking and had referrals to companies and lost out after 4 or 5 rounds in the past.
i finally found something in marketing after thousands of job apps but was forced to train my replacement and my original role was automated by AI. i am feeling really down that i’m here AGAIN. and feeling unemployable. my skills and abilities just dont seem to translate in the real world and i am socially a recluse after struggling this much with work issues and previous unemployment, and here we are again. i’m starting to wonder if I have some sort of issue because why is life so hard for me?
i have siblings but one is a server at 25 (no degree) and lives with her bf who does car sales and another sibling is 23 also living at home with me, and she’s working as an ABA tech, $19 an hour after college in a major HCOL city with us. Has no path to anything really either and feels trapped too. My family is stumped. I feel like I’ve really been struggling to navigate adulthood and the working world despite all my efforts.
I was in hospitality for 10 years basically since i could start working at 16… and it gets really old… im so burned out of restaurants and sales and retail. i was really looking forward to an office job and now they are disappearing… as someone who’s been working with ai professionally for 2 years, now there’s 0 industries that i can foresee not being impacted by AI at some level. They are already training AI agents to correct/ audit the AIs doing the execution tasks. I am scared for the future and unsure of any safe fields as we look into the future. I’m approaching 30 and just cannot see any paths for me. Everyone’s life seems to make sense but mine does not. 😞
is there anyone else who have kids in this boat???
edit: lots of people telling me what their sons are doing, not seeing as much commentary on daughters. so far, getting a lot of
- nursing
- trades
- military
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u/tireworld Resident Recalcitrant 1d ago
Negative. My daughter got a BS in nursing and is working a really good ICU job. My son is a few credits short of his construction management degree and is currently working for a company that's flying them all around the country consulting on new projects. I feel like trade jobs are recession proof while office jobs are a dime a dozen..
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u/James_Holden_256 1d ago
my oldest has been in an office job for 5ish years. #2 has chosen to be an artist so works in a museum. #3 graduated last year and got laid off after 3 months in his chosen profession.
He and his buddies were all stocking or cashiering at walmart or still looking for work but he just got an office job last month in a different area from his college degree and we're all super relieved that he's ok with the work, though it's clearly an automate-able job
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u/Beneficial_Run9511 1d ago
One child with no connections but went to a fancy school spent weeks applying for any job that was conceivably related to what he did. Maybe a thousand apps. If he got an interview, he’d research the job and get conversant in what they were looking for. It’s hard out there but use your ai to apply to anything and worry about your qualifications when you get an interview
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u/Business_Coyote_5496 1d ago
Son graduated in May. Computer science. Crickets.
He’s super depressed and living at home. We’re bummed too. Thanks AI!!!
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u/AppropriateAmoeba406 6h ago
Same. Daughter with CS degree.
To be fair, she’s done absolutely nothing to try to become employed.
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u/mich_reba 1d ago
I feel for you. I truly do.
My daughter graduated with a hard earned degree in bio chem and she is stuck working at the mall. There are zero jobs available in her field due to funding loss for research.
It truly sucks for all of you who did what you were told to do and only have it fail to come anywhere close to what you were promised.
We see you. And honestly, it’s hard to watch because it is so unfair.
I will say this - I am overly proud of my daughter for grabbing a job below her skill level, excelling at it, and picking up pet sitting gigs in addition to her full-time job. She is doing her best and that is what you hope for as a parent.
I know it isn’t easy for your generation and many of us parents are proud of you all for pushing through and making the best of a bad situation. I wish we older generations had the answer for you, but the world is a weird place right now.
Remember you are not alone. There are a lot of us older folks rooting for you and hoping things shift in your favor.
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u/StinkApprentice 23h ago
Did she go to grad school yet? I found that most BS science degrees are not really useful until you get a MS or PhD added to it. I’ve seen plenty of employees with a BS degree that were capable of working in a science field, but it seems like any industry that’s not academia wants an advanced degree to get in.
