TJ Walker warns that 40% of recent grads are stuck in jobs that don't require a degree. Most good positions aren't filled through online applications but through personal connections. He recommends researching companies, engaging with key employees on LinkedIn, and building relationships before graduation.
Chapters
Ultimize. A new report from The New York Times says this is, quote, the worst spring for young college graduates since the depths of the pandemic. That's not a vibe. That's not a feeling. That's a warning shot. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, unemployment for recent grads is now 5.6% higher than the overall rate, and more than 40% of graduates are working jobs that don't even require a degree. You studied for 4 years and now your degree is basically a very expensive coaster. And the people closest to hiring are not exactly optimistic. Ali Goossens, who works in employer engagement, said this to the Times, "We're thinking about hiring the way I think about going to the gym." Economist Adam Ozimek explained it like this, "If you need experience, you're being rejected for not having experience to get experience. It's like being told you can't get into the pool because you're not already wet." And then there's real people living this. Erin Torres applied to nearly 200 jobs and said, oh, she's not getting any. At that point, you're not getting— if you're not getting any job offers after 200, something is going wrong. At this point, that's not really job hunting. You're speed date rejecting. And yes, the market's tough. But now let me say something that might sting a little and also help you a lot. Nobody's coming to rescue your career. Sorry, young college graduates. Not your college, not the economy, not your potential. Because a lot of people are treating the job market like it's Uber Eats. I place my order. Where's my salary? Doesn't work that way. You cannot sit on your phone, click apply 87 times and expect a company to fall in love with you. It's not a strategy. That's wishful thinking with Wi-Fi. If your entire job search is clicking buttons, you're basically playing a slot machine and wondering why you keep losing. Here's how the real world actually works. Most good jobs are filled through people, not platforms, not portals, but people. Someone inside a company says, hey, I know this person, they're solid. And suddenly you're not competing with thousands of applicants. You're having a real conversation because hiring isn't just about skills. It's about comfort. People are asking themselves, would I want to sit next to this person all day long or take a plane ride somewhere with this person, go to a weekend seminar with this person? And you cannot answer that with just a PDF attachment. Sorry. But here's where things get a little ridiculous. A lot of young people today are trying to build careers without ever talking to another human being. They say, I'm networking. No, you clicked connect. That's not networking, that's digital collecting. It's like having 500 business cards from people who wouldn't recognize you in an elevator. Real networking is messy. It's awkward. It's face-to-face. It's showing up somewhere and not knowing exactly what to say and saying it anyway. Opportunities don't live in your phone. They live in rooms, rooms full of people you haven't met yet, rooms you keep avoiding. And yes, Sometimes those rooms are professional events. Sometimes it's just a random conversation at a bar. I've seen more careers start with, "So what do you do?" than with, "Please see attached resume." Now let's talk about something that quietly sabotages people: ego. Some people think, "I have a degree. I shouldn't have to do certain jobs." Meanwhile, someone else is driving Uber, waiting tables, bartending, and meeting more people in a week than you've met in a year. You call that beneath you. They call it access. Because while you're sitting at home applying to jobs, they're building a network in real time. You're refreshing your inbox. They're expanding their opportunities. You don't need a perfect job right now. You need proximity. Proximity to people, proximity to conversations, proximity to opportunity. Sitting at home waiting for clarity is like waiting to get in shape by watching fitness videos. Motion creates opportunity. Stillness creates anxiety. And here's where things flip completely because you don't have to wait to be hired. There are millions of people, especially older professionals who have money but no idea how to function online. They don't know how to make videos, grow an audience, use social media, build a personal brand. And sitting right next to them is a generation that grew up doing exactly that. It's like having a superpower and using it to scroll. You could be creating content for businesses, managing accounts, helping people grow, making money, building relationships. Instead, a lot of people are asking, why won't anybody hire me? That's the wrong question. The better question is, who needs something I already know how to do? Because the fastest way into opportunity is to become useful, not impressive, not perfect, useful. The people who win right now are not the best applicants. They're the most useful and helpful people in the room. So yeah, the job market is tough. Yes, hiring is slower for new college grads. Yes, AI is a problem, especially if you're a computer software grad right out of college. Yes, this is frustrating, but frustration doesn't stop you. Inaction does. Thinking you can win without talking to people, without putting yourself out there, without creating value. That's like trying to win a marathon by reading about running. The world doesn't reward potential. It rewards people who show up, connect, and contribute. So get off the app, go where people are, talk to them, help them, be someone people remember. Because while everyone else is waiting to be chosen, you'll be too busy being known. Okay, sorry if that feels grumpy and unsympathetic to young college grads who can't find a job or can't seem to catch a break. But also keep this in mind, your job isn't— your goal is not really to have a job. It's to have a career where your skills are put in use, where you feel fulfilled and you make money. And ideally you make enough money to support the lifestyle you want. Yes, it would be easy if some huge company just gave you a nice starting salary, all sorts of perks, benefits, and a training program for the next year to get you going. That used to exist. Sorry, it doesn't exist any longer. So to just go back in time of 40 years and say, I want that. Well, that makes no more sense than going back in 200 years and say, oh, I want to be a subsistence farmer. Okay, you can't pick and choose what period of history you're in. We're in this period right now. I also just want to stress, it's not that I'm anti being online. I'm online a lot. I make good connections online, but you've got to make meaningful connection, simply looking at job opportunities and clicking and sending a resume and a generic form letter. It's not 100% worthless, but if you're spending more than 30 minutes out of what I hope is a 14-hour day job hunting, you're really wasting your time. You're far better off really researching companies, researching on LinkedIn to find out who those people are, then commenting on their posts, asking them thoughtful questions, sharing their content, building relationships with people in the industry you care about and the companies and the organizations you care about. And ideally, you do it long before you graduate. Ideally, you're starting that in high school, summers, evenings, weekends, freshman year, sophomore year, junior, senior. By that time, you should already know a lot of people in your industry. It's never been easier to connect professionally with people in your industry, but you can't just do it the day after you graduate and say, hey, Jim Smithers, I see you are the CEO of XYZ company. I'm looking for a job. That's not going to get any response. Build relationships online and most important, online. Get out there, talk to people, put your phone down once in a while. Oh, but TJ, I'm a little bit shy. I'm an introvert. Guess what? Nobody cares. You can be wildly successful and be an introvert. Steve Jobs was repeatedly pretty introverted. He wasn't always the life of the party, slapping everyone on the back. So no, that's not an excuse. Sorry to give you a little bit of tough love today, but I want you to have a great career, and sitting at home just click, send, click, send, click, send isn't going to get you there. Ultimize.
