An Open-Letter to the Job Hunting Kids
What probably spirals our adult kids into depression is probably the job hunting
To our dear kids who have been job hunting, you’ve been trying your best.
We’ve seen the multiple resumes you’ve made, the long nights of you applying to every job opening (even if the schedule isn’t great) out there, and how your hearts sink every time you look at an email with nothing but useless notifications.
We know that we’ve raised you to become independent. To find pride in building your own capital, whether it’s by climbing the corporate ladder or even starting your own business. But we’ve also seen how times have changed. Everything’s automated now.
And we’re sorry we weren’t able to teach you how to navigate that change properly and immediately.
Tech was magic to us
Most of us grew up thinking that AI was just a thing of the silver screen. Whether it was Tony Stark’s JARVIS or Friday or R2D2 from Star Wars, we always thought that those were just figments of someone’s imagination. Never did we know or expect how badly it would mess up job hunting.
Perhaps, that’s the part we forgot to tell you whenever we watched a sci-fi movie together on movie nights. How will this tech change us? Is it even possible? Lightsabers are already a thing. Japan’s got robots; for all we know, they probably are already working on those bigger mech suits from the anime we’ve watched together.
Besides, the greatest tech some of us may have experienced is either those noisy, shrieking printers or the dial-up internet.
Businesses will always look at profit
The struggle of job hunting is real for a lot of you and us, parents too. We invest in good education only to find out that most businesses would rather automate. Not for the sake of advancements, but simply because they want an extra 10% profit. So, watching you guys scramble to learn everything under the sun is admirable and heartbreaking.
Admirable because we see the resilience.
Heartbreaking because we realize that we may have doomed you to the eternal rat race of chasing money.
Sure, we say money isn’t everything. But let’s be honest—it solves a lot of problems.
Navigating the corporate world
Like everybody else who joins the workforce, you’re going to start at the bottom of the corporate ladder. No experience. Nothing but your character and grades.
Because of that, the job description you will use to hold the boundaries will mean nothing. We’ve raised you to hold boundaries, but not everyone is like that. Everybody has their own boundaries, and there are also some who simply thrive in making people miserable. It’s as the old Aesop’s fable says, “Misery loves company.”
What can you do? Well, take it as a “learning experience.” It’s a loss more to them; they won’t be able to practice, but you can. Learn it all. The fun part is, when you decide to walk away from corporate, that skill stays with you. Forever.
Them? Well, worst-case scenario: they will struggle for a while. But like they say, “Nothing personal.” and that “they owe us nothing.”
Professionalism is a skill to learn when job hunting
While we’ve raised you to feel that the world is yours to experience, you’ll have to temper it with professionalism.
What is professionalism? Well, it’s hard to describe in a single word. But we can tell you what it looks like. It’s shown when you’re able to keep your temper and be eloquent when asking for accountability. It’s when you can handle your suggestions being rejected because you know it’s not “your” product.
But that doesn’t mean your grief from job hunting is unheard. The struggle is real, and so long as you keep trying to make something out of yourself, we love you either way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It depends on the season and industry. Some days, it’s easier. But most are tightening their belts, and there’s also an existing prejudice against younger hires for not being “team player” in the eyes of the older employees and employers.
Others attribute it to businesses believing they can “automate” everything.
Yes, it is. But don’t be disappointed in them unless they’re really not trying at all. Sometimes, it’s just the culture. In the Philippines, much of the corporate life thrives on the padrino system. Or in English, “who you know.”
It’s why networking is a must in the Philippines.
Since everybody is using AI, send them reels of how people use AI to help them job hunting. Most of the time, the reels reveal what the prompt is.
If they want to change industry, offer to support them in financing a course that teaches them in it.
Most of all, don’t compare them to their relatives with jobs. Some just stick to the job out of security, even if it’s toxic.
Be their first investor! It doesn’t have to be financial. Sharing and spreading the word of their business venture is one way to start.
Sit them down. A lot of people want to, but the need for money often kills the passion. Ask them if this is something they’ll love doing even if they don’t profit. Most of all, ask them if they truly want to “marry” their craft. That means, through better or worse, they will not abandon learning their craft and learn how to adapt it in an ever-changing world.
More about work and professionals?
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