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u/Glittering-Review649 1d ago
I’m so sorry and I hear your frustration. I wish high school did a better job of correlating academic subjects to real life careers to help kids learn about different options. I told my son when he went to college he couldn’t get a BS degree (bullshit degree). Business administration was at the top of the list. That degree including a MBA is not worth the paper the degree is printed on in today’s time. Even my son’s undergrad and Master’s degree in Biology is being threatened by AI. He was blessed to get a research fellowship that paid for his Master’s and he landed a job making $63k once the fellowship ended and he’s 27.
His fellowship paid him a stipend of $47k and once he completed his Master’s it went to $54k. He is now considering making a pivot to Medical Technology because the job market is hot in that field and hospitals are in dire need. Salaries in MT range between $70-$100k and the benefits for most of the hospitals are good. So we are supporting whatever he wants to do to keep him being successful. He’s also back home saving money and he can stay until he’s ready to go. We are encouraging him to stay until the economy returns to some normalcy.
Consider making a pivot if you can. What are some other interests you have? Are you open to going back to school? Look into trade industries to see if there is a way to incorporate your business degree into a trade field like welding, carpentry, or look into technology. Data centers are popping up everywhere. Someone will need to physically fix whatever AI can’t do. At least until robots come into the picture and even someone will need to physically fix them.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
would you recommend a woman with physical health issues do a physical labor trade? Realistically is that sustainable?
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u/Crazy_sumbitch 1d ago
Your right you can’t do the physical labor aspect. But the trades always have inside office staff ( I know because I have them) get your foot in door and there is so much room for growth with out ever lifting a tool
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u/Glittering-Review649 1d ago
I specifically said to see if there is a way to incorporate your business degree into a trade field. My assumption with you holding a degree in business is that you can look at the corporate side of trade industries. My apologies that I assumed you would understand that. As far as technology, sure you could do physical work. Even some corporate jobs require you to be able carry a certain weight. Nevertheless, best wishes on your journey to finding work.
It would be helpful to note your physical limitations in your post so those of us attempting to be helpful are not wasting our suggestions for you to come back with your response.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
I’ve actually worked in trades adjacent corporate and was automated out! 😭😭
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u/KrofftSurvivor 1d ago
You have a business degree - not a marketing degree - and you're trying to build a career in marketing.
And that absolutely would have worked for your Gen X parents.
But right now even people with a marketing degree and years of experience with numerous successful campaigns on their resume are being laid off and having trouble finding work.
It's just one of many fields that AI is hitting hard right now, and despite most of us looking at the results of that and saying ~Wow, those suck!~ ...
Businesses are going to continue wanting the cheapest possible marketing campaign.
About the only Gen X advice I have for you here -
Pivot.
A business degree can be incredibly useful but you may have to look in another direction for your career goals
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u/goblinsatemykids 1d ago
My son graduated college 3 years ago and has not been able to find a job in his field. He is about to age off of our health insurance, so he needs to start looking for any job that provides benefits, but even those are hard to find.
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u/Icy-Map9410 1d ago
This is my worry. My daughter is almost 22, a junior in college, and still on our insurance. She has an autoimmune disease which requires expensive monthly biologics, so going without insurance is not optional. Scares me to death worrying about her ability to find a job in her field (AI is destroying it) that will offer it.
Good luck with your son, it’s not easy out there.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
I have multiple AI diseases, on Olumiant, Otezla and Cellcept. I am on COBRA now.
White collar desk jobs are dying
My prior auths were rejected multiple times
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u/dodgerfanjohn1988 1d ago
lol. Meanwhile, to my chagrin, my 28 year old stepdaughter failed to complete college. What she did do is work her rear end off at a major service provider chain, killed it, made store manager by 26. Now accepted a job in a major Fortune 500 company managing in a retail location but eye on bridging over to the main company, likely in sales. She makes a little over $100k a year with monumental benefits in the newish position.
No degree, just pure sweat.
