“I was so upset and disappointed in myself because growing up, I was told that if I get an education, if I go to college, then I’ll be successful,” Santos told Business Insider—and she’s not the first Gen Zer to complain about feeling tricked into pursuing further education.
Just last month, 27-year-old Robbie Scott similarly went viral on TikTok for insisting that Gen Z isn’t any less willing to work than generations before. Instead, he said, they are “getting angry and entitled and whiny” about the prospect of having to work hard for the rest of their adult life, only to “get nothing in return.”
I’ve landed a jobs because of a recruiter and a couple others from applying online. Good corporate jobs, too. But it’s an enormous slog compared to having someone already in the firm who will vouch.
That said, college is a big exception to the rule precisely because of how much effort businesses make to hire directly from senior classes.
The degree matters, but surprisingly less than GPA. If you’ve got a 3.2 or better at a state school or big city college, it’s a ticket to practically any employer in the country.