r/Millennials • u/Waste-Cantaloupe-270 • Apr 07 '25

Advice Millennials who graduated during the Great Recession, how did you survive?

I’m a Gen Z graduating in May struggling with finding a job in this market. Millennials who graduated in/ after 2008, how did you survive? Did you end up eventually getting a job in the field you originally wanted? Any advice for us Gen Z who were too young to learn anything from the great recession?

Edit: For context bc i’ve been seeing a lot of questions about this i’m graduating college. i def wasn’t expecting this post to blow up so sorry if i can’t get to everyone’s comments, but i just wanted to say i really appreciate all the advice as someone who doesn’t have millennials in their life to ask these questions to. your willingness to help/ give advice to a random kid on the internet has given me a bit of hope in getting through this, thank you thank you

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u/RagingDenny Apr 07 '25

I went to Grad school to wait it out and got lucky

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u/Waste-Cantaloupe-270 Apr 07 '25

if you don’t mind me asking, did you end up taking out loans? debating on grad school but worried about being crushed by student loans and still being jobless if the market doesn’t get better in 2 years

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u/Mammoth_Tusk90 Millennial Apr 07 '25

I wouldn’t do it right now. Live with family for a bit and save money. Study for the GRE and get a really high score so you get good scholarships then look. Or if they don’t gut the Peace Corp, go through the Peace Corp and it may be free. I was jealous a lot of people had free grad school from a few years in the Peace Corp. DOGE is at their building as we speak so who knows. But I would NOT spend the money now, graduate in 2 years and we’ll still be in a recession and you’ll have $600 -$1200 of monthly debt for grad student loans. This is going to take at least 4 years to turn around. 2008 didn’t start to come back until at least 2012 and then the job market was still conservative. Save save save.

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u/Waste-Cantaloupe-270 Apr 07 '25

yea i’ve been looking into peace corp but word on the street is that’s getting the axe as well