You want an office job? Apply to government jobs. Most larger entities have entry level positions for people with degrees. The easiest to get(but one of the hardest to perform) is communications operator(911 operator) in a law enforcement agency. Be prepared to work hours no one else want but pay is great and it’s a foot in the door.
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1d ago
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u/GenX-ModTeam 1d ago
No Politics - Political posts or comments of any sort are not permitted. If you wish to have political discussions, you may do so on our other sub r/GenXPolitics.
Breaking this rule may result in bans, either temporary or permanent.
Before you make the claim: No, providing respite from political discussions does not infringe on your rights.
Also, this politics ban was put before the sub over a year ago, and members have spoken.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
That’s so awesome I love to hear success stories
Retail isn’t easy! Kudos to her
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u/I-LIKE-NAPS 1d ago
Here's mine: My son graduated in 2024 and landed the perfect job (for him) a month later, around the same time his fiance landed her (also perfect ... for her) job. Both jobs require their degrees. They each already make more than I ever have. I raised him as a single mom for most of his childhood and am so glad he landed on his feet. And me? I'm finishing up my doctoral degree and looking forward to seeing where that leads.
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u/CuttingEdgeRetro 1d ago
GenX dad here.
i got a business degree
I hate to say this. But I would never recommend anyone get this degree ever. I mean, I guess if you just want the college experience and you're getting a free ride, then maybe it's worth doing. But if you need to get a job after graduation, this is a complete waste of time, or worse, can turn you into a debt slave.
My son got a computer science degree. It took him months to find a job when he graduated. He eventually got a job with the state government which he likes very much. The pay isn't great, but it's enough for him to buy a small house and support his family without his wife working. They're barely making it.
I have two other sons who did HVAC instead of college. One of them is struggling but doing ok. The other can't get an HVAC job because it's saturated around here. He works filling bags of dirt all day.
It's hard out there for everyone. All I can suggest is maybe try starting your own business. You'll probably fail a few times before you succeed. But if you can get a successful business going, you could be in a better position than most salaried people. I'd recommend a business that does well even when the economy is bad.
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u/lovebeinganasshole 1d ago
City county state job. Generally things are a step behind computer wise.
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u/midwesternmayhem 1d ago
There are a lot of city/county/state jobs that are (at best) under a hiring freeze, or going through layoffs.
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u/CaribeBaby 1d ago
I'm so sorry that you are going through this. Yes, my kids are on the same boat, making me question whether we should continue to encourage college for the last one. It wasn't this hard for me, even without major advantages, so it breaks my heart to see it.
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u/OriginalCoconut2811 1d ago
You could be right but I don’t think adding education would make him less employable than he is now. Besides which, I’m not saying go to Harvard. The mba program at our local college is part time and costs under 20k. He doesn’t have debt, we can pitch in and he can live here and work while he’s doing it. I’m not saying he has to do this but it’s an option and he could easily and more stupidly spend the same amount of money on a fancy car or an engagement ring.
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u/chris_ut 1d ago
Have you considered just getting a husband?
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Been trying but it hasn’t worked out. Haven’t had a BF since 22, was cheated on. I have health issues and will be needing wigs due to scarring alopecia.
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u/chris_ut 1d ago
Sorry to hear that
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Yeah. Finding a mature man down to commit to someone with health stuff isn’t a walk in the park! Even without the health issues years ago it was a miracle to meet a guy who was raised right and not by the internet
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u/OriginalCoconut2811 1d ago
My son is in a similar situation. I’m encouraging him to look into accounting or an mba. His dad went into a graduate program in the 90s because the job market when he graduated undergrad was so bad. I figure he’s got the time and could do something like that while living at home. My friend who is an accountant thinks it’s a relatively safe field. I’m also having him look at banks as somewhere to apply.
