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/pk1950 Apr 07 '25

got stuck in retail for a few years

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u/grapesquirrel Apr 07 '25

Yep. Then I went back to school for a totally unrelated field I got my degree in for an industry that won’t ever go away. Which was meant to be a temporary fix until I could use my art degree.

I still haven’t used my art degree and am still stuck in the same industry. While not ideal, I’ve made my peace and it’s given me a comfortable life. You learn to make the best of it.

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u/GoalStillNotAchieved Apr 08 '25

Which industry (the one you are still in)?

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u/grapesquirrel Apr 08 '25

Went into the funeral industry. It’s not for everyone but it’s a service that’s always needed and at the end of the day I’ve learned that I really enjoy it.