They were promised the world and handed unpaid internships instead.
Degrees were supposed to be golden tickets. Instead, Gen Z is stuck waiting tables with diplomas in psychology and coding bootcamp certificates collecting dust. They followed the rules, played the game, and now find themselves underpaid, overqualified, and sidelined in a job market that keeps moving the goalposts.
Despite being digital natives and degree-holders, many Gen Z workers are spinning in circles, trying to gain “experience” in an economy that’s allergic to entry-level salaries.
1. They were told education was the answer—but now it’s just expensive.
College was marketed as a guaranteed step to a stable career. Gen Z took that advice seriously, often racking up staggering student loans just to compete. But now, employers want experience more than degrees, and jobs that once required a bachelor’s now demand a master’s—or five years on the job. Many Gen Z grads are discovering their education isn’t enough to land something that pays rent, let alone match the effort and debt. It’s created a bitter disconnect between what they were promised and what actually exists. They did everything “right,” but the rules keep shifting.
2. Entry-level jobs are no longer entry level.
The job postings say “junior role,” but the fine print wants three to five years of experience, niche software expertise, and results-driven portfolios. It’s laughable, if it weren’t so common. Gen Zers, many just out of school, find themselves iced out of opportunities simply because they haven’t already done the job they’re trying to get. Internships often don’t count, freelance projects get undervalued, and temp roles are brushed aside. The result? A generation trying to start careers in a system that’s rigged against beginners. So they take what they can get—even if it’s part-time, unrelated, or wildly below their capabilities.
3. Internships are unpaid, underwhelming, and often exploitative.
Internships were once foot-in-the-door opportunities. Now they’re often glorified admin gigs that demand full-time availability with zero pay. Gen Z is increasingly skeptical—and exhausted—by the expectation that they should work for free just to prove themselves. For those without financial support, unpaid internships are flat-out inaccessible. That adds a layer of privilege to career entry that many simply can’t cross. So, while some peers climb through elite unpaid gigs into shiny roles, others are stuck waiting tables or juggling gig work, just trying to stay afloat. Internships aren’t bridges—they’re toll roads with no receipts.
4. The gig economy hijacked their first jobs.
Instead of salaried positions with health benefits and a path forward, many Gen Zers are handed 1099 forms and unpredictable schedules. DoorDash, Fiverr, and content creation aren’t career ladders—they’re survival gigs. While flexible on paper, they come without security, advancement, or protection. Gen Z has normalized juggling multiple freelance roles, not because they love the hustle, but because stable work isn’t available. What used to be side jobs for extra cash are now full-time careers with no ceiling. This gig economy trap gives them independence, yes—but at the cost of long-term career growth.
5. They’re competing with older workers for the same roles.
Boomers aren’t retiring, and Gen X isn’t budging. Thanks to economic pressures and a shifting labor market, older workers are staying in—or re-entering—the workforce. That means Gen Z is often competing with people who have decades of experience for the same jobs. Employers prefer the polished resume over potential, which pushes younger applicants to the bottom of the pile. Even so-called entry-level roles go to people with deep networks and prior track records. It’s hard to get a foothold when your competition has been climbing the ladder since you were in middle school.
6. Remote work removed the local advantage.
Before remote jobs were common, location gave new grads an edge. Local companies hired nearby talent, and proximity helped get a foot in the door. But now, Gen Z applicants are up against nationwide—and sometimes global—competition for remote roles. A job based in Denver might go to someone in Tampa who’s done the work before, or to a freelancer in another time zone. The playing field expanded, but the odds got worse. For those just starting out, it’s harder than ever to stand out in a crowd of resumes with more sparkle and seasoning.
7. Their degrees don’t match real-world demand.
A lot of Gen Z followed passions—art, psychology, environmental studies—only to discover the job market doesn’t have the space or budget for those dreams. Others picked “safe” majors like business or communications, only to find they’re drowning in a pool of identical resumes. The disconnect between academic paths and career pipelines is wide, and universities rarely bridge the gap. Without relevant internships, real-world training, or networking opportunities, many Gen Zers graduate ready to work—but not ready to be hired. They’re skilled, smart, and eager, but that doesn’t always translate to employable.
8. Recruiters ghost them like it’s Tinder.
Job hunting is brutal. Gen Z sends polished resumes and thoughtful cover letters into digital voids, rarely hearing back—even after interviews. It’s common to be led along for weeks, then dropped without a word. This ghosting culture leaves them disillusioned and jaded early in their careers. It’s hard to build confidence or momentum when rejection is silent and feedback is nonexistent. Gen Z is emotionally fluent, but even they can’t spin weeks of being ignored into growth. The silence is loud—and it makes the whole system feel more like a bad dating app than a professional process.
9. Their soft skills are brushed off like personality quirks.
Gen Z excels at reading a room, managing digital nuance, and navigating emotionally messy workplaces—but those skills rarely show up on a résumé. They’re fluent in collaboration, self-awareness, and cultural intelligence, yet hiring managers often skip over these abilities in favor of more measurable hard skills. The irony is that many jobs now demand exactly what Gen Z brings: the ability to communicate clearly, adapt quickly, and keep a pulse on shifting social currents. Still, they’re sidelined as “too sensitive” or “not professional enough,” while the very skills they offer remain invisible in the hiring equation.
10. They’re stuck in internships that never become jobs.
Gen Z is piling on internships like badges of honor, hoping that one of them will finally open a door. But too often, those internships lead to… another internship. Companies dangle the illusion of future employment while extracting real work for little to no pay. It’s a cycle that breeds burnout and erodes trust. These roles, once seen as stepping stones, now feel like traps—places to tread water instead of leap forward. By the time a paid opportunity appears, many are already exhausted, disillusioned, or forced to pivot entirely just to stay afloat financially.
11. Their achievements are constantly compared to older generations.
Even when they land the job, the apartment, or the degree, Gen Z hears the same refrain: “At your age, I already had a house.” Every win is measured against a wildly different economic backdrop. Inflation, student debt, and housing crises get overlooked in favor of nostalgia-tinted benchmarks. It’s not just discouraging—it’s invalidating. No matter how hard they hustle, their success feels perpetually discounted. Instead of applause, they’re handed criticism disguised as wisdom. And while they might smile through it, the weight of constantly being measured against the past chips away at their confidence to build something new.