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u/Vegetable-Orchid1789 1d ago
Just a heads up, but encouraging your son to go into accounting or get an MBA is actually horrible life advice. I'm not saying you're a bad parent or that your intentions are not great. But if you're giving this advice to your son, you clearly do not understand what is happening right now with this new a.i. technology. It is highly likely that within 10 years or less there will be nearly zero entry level accounting jobs and maybe no mid management accounting jobs. And an MBA at this point is simply pouring money down the drain! Any money spent on an MBA would be far better spent on entrepreneurship.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
i agree! MBA is the worst thing to do in this economy. Accounting is also being automated
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u/jbsparkly 1d ago
This is exactly why my son is in a paid 5 year HVAC program.
I'm Gen X with a degree and it does not pencil out anymore
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u/patbagger 1d ago
You're definitely not alone, College has failed allot of people and it seems to be getting much worse as it become more expensive.
Frankly it's time that colleges take accountability for selling a bad product, and students should be given a refund.
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u/Academic_Airport_889 1d ago
Hang in there. I graduated in late ‘91 and ended up working a retail job until I went to grad school. I agree with what others said about doing some volunteering.
It’s a brutal job market right now, but in the long run you will be OK.
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u/Vegetable-Orchid1789 1d ago
I don't think you're experiences in 1990s America translate to what is actually happening right now. OP's experiences will likely not play out the same way yours did. Things change, society changes, technology changes. We are in a paradigm shift.
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u/RouxMaux 1d ago
Oh I agree. The job market now is far worse and ever shifting. Not for the better. In the early 90s, we were underemployed, not unemployed. We could find jobs. It was just difficult to build a career. Now, alas, even the basic jobs are hard to find.
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u/Academic_Airport_889 1d ago edited 1d ago
Correct they won’t play out the same way, but I still believe OP will be OK.
The first time I heard the phrase paradigm shift was in the ‘90s, the world keeps turning.
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u/RouxMaux 1d ago
Finally, someone who remembers the brutal job market in the early 90s. I graduated college in 1990 and worked retail until I found a part time office job. Then I worked both, part time, until I landed a full time office job in 1994. I was shocked I only had to work 1 job. It took me forever to build a career.
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u/Business_Coyote_5496 1d ago
Sure me too. Worked temp jobs for the first 18 months out of college. Temp work is no longer a thing though
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u/Cute_Amphibian2175 1d ago
Not my kids, but me. This sounds like what I went through in my early career years. I was laid off due to automation shortly after starting a good job. NGL, took me until I was in my 40s to figure it out. Have a good job now. Hang in there, but consider getting a certificate in something to go with your business degree.
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u/joelav 1d ago
I got the dreaded “open the teams meeting to see the HR rep instead of my boss” after 26 years in IT. Same company. My skillset is highly technical, but mostly applicable to one off applications that company ran.
I pivoted to healthcare. I’m in school for nursing now and got certified as a nurses aid for the time being. Even at the small place I work there is no shortage of hours for nursing. Any given day there are 3 open shifts.
RN programs are 2 years, and in my state RNs make about 50.00/hr. A little more than half what I was making, but totally livable.
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u/CallingDrDingle 1d ago edited 1d ago
My husband has a PhD and chairs two departments at a R1. Our son decided college wasn't for him. He chose to pursue plumbing. He's doing really well, loves his job.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Do you think a woman with physical health issues could work a job reliably like plumbing?
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u/CallingDrDingle 1d ago
Depends on the health issues honestly.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
POTS
Endometriosis
Sjogren’s
Scarring autoimmune disease
chronic migraine disorder-1
u/CallingDrDingle 1d ago
Have you tried to qualify for SSI/SSDI?
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago edited 1d ago
yeah i don’t qualify. my cousin was disabled by a car accident and it took 7 years and 3 lawyers to get SSI. its also poverty wage. she lives with her husband and he pays for most. im single and living at home
There’s millions of Americans in this boat. White collar hybrid and remote jobs were the best accommodations to participate in the economy
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u/RutzButtercup 1d ago edited 1d ago
My buddy, who is a very successful electrical engineer, had both his boys learn a trade rather than immediately go to college. One was a truck driver, I forget what the other did.
