The Game Changed While You Were Learning to Play It

You know that question you dread at family dinners? “So, what are you doing now?”

You give some version of an answer, but inside you’re thinking: I have no idea what I’m doing. Everyone else seems to have it figured out. What’s wrong with me?

Well, the reality is, you have more company than you think. Less than a third of recent graduates found a job in their field and it's getting more and more difficult to gain the requisite experience than it used to be. Here’s what I want you to hear: There is nothing wrong with you. The game changed while you were learning to play it.

The Career Path You Imagined Doesn’t Exist Anymore

Here’s a reality that does not get talked about enough: the traditional career path—internship to entry-level to steady climb—has broken down. It's been crumbling for some time.

This is not your imagination. According to a 2025 Randstad analysis of over 126 million job postings, entry-level positions requiring zero to two years of experience have dropped 29 percent since January 2024. Junior tech roles alone are down 35 percent. The bottom rungs of the traditional career ladder—the ones you were told to climb—are disappearing.

Add to that the reality of COVID disrupting internships, first jobs, and the everyday experiences that teach you how workplaces actually function. Many recent graduates arrived at the job market without the developmental runway that builds confidence and connections.

So when you scroll social media and everyone else seems to be thriving? Remember: you’re comparing your behind-the-scenes to their highlight reel—in a game where the rules shifted beneath everyone’s feet. And if you're feeling a little ashamed about where you are right now—that's worth examining, because shame thrives on isolation and comparison.

You Have More Resilience Than You Realize

From my perspective, what often gets labeled as “stuck” or “lost” in recent graduates is actually something more important: adaptability under pressure.

Think about what you’ve already navigated. You adapted to remote learning. You graduated into uncertainty. You’ve applied to jobs that never responded, watched the goalposts move, and kept going anyway. That’s resilience—even if it doesn’t feel like it.

The challenge is that resilience without direction eventually becomes exhaustion. You can only push through for so long before you start wondering: push through toward what?

That question is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign you’re ready for clarity. It's a sign you need a plan for action.

Jobs vs. Careers: A Distinction That Changes Everything

Here’s something I share with every recent grad I work with: there’s a difference between a job and a career.

A job pays the bills. It keeps the lights on while you figure things out. There is no shame in working a job that is not your passion—I’ve had plenty of those myself.

A career is a direction. It’s built on understanding who you are, what energizes you, and what kind of person you want to become. You do not need to have it all figured out. You just need to be willing to explore.

The confusion you feel right now? That’s not failure. Confusion is clarity in progress. The fog means you’re moving into new territory—even if you cannot see where it leads yet.

Three Things You Can Do This Week

Clarity doesn't come from waiting. It comes from small moves. Here are three you can make this week.

Shift the question. Instead of asking “What should I do?”—a question with no clear answer when everything keeps shifting—ask “Who am I becoming?” That one you can actually work with.

Collect data on yourself. Even in a placeholder job, pay attention to what energizes you versus what drains you. The tasks you lose yourself in, the interactions that leave you feeling alive—those are clues. Start noticing them.

Have one real conversation. Find someone doing work you find interesting and ask them about their path. Not to ask for a job—just to learn. One honest conversation will teach you more than hours of scrolling job boards.

The Question Worth Sitting With

You are not behind. The path just looks different than the one you were promised. And the resilience you’ve already built—whether you see it or not—is exactly what you need to forge a new one.

What might be possible if you stopped measuring yourself against a ladder that no longer exists?

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If you’re tired of feeling stuck and ready to find some direction, I offer complimentary 15-minute Compass Calls—a conversation about where you are and what might be possible. No sales pitch, just clarity.