The day you toss your cap into the air is supposed to mark the start of something. Years of study, thousands of hours of work, and let’s be honest tens of thousands of dollars, all leading to that triumphant moment when you step into the “real world.”

But for nearly 60% of last year’s graduates, that real world has been a waiting room. Months after commencement, résumés sit unanswered, inboxes fill with rejections, and job postings demand “three to five years’ experience” for roles labeled entry-level.

It’s not just a tough start it’s a rupture in the deal many were promised. One in four Gen Z workers now say they regret going to college. They’re questioning whether the price tag was worth it, whether the advice from parents, teachers, and society still holds up, and whether the old map to success even leads anywhere anymore.

If a degree was once the golden ticket, today it feels more like an expensive lottery ticket one with increasingly uncertain odds. And yet, despite the frustration, many young people aren’t giving up. They’re rethinking the game entirely, rewriting what it means to “make it” in a world that refuses to play by the old rules.

A Job Market That’s Leaving New Graduates Behind

For earlier generations, graduating college was like stepping onto a moving walkway you might start slow, but the momentum carried you forward. For many of today’s graduates, that walkway feels broken.

A May survey from Kickresume revealed just how steep the climb has become: 58% of last year’s graduates are still searching for their first job, more than twice the rate reported by graduates from previous decades. Only 12% had secured full-time employment by the time they tossed their caps.

Part of the challenge is a mismatch between what employers want and what graduates can offer. Job listings labeled “entry-level” often demand years of experience, while rapidly evolving technology especially AI means that skills can become outdated before a diploma is even framed. As career coach Kolby Goodman puts it, older generations “lived in a market where their college degree was practically a get-a-job-free card.” That card no longer exists.

The way young job seekers navigate this reality is changing too. Traditional job boards are no longer the main stage LinkedIn has overtaken them as the top search tool, now used by 57% of fresh graduates compared to just 29% of earlier grads. Social media in general has become a key hunting ground, with usage for job searches jumping from 7% to 26% between generations.

Still, the numbers only tell part of the story. Beneath the determination lies anxiety: about one in three graduates fears they’re not “good enough” or qualified, and résumé writing remains one of the most common stumbling blocks.

Why Regret Is Growing

For decades, higher education was sold as the safest investment you could make in yourself. But for many in Gen Z, that investment feels like a gamble they’re losing.

A Resume Genius survey of 1,000 full-time Gen Z workers found that 23% regret going to college, while another 19% say their degree hasn’t helped their career at all. Only about one-third are satisfied with their educational choices and wouldn’t change them. The reasons for this regret are easy to trace: mounting student loan debt, uncertain job prospects, and a return on investment that feels far lower than promised.

The numbers paint a sobering picture. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of college in the U.S. now exceeds $38,000 per year more than double what it was at the start of the 21st century. That price tag leaves many graduates carrying a financial weight that limits their options long after graduation. As career strategist Trevor Houston bluntly puts it, “Students now face the highest amount of debt ever recorded, but job security after graduation doesn’t really exist.”

The value of a degree also depends heavily on the field of study. Graduates in STEM or healthcare tend to see the strongest payoff, with 87% reporting that their degree contributed to their career. But for arts and humanities graduates, that number drops to 77% and in a market where wages aren’t keeping up with inflation, that gap matters.

Adding to the frustration is the sense of being steered down a one-way path. Many Gen Zers say they were told college was the only route to stability, only to see peers without degrees thriving in trades, entrepreneurship, or tech certifications. As one finance expert put it, “We convinced an entire generation that working with your hands was beneath them. Meanwhile, skilled trades are desperate for workers, and the pay reflects it.”

No “Safe” Paths Anymore

Not long ago, the advice was clear: choose a degree in business, technology, engineering, or healthcare, and you’d have a stable, well-paying career. But that safety net is fraying.

Colin Rocker, a Gen Z career content creator, describes it as a “damned if they do or don’t” dilemma. Liberal arts graduates are warned their degrees won’t lead to jobs, while those in supposedly stable technical fields watch layoffs sweep through their industries. Even high-demand sectors like software engineering and marketing have been hit as companies restructure and AI begins automating tasks once reserved for highly skilled workers.

This disruption isn’t just a tech-industry problem it’s a fundamental shift in how careers are built. Roles that once offered decades of security can now change or disappear in a matter of years. Meanwhile, employers are quietly dropping degree requirements in favor of skills-based hiring, looking for adaptability, certifications, and hands-on experience rather than a specific academic credential.

That shift has opened the door for nontraditional paths to outshine the old playbook. Skilled trades plumbing, electrical work, welding are seeing worker shortages and wage growth, while many degree holders find themselves underemployed. As finance expert Michael Ryan points out, “I’ve watched electricians out-earn lawyers and plumbers retire at 50 while college grads move back in with mom and dad.”