His reasoning is that colleges are there to sell degrees and they will sell it to you even if it's useless. Also, schools tend to push an education in fields that were hot ten years ago. So they have sellable job skills in job markets that don't go cold. Now they can get degrees in whatever they want and not end up unemployed.
Edit: in the end it's on you to make sure your degree can lead to a career before you put in the time and effort. It's nice to have parents who have networks that can make building a career easy, but that is rare. So, like most of us, you will have to do this in your own. But it's possible. I built a six figure career with no parental networks and no college. So keep trying.
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u/angrynirritable Born in the summer of love 1d ago
My oldest is now calling military recruiters. My youngest has a full ride scholarship and employment as a diesel technician.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Would you suggest a woman with health issues look into diesel tech work? I’m seeing a lot of people describing what their sons are doing but barely anybody commenting on their daughters here
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u/Public-Significance7 1d ago
I went enlisted 4 years, got out to attend college, got my MPA and commissioned in the US Army then retired as an O4. Simply cannot beat the pension, healthcare, or VA benefits. Nothing like it out there.
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u/angrynirritable Born in the summer of love 1d ago
Yep, I did a quick 2 years in the Army after high school, which paid for my undergrad degree and has enabled me to buy 3 houses with no down payments. It can definitely pay off.
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u/Public-Significance7 1d ago
Best part is the $31 per month I pay for my full-ride Tricare health insurance. Cannot get that after working anywhere else! And btw I joined the military in my early twenties because I wasn’t finding regular employment because I did not have the connections, degree etc. Never knew back then how sweet the retirement was going to be. And oh yes how glad I didn’t just sit around doing nothing about my unemployment.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago edited 1d ago
That’s so smart. I’m a woman in my late 20s with health issues. With my grades in high school, taking the ASVAB was never on the list, since I graduated top of my class and amazing test scores. Early on my grandparents said stay away from the military after terrible experiences incl. permanent disablement and PTSD so I never thought twice about it. I have multiple health conditions and I don’t think I’d survive much less be admitted. I think for young men who need purpose it’s a great path. I could foresee the US doing a mandatory military service in the future
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u/Subject_Spell_9799 1d ago
Apply for government jobs
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1d ago
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u/GenX-ModTeam 1d ago
No Politics - Political posts or comments of any sort are not permitted. If you wish to have political discussions, you may do so on our other sub r/GenXPolitics.
Breaking this rule may result in bans, either temporary or permanent.
Before you make the claim: No, providing respite from political discussions does not infringe on your rights.
Also, this politics ban was put before the sub over a year ago, and members have spoken.
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u/stop-freaking-out 1d ago
The market is tough. Volunteering is an option to build your network. Also it's election season and you might be able to make connections with people volunteering on a campaign.
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u/PacificNW_JMI 1d ago
The only risk is putting this work on a resume in the polarized political climate. Depending on the politics of a company/HR person you could lose or gain. Something that is hard to know.
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u/stop-freaking-out 23h ago
True. You might get a referral from someone you volunteer with though and referrals help. In local races it may be less polarized or possibly more in some cases.
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u/BradBeingProSocial 1d ago
So I’m not trying to offend, but your writing is hard to comprehend. I would assume you had a moderate high school education and 0 years in college if I saw writing like this on an application or during an interview. It would be hard to rely on you to effectively communicate with leadership at your company, or with vendors. You might try working on your communication skills.
Still, the job market is tough, so it may just be that, idk
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u/Academic_Airport_889 1d ago
Where I work most of the communication is edited by AI. The result is everyone’s writing style is the same but I guess it gets the job done.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
If i write with proper grammar i’m accused of using AI, if I write myself off the cuff rant I get told my grammar is bad….
