Class of 2025: The Job Market is a Dumpster Fire—So Bring Marshmallows

Congratulations, Class of 2025! You survived four years of overpriced tuition, dorm room existential crises, and approximately 600 hours of scrolling through TikTok instead of studying. You’ve spent thousands of dollars (or your parents have) earning a degree from one of the top universities in the country—so where’s your six-figure job, corner office, and flexible schedule?

Oh right. You’ve been DOGED.

If you missed the memo, DOGE—the Department of Government Efficiency—just redefined the meaning of “job security” by proving it doesn’t exist. Federal employees got booted en masse, and corporate America is following suit. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are laying off people with decades of experience because AI does their jobs cheaper, faster, and without demanding free kombucha in the breakroom.

Now, you—bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and clutching your brand-new diploma—are stepping into this mess, expecting engaging work, high salaries, and an easy path to career success. Adorable. But let’s get real about what’s coming, what you can do about it, and how you can win this game (because yes, it is a game, and you have to play it offensively to win).

Step 1: Stop Applying to Jobs Like a Lost Puppy

If your plan is to spend hours submitting resumes online, congratulations! You’ve just entered a black hole.

HR platforms are your worst enemy. Companies use software that auto-filters candidates before a human even sees your name. Miss a keyword? Deleted. Didn’t use the exact phrasing from the job description? Gone.

The solution? Skip the front door.

?? Network Aggressively – The only way to get hired in this economy is through personal connections. The people who win the game don’t apply cold—they get referred. You need to have 100 conversations, minimum. Treat it like a side quest in a video game. Every person you meet unlocks new opportunities. I highly recommend reading Meet 100 People by Pat Hedley .

?? Treat LinkedIn Like Your New Side Hustle – Connect with hiring managers. Post insights on industry trends. Send cold DMs like your life depends on it. It does.

?? Use Your School’s Name Shamelessly – You went to a top 100 university? Flex it. Alumni want to help, but only if you ask.

Step 2: Master the Art of Storytelling (or Get Eaten Alive in Interviews)

If you somehow get an interview, you better know how to sell yourself.

Most grads bomb interviews because they ramble, panic, or try to sound smart instead of useful. This is where the STAR method saves lives.

? Situation – What was the challenge? ? Task – What needed to happen? ? Action – What did you do? ? Result – What changed because of your actions? (With DATA, always.)

Example: Let’s say you worked part-time at a restaurant in college. You might think, I don’t have any corporate experience—what do I say?

A solid STAR answer might be:

SITUATION: “At the restaurant where I worked, we were constantly short-staffed, leading to long wait times and customer frustration.”

TASK: “My manager asked me to find a way to speed up service without hiring extra staff.”

ACTION: “I suggested restructuring how we took drink orders by grouping tables more efficiently, cutting down average order time.”

RESULT: “Within a month, average table turnaround time improved by 12%, and customer complaints about slow service dropped by 30%.”

See that? It doesn’t have to be some intricate strategic move during an internship at a Fortune 500 company—it just has to show initiative, problem-solving, and measurable impact.

So practice. Every interview question is just a chance to tell a great STAR story. If you don’t have one ready, someone else does—and they’re getting the job.

Step 3: Ditch the Salary Delusions

I know, I know. You read a Reddit thread where someone got $140K out of college. That’s cute.

The average starting salary for a new grad? $55,911. And even that number is dropping. The market is flooded, and companies know they don’t have to pay big money when desperate grads will accept much less.

Reality check: ? You’re not getting six figures. ? Your first job won’t be your dream job. ? You will have to work your way up.

But here’s the hopeful part: Every career is a staircase, not an elevator. Get your foot in the door, do great work, and level up. The faster you accept this, the faster you’ll get where you want to go.

Step 4: Don't Just Default—Make a Real Decision

Most people think they’re making a decision when they’re really just defaulting into whatever opportunity happens to land in their lap first.

A real decision means evaluating at least three options. If you only have one offer, you’re not making a decision—you’re taking whatever is handed to you like a toddler being given a juice box.

Instead of defaulting, manufacture choices.

?? Go wide. Talk to people in weird jobs, high-level jobs you aren’t remotely qualified for, quirky jobs, boring jobs. At a minimum, you’ll learn something—and at best, you might stumble upon an opportunity you didn’t even know existed.

?? Be a little ridiculous. If an option seems too outlandish—good. That’s where interesting careers start.

?? Push for multiple offers. If you don’t compare options, you don’t know what’s possible.

Step 5: Parents, Here’s How You Can Actually Help

Parents, watching your child fumble into adulthood in this economy is stressful. But before you start aggressively forwarding job listings for ‘Entry-Level Data Analyst’ roles in Tulsa, here’s what actually helps:

?? Encourage the “100 Conversations” Challenge. Your kid doesn’t just need to apply online—they need to talk to people. And yes, you can introduce them to your network.

?? Don’t push them to take the first offer for ‘security.’ If they grab the first job just to make you feel better, they might be miserable in six months—and then you’ll be the one hearing all about it.

?? Normalize uncertainty. Careers today don’t follow a straight line. The best thing you can do is help them think big, stay adaptable, and keep moving forward.

?? Read this book!. Do yourself a favor and read this classic tome by the brilliant Meg Jay . The Defining Decade will give you insight and empathy as well as real advice to make your graduates transition a smoother ride.

Final Words: Play Offense, Not Defense

Yes, the job market is a mess. Yes, AI is eating jobs like a Roomba on steroids. Yes, DOGE has made everything worse. But let’s be real: complaining won’t get you hired.

The winners in this economy aren’t the ones waiting for the “perfect” job to land in their inbox. They’re the ones making it happen. They:

?? Network like it’s their full-time job (because honestly, it kind of is). ?? Tell stories in interviews that make them unforgettable (with actual data, not just “I’m a hard worker”). ?? Stay adaptable—because careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder. ?? Treat job hunting like a competitive sport (and keep score—100 conversations, minimum).

And if you know a young grad (or a slightly panicked parent of one) who needs to hear this, forward this their way. Because no one should have to navigate this job market alone.

Betsy Wills

Co-Author of Your Hidden Genius | Career Strategist | Aptitude Advocate

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