this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2025
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This year’s job market has been bleak, to say the least. Layoffs hit the highest level in 14 years; job openings are barely budging; and quits figures are plummeting. It’s no wonder people feel stuck and discouraged—especially as many candidates have been on the job hunt for a year.

But some mid-career professionals are working with the cards they’ve been dealt by going back to school. Many are turning to data analytics, cybersecurity, AI-focused courses, health care, MBA programs, or trade certifications for an “immediate impact on their careers,” Metaintro CEO Lacey Kaelani told Fortune.

But while grad school can certainly offer the opportunity to level-up your career once you’ve completed a program, it comes with financial and personal sacrifices, like time. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one year of grad school, on average, costs about $43,000 in tuition. That’s nearly 70% of the average salary in the U.S.

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[–] neuracnu@lemmy.blahaj.zone 68 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (4 children)

Late 40s, highly skilled, trans, unemployed for 2+ years.

I've been down to the final candidate selection a few times now and still haven't been selected yet.

I've hired plenty of people. In general, final candidates are usually all fully capable of doing the job they're applying for. In the end, the hiring manager just gets to pick the one they want to work with most.

I feel like when hiring managers look at me, all they see are problems and risks. Time consuming HR meetings, extra effort making sure people use the right pronouns, judgements from executive leaders who might see a middle manager not doing a good job at leaning into where the winds are headed.

I wonder, even if I spend 3 more years on a secondary degree, whether I'll find myself right back in same situation (talented and surrounded by cowards unwilling to hire me), but now with $200k in new student loan debt.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Oi! Not trans, but queer, also unemployed for over 2 years now.

I used to be an econometrician, so I can tell you:

You, me?

We're not unemployed.

We are 'Not in the Labor Force'.

... we do not count towards the offical unemployment numbers.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago

… we do not count towards the offical unemployment numbers.

Wait...

unemployed for over 2 years now.

If you're still actively seeking jobs you'd still be counted in the official unemployment category of U-3 unemployment. Even if you weren't applying to jobs but still wanted to work you'd be counted in the (potentially more accurate) U-6 unemployment, right?

source

[–] Eryn6844@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 hours ago

what kind of work are you looking for?

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 2 points 47 minutes ago

$200k in new student loan debt.

Jesus. I'm looking at getting some additional masters degree in Spain and it's 10-14 months and 1.5-4k Euros.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

managers that do the hiing like to play games and gauge response, to see if you play ball with the company, being outside the standard applicant, does have risk.

i also have considering going back as a post-bacc but because my previous degree had some setback academic wise, makes me somewhat inelgible for partial grad school.(for a niche ceritification), unsure if taking postbacc will offsett the setback. also because post-bacc is more expensive than regular undergrad class as well.

e

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 43 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (2 children)

Oregon Trail Sub-Generation. Always the God Damned Guinea Pigs.

I'm tired, Boss.

[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 23 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I used to say health care was solid but there have been layoffs across the country all year. Every time the touch Medicare or Medicaid hospitals will lose income and cost cut. In addition, less insurance means less patients means less income and more layoffs.

You have died of dysentery takes on new meaning.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

nursing is still pretty solid, there is probably options other than a physical hospital, like traveling nursing. non-nursing,mD related health is out there but its more niche and some is more difficult to get into.

[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 1 points 1 hour ago

Units have been dissolved and nurses have been laid off. New grad programs/hires put on hold. Nurses may be less in the line of fire, but they’re not immune.

[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 1 points 6 minutes ago (1 children)

Absolutely the fuck not