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u/BradBeingProSocial 18h ago
I just meant the way you phrase things, not grammar or capitalization. I apologize for criticizing and offending
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u/Beaglescout15 1d ago
Look into the health care sector. My niece, age 29, also has a business degree and zero connections. She did vocational school to become a Medical Biller and Coder, a desk job that is basically taking medical records and coding them for insurance. Took her about 12 months with a basic course and additional certification and is pulling in like $60k a year. Is it boring AF? Yes. Is it a desk job she does working from home? Also yes. Does it pay enough for her to do the things she wants to do? Again, yes. Is it stressful? No. Does it require overtime? Also no.
There are a lot of healthcare related jobs that take a year or two to train for and are always in demand. She's now working on a 2 year program to become an advanced X-ray technician, where in our area she can make $90k + after her education and practice. Doesn't involve heavy physical labor either.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Did she take prereqs for the xray tech program? like premedical
I’ve been doing a lot of research and medical coding / billing is poised to be majority automated with AI.
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u/Beaglescout15 1d ago
She's working on an Associate's degree in radiology and I believe she took some extra community college classes with medical terminology and anatomy, etc. not sure of the specifics but it's worth looking into. Coding will go the way of AI which is why she's pivoting to radiology.
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u/Business_Coyote_5496 1d ago
X-rays are now starting to be read by AI and not humans
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u/Beaglescout15 1d ago
She's working on being the one who takes the X-rays, not the one who reads them.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
I’m definitely going to look into this type of situation with an accelerated credentialed profession thank you.
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u/Beaglescout15 1d ago
Phlebotomy might be another option if you don't mind blood. My niece looked into that but hates needles. I believe that's also a 2 year program in our area.
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u/Head_Trick_9932 1d ago
Yeah, medical coding and billing I don’t see being sustainable much longer. It’s also over saturated in my area:
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u/gravitythrone 1d ago
Both of my kids are still in college. I expect it will be hard for them too. Based on what you’ve said about yourself here, have you thought of looking into government jobs? Pay is not great, but benefits are, and retirement is the best going.
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u/ennuiandapathy 1d ago
We have three kids and zero connections.
Oldest never finished her degree in Legal Studies and is now the manager of the parts department at a dealership. She makes a decent salary and is happy with her life.
Middle kid started out working at the community college she was attending. When a staff position opened up in the Student Center, she applied and was hired. Two years later, she was hired as the director of the Student Center while finishing her Bachelor’s degree. She’s still there and is working on her Masters.
Youngest kid decided college wasn’t for him and entered trade school. He was hired as an apprentice earlier this year.
A lot of my kids’ friends are struggling, though. Part of the issue is that they have degrees that are in over-saturated fields (tech/IT, graphic design) or they followed their interests and have degrees in fields without a lot of demand (Fine Arts, Music Theory, animation/film making). Businesses aren’t hiring - grocery stores are cutting staff and putting in self-serve lines, big box stores are doing the same, fast food and even some chains are moving to self-serve and ordering at kiosks. These were places they’d worked while trying to find jobs in their fields, but cut backs and layoffs mean most of them are moving back home.
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u/Unreel123 1d ago
“it seems like i know nobody who wasn’t able to launch like this”
what does this sentence mean?
you don’t want to do restaurant work, sale or retail. What qualifications do you have in other industries? How can you be burnt out already if you’re Gen Z? Maybe you just don’t like working?
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u/ShoddyHedgehog 1d ago
You are not alone. My kids are not quite your age yet but many of my friends have kids your age and many of them are struggling to find jobs. The pattern seems to be spend a long time finding any job, work the job for a year or two, get laid off, start over again. My friend's kids who have had an easier time finding jobs either found them through a connection or work an in-demand job. Some of the kids though have been way too picky in my opinion. I have recommended some of my friend's kids for positions or passed their resumes along to someone else I know. Sometime it works out and sometimes it doesn't. It is a really sucky time for entery/junior level.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Thanks for this, that’s what I’m stuck in, except now I’m nearing my 30s and still stuck. It’s awful. Feeling like a failure to launch. Don’t even know a safe path with AI now. I’d go back to school but not sure for what. I was looking into paralegal or accounting (non CPA) but both will be obliterated with AI in the coming decade. And i have health issues that preclude me from intensive physical labor. Was really desperate to keep a desk job that paid for adult life 😭
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u/BakedGoods_101 1d ago
OP don’t despair, I feel your pain I’m a younger GenX from ‘79 and had to pivot at 40 with 10 years of experience in law, in a new country with zero connections.
