One thing that really gets to me is when people complain about how tough times are and how hard it is to find a job. How tough was it in 1929? I never heard my grandparents complaining about not finding work, and they lived through WWII. They just got up and did what needed to be done. They grew gardens, raised some animals to be mostly self-sufficient, and supported seven kids on one salary and food ration tickets.
Blaming the economy and collecting unemployment checks wasn’t a thing back then. Fast forward to today, and my 34-year-old classmates from one of the top 10 French business schools are either underemployed or unemployed because “it’s hard.” One of them is working towards a third PhD just to avoid leaving the comfortable life of a student and facing reality. Another bounces between short-term contracts and long periods of unemployment because they “didn’t get along with their boss” or were “too stressed.”
We’re a generation of entitled individuals who don’t want to put in the effort. If you really want to find a job, there are plenty out there.
“But I am a philosophy major.”
Great. If you chose that path knowing the employment opportunities, you can only blame yourself. Have you contacted all the schools and universities within a 50-mile radius? Consider moving to teach elsewhere? There are plenty of questionable degrees. “Tourism” always makes me laugh. For me, college is worth it for careers like a lawyer, a doctor, or any profession requiring certification exams. Maybe for business too, though natural-born entrepreneurs might find college a waste of time. If you went for a “tourism degree,” the best you can do is take any job and hope to move up from there.
“But I can’t live off my art.”
Then why study art? If you have talent, why need college for it? If not, again, why go to college? Meanwhile, get a minimum wage job close to home; they’re not so bad.
“But I deserve six figures.”
You do, but only if you work hard and prove your worth. It could take years and maybe additional education if you chose a low-paying field. But with dedication, you can reach there, not by wasting hours on games like Candy Crush.
“But it’s hard… bla bla economy… bla bla recession…”
Why not learn a trade? Electricians, mechanics, plumbers—they all make good money and always have work. You could even work for yourself if the corporate world isn’t for you.
It’s all about adapting. The world ages, and the only sure thing is death. Nurses and mortuary workers never run out of jobs. But no, that’s too difficult for you. Your overpriced private school teachers told you that you were special and deserved six-figure salaries for not doing much. They lied. If you’re 5 to 10 years out of school and haven’t had a real job tied to your studies, the problem might be with you, not the world.
I don’t consider myself particularly lucky, but the only time I was unemployed was when I chose to quit my jobs to travel for 6-12 months. Before going back, I’d send out dozens of resumes and line up a few interviews. I prepared thoroughly and got job offers for every face-to-face interview. There’s no secret, and I’m not exceptional. With persistence and hard work, you can achieve anything, even despite “the economy.”