The Hilarity of a Tragic Job Market

The other night, I was talking to my mother about my job search. As a semi-recent college graduate with a degree in business from a highly reputable university, procuring a good job would be relatively easy.

Spoiler Alert: It’s not!

In fact, it has been a heart-wrenching journey of applying for jobs, going through interviews, and a (seemingly) never-ending stream of rejections.

Since I graduated from the university in 2024, I have applied to hundreds of jobs, receiving hundreds of rejections or no responses.

You can call that demoralizing!

Anyways, the other night I was telling my mom that I applied for a second time to a position I am grotesquely overqualified for: a host at a local mom-and-pop seafood restaurant.

Yes, a business graduate from a prestigious university is groveling for a minimum-wage job frequented by nineteen-year-olds, fresh out of high school.

Guess what?

For the second time in a row, the business rejected my resume.

As I told my mother the story, she gave me a look that screamed disbelief, a pinch of sadness, and a large tablespoon of frustration.

“It’s so sad that a college graduate, with an advanced degree, can’t even get a menial job,” she conveyed to me, her face quietly disclosing the mental see-saw that her emotions were grappling with. A situation that made no logical sense yet could not be easily remedied.

“Actually,” I calmly responded, “I think it’s hilarious.”

Admittedly, that reply was not the typical response to a soul-crushing situation (ask my mother).

Yet, with sincere honesty, that was how I felt (and still feel) about the agonizing search for gainful employment: It is truly comedic how profoundly harrowing it is to obtain something so familiar, so readily available as a job!

At least, it used to be much easier to obtain a job.

The truth of the matter is that the job market stinks.

No, it truly sucks badly!

The rise of A.I., mixed with stubborn inflation, leads to a considerable increase in the costs [of running a business], tied in with a job pool that is far, far, far too large, and you have the home-cooked recipe for a depressed job market.

The reality is that none of these compounding factors will disappear. In fact, these elements will only increase in prominence.

A.I. will become much more widespread, leading to further job loss.

The cost of running a business will continue to rise, regardless of whether inflation is kept in check.

The labor pool will never shrink, as it adds more working-age adults to its ranks with each passing year.

So, what is the solution?

Well, I can’t answer that.

What I can do is determine whether an individual should or shouldn’t let themselves emotionally succumb to the frustrations of a bleak job market.

At the end of the day, it is up to YOU, and only YOU, how you feel about a situation.

As a human blessed with free will, you have the right to assign any feeling that you so choose to any given circumstance.

Thus, perhaps it would be wise not to allow oneself to fall victim to negative feelings regarding the current state of the labor market.

After all, there is only so much an individual can control in their lives.

A person can only control themselves; they cannot control outside forces.

That is why I consciously choose to look at this grim job market through a lens of humor, rather than a whirlpool of despair.

I feel much happier this way.

What matters is that I allow myself to enjoy my life, regardless of how events beyond my control unfold.

My happiness, inner joy, and peace of mind are mine, and mine alone, to cultivate and embrace.

It is not up to the outside world to dictate to me how I should feel.

Remember that.

Thank you so much for reading this!

I sincerely appreciate you all!

If you enjoyed this content, please leave a small token of your appreciation by buying me a cup of coffee! buymeacoffee.com/jonmandel