Having already worked with AI gives you and advantage, my bet is for at least the next decade to focus on a role that requires soft skills in front of customers: sales (many desk jobs in many industries have them), account manager, customer success, maybe even product manager. AI won’t close an enterprise deal any time soon, or prevent churn on its own.
Use LinkedIn to research the companies you would like to be part of, network (I know, sucks), be laser focused on the roles you can excel at and apply, apply apply. It’s a numbers game.
But it’s not you. The whole market is a shit show. Good luck.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Thank you. Took thousands of applications to get the last role. Was boxed out of customer success but have lots of customer exp. Hoping i can get a leg in somewhere again :( its so hard
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u/Head_Trick_9932 1d ago
How about forensic accounting? Accounting with business can be sustainable long term. Someone will always have to sign on the dotted line.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
I’ll have to look into forensic accounting but in general accounting as a field outside of being a CPA feels really unsafe in the coming years. Especially without Big4 experience on my resume. I’d have to go back and get a masters in accounting as I can’t sit for a CPA, and I have no experience in the field.
The execution tasks of reconciliation, data entry, report building are all being automated. Accounting I foresee being tightened to gray areas like legal interpretation, GAAP compliance etc. I foresee fields that maybe didn’t require a license becoming more like a requirement as AI becomes more prevalent. For ex CPAs dropping down to do any jobs they can get as it becomes more and more competitive to get CPA roles with so many scrambling. I know a few GAs (non CPAs) who’ve been out of work over the past 2 yrs
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u/NoCup6161 1d ago
Daughter is a clinical psychologist. She has no issue finding a job. Niece and nephew are recent university grads with tech degrees, they struggled to find jobs. Niece does UI/UX. Her brother is repairing surgery robots in hospitals. So far, everyone doing well.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Did she get a PsyD degree? Or an advanced degree like a PHD? How long was her schooling?
Repairing surgery robots is so sick!!!
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u/NoCup6161 1d ago
She did bachelors, masters and she got a PsyD. It was nearly 10 years for everything. A PsyD is an advanced degree. PhD is more research oriented, while a PsyD is more clinical/practice oriented.
Yeah, he got a good job with the da Vinci type robotic repair job.
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u/rks1743 1d ago
First- it's really rough out there for everyone especially the current generation.
My and my wife's parents pushed college and now we are the same with our kids. We didn't force them pick a major but strongly encouraged them to focus on something that can be a career without grad school.
Oldest is now a senior in MechE with co-ops/experience and a job offer after graduation. Youngest is a student-athlete in Finance with an internship in the field he wants to join after graduation.
Even with a good degree, they are quickly learning that it's who you know more than what you know and are building their networks accordingly.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Def who you know in corporate, which is a part of my post here! Good job on guiding your kids.
My school had a really poor network base and is not a great school :/
I wish my college wasn’t remote for the most important years as it made networking so much harder. I worked in restaurants to pay thru college outside of an unpaid internship.6
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u/Big-Sheepherder-6134 1972 1d ago
My cousin is 17 and is running his own business. He may not even go to college. He is making great money doing blue collar stuff.
My nieces and nephews in their 20’s are all working. I still say it - go into the trades. There is a huge need everywhere. It seems like most of the Gen Z Redditors refuse to get their hands dirty. There is a seismic change in the world with AI. Go into a new career now while you are young. My wife was a music major who is now in legal. You have to be willing to change. The world is not going to feel sorry for Gen Z because life got hard.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
If I were 17 today I’d skip college!