How Gen Z is Redefining Success

If the traditional career ladder is wobbling, Gen Z isn’t wasting time trying to steady it they’re building entirely new scaffolding.

Surveys show their priorities diverge sharply from the prestige-driven paths of the past. Work-life balance tops the list, with 91% of respondents calling it “important” or “very important.” Job security follows closely at 89%, then a high salary at 83%, and doing meaningful work at 80%. By contrast, only 37% place importance on working for a prestigious company. In other words, the name on the paycheck matters less than how the work fits into their life and values.

Part of this shift is financial necessity. Fifty-eight percent of Gen Z workers already have a side hustle, and another 25% are considering one. These aren’t just quick cash grabs they’re often strategic, allowing young workers to explore passions, build marketable skills, or lay the groundwork for future businesses. Side gigs range from freelance digital work to online retail, from creative projects to skilled trades training.

This flexibility is becoming a defining feature of their career philosophy. Instead of tying their entire identity to a single employer or role, many are diversifying their income streams both as a hedge against instability and as a way to pursue a fuller sense of purpose.

It’s a quiet but powerful rejection of the old “climb the ladder” mindset. For Gen Z, success is less about reaching one pinnacle and more about constructing a career ecosystem one where stability, creativity, and autonomy coexist.

Paths Beyond the Traditional Degree

For a growing number of Gen Z workers, the most valuable career move wasn’t made in a lecture hall it was made outside of it.

Surveys show increasing interest in trade schools, apprenticeships, and certificate programs as young adults look for faster, cheaper, and more targeted routes into the workforce. Thirteen percent of Gen Z workers say they would skip a traditional degree altogether if they could start over, opting instead for skilled trades or industry-specific training. In many cases, these paths lead to well-paying jobs without the crushing debt of a four-year program.

At the same time, the rise of micro-credentials and online learning platforms is changing what it means to be “qualified.” Employers, particularly in tech and digital industries, are embracing short, skills-focused programs that can be completed in months, not years. Fields like data analysis, digital marketing, AI literacy, and cybersecurity are especially popular, offering entry points into high-demand sectors without the long lead time of traditional degrees.

Even major corporations are getting in on the shift. Companies like Google, IBM, and Meta now offer certification programs that bypass the need for a college diploma, focusing instead on demonstrable skills. This trend aligns with the growing move toward skills-based hiring, where practical competence matters more than academic pedigree.

For some, these alternatives aren’t just about escaping debt they’re about maintaining adaptability in a world where job requirements can shift overnight. By stacking skills and diversifying expertise, Gen Z is positioning itself not just to survive disruption, but to stay ahead of it.

A Generation Forcing the Conversation

Gen Z isn’t just navigating a difficult job market they’re forcing a reckoning with the system itself.

For decades, the college-to-career pipeline was treated as a given: invest in education, work hard, and you’ll be rewarded with stability. But the cracks in that promise are now too visible to ignore. Rising tuition costs, record student debt, shifting job requirements, and the rapid advance of automation have exposed a truth older generations didn’t have to confront college can be valuable, but it is not a guarantee.

This is more than an economic challenge; it’s a cultural shift. Parents who once saw college as non-negotiable are now encouraging their kids to explore trade schools, apprenticeships, or direct-to-work pathways. Employers, too, are rethinking hiring practices, with many dropping degree requirements in favor of skill-based assessments.

Some fear this shift devalues higher education. Others see it as overdue an opportunity to align learning with real-world demands and to offer young people multiple viable routes to success. As finance expert Michael Ryan observes, “Gen Z is the first to call BS on the whole system.” They’re openly questioning why so many good-paying jobs were deemed “lesser” simply because they didn’t require a diploma.

In doing so, they’re not just seeking personal solutions they’re reshaping the definition of career readiness for the generations that follow. If their parents chased the dream of a single, secure career, Gen Z is building a reality where adaptability, skills, and purpose are the true currency.

Building a Future That Works

The old promise that a degree plus hard work equals security has cracked wide open. But in that brokenness lies an opportunity.

If you’re a recent graduate staring at a stack of unanswered applications, you’re not failing. You’re standing in a moment of reinvention. The rules you were handed are outdated, and the world you’re stepping into is rewriting them in real time.

The truth is, no single path guarantees success anymore. That’s daunting, yes but it’s also freeing. It means you can define your own benchmarks, pursue skills that excite you, and build a life that reflects your values rather than someone else’s blueprint.

Invest in learning whether through formal education, trade skills, or self-driven study but don’t invest blindly. Seek mentors, build networks, and create work that proves your value beyond a résumé. And above all, remember: careers are no longer linear. They are living, breathing things that you will grow, prune, and shape over time.

Gen Z isn’t just entering the workforce; they’re shaping the future of it. And if they can carry both courage and adaptability into that future, they won’t just survive the disruption they’ll thrive because of it.