Today we looked at millennials and their job woes and how the New York Times talks about them. It sparked some serious discussion! One commenter weighed in to say that, surprise surprise, the Times has it all wrong.

From b4nt4:

It hurts to be considered one of these people. I've been unemployed for a year now, applied to sooo many jobs and had enough interviews where I should have scored something by now.

They keep telling me "You're overqualified. You're under-qualified. We want someone who's had this exact experience before. We want someone long term. We think you'll take a better job when one comes along. This doesn't seem like something you want to make a career out of. This is an entry level position, you have too much experience. If I hire you for this position, I'd have to promote you in a couple of months and I can't do that. These fellowships are for people who are still in Grad/Law school. I'm sorry I've wasted your time. We can't afford to hire a J.D. You don't have the right transactional law experience. You're incapable. You're too capable." Etc. Ad nauseum.

I still live in NYC but am able to afford it because it's not a great neighborhood, I have plenty of roommates to keep things cheap, and enough savings to keep going for a few more months. I don't have parents I can rely on for anything, or go live with. I even left for a few months this winter to go live in a third world country while I subletted my room because I could save money, and not go totally nuts unemployed, cooped up in here in the cold.

It's scary and incredibly demoralizing. You feel like you're screaming that the sky is falling and no one seems to care. Even friends and former co-workers who have openings at their offices that I beg to be considered for don't get how bleak it is. "Oh the position is sooo beneath you. You'd be really bored. Are you even interested in that?" And I'm like, for the love of GOD I'm this close to selling cold water at intersections to make a few bucks!

So FUCK the New York Times for portraying this situation as they always tend to do, with their bourgeois slant. These are the same people who advise you to stay in $300/night rooms in their budget travel column. They have no idea what reality is. It's really hard out here for a lot of us.

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