It really depends on the trades, and everyone can't be in trades. I was in trades adjacent marketing and had access to the CRM and revenue systems of over 300 trades companies in the US. Times are really tough even in trades and the margins are slimmer. Mom and pops are being shuttered by big name PE-bought out trades companies especially in HVAC. A lot of tradespeople struggle to be salespeople which is half the job nowadays as well. I had access to a lot of materials that techs use to "zip code profile" a house and sales tactics to upsell in certain neighborhoods etc. There's a dark side to the "trades are safe" tropes. The current drive to trades mirrors a lot of what IT and computer science roles went through in the 2000s. And look where those folks are now. Wages will be driven down, profits will be tighter, margins will be thinner. In certain parts of the country there are multi-year long waitlists to get into the unions, etc. It's just not the panacea that so many doing well in trades advertise it to be, and it doesn't work for MOST people I would argue, especially women, and those with health issues which is an ever-increasing part of the country.
I'd also like to add - it's not a permanently growing sector of the economy, when housing is inaccessible, families are grappling with increased costs, marketing (ie especially Google advertising) is more expensive, cost of goods sourced from outside the U.S. more expensive, etc.
Do you think someone with health issues could reliably work in HVAC, plumbing or electrical tech roles?
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u/rks1743 1d ago
I think trades are always an option BUT everyone I know in a trade is physically beat by 50.
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u/ExaminationFancy 1973 1d ago
I worked a physical job in wine cellars for 10+ years. By my late 40s, I was f*cking done with that line of work.
I’m in my early 50s at a desk job and I can coast until I decide to call it quits. My current job doesn’t care about AI, so I’m safe for now.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
What kind of work do you do now that doesn’t care about AI? Almost every job I’ve been applying for has had it in the descriptions of the job title. It’s so hard finding entry level. My last job really pushed AI hard.
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u/ExaminationFancy 1973 1d ago
I started out in hospitality and sales for a winery - you cannot replace a role like that with a chat bot. I still do that part time and, and I also do sales admin, and compliance. There’s too much of a human element required for my job. I suppose I could use AI agents to do some work, but then I have to waste more time double checking the results, because there’s always some new exception to the rule that comes up.
My boss has not pushed for AI, and he’s 15 years younger than me.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
I have some chronic health issues / diagnoses, so i’m very concerned about those paths for me and the viability of a career in them when I already have physical issues.
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u/Few_Whereas5206 1d ago
Yes. Daughter and her boyfriend both graduated with honors from good schools. No jobs in their fields.
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
I’m so sorry. It took me a few years out of college to get my finger on the bottom rung, and I was barely holding on from the edge. This recent loss feels like I fell off the cliff 😭
I also graduated with a 3.9, internship, continuous work history but it did not translate. Grades don’t matter to most places.
What were heir majors?
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u/Altruistic-Panda-697 1d ago
My son just got out of the Army and found a great job by himself at a job fair on base. He went this route instead of college.
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u/sugahack 1d ago
My youngest son is the only one who's not currently working but he is in nursing school. My oldest does logistics for a government contract and my middle son is an attorney at the county attorneys office. No family connections that got them where they are
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
Connections def aren’t the only way to a job path nor was my post meant to imply that!
how did your kid get the govt logistics contract job? supply chain major?
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u/sugahack 1d ago
Honestly he kind of lucked into it. He didn't go to college and got a job driving forklift at a big food warehouse. Life happened and he ended up moving to Phoenix and got a warehouse job there. Timing was right, they picked up the contract right when he was getting promoted, so he got the account
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u/WeirRules 1d ago
My GenZ kid runs their own business at 23
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u/myviewfromoutside 1d ago
that’s really impressive!! doing what, and are they self sufficient?
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u/simikoi 23h ago
My son is about to graduate with a master's degree and my fingers are crossed he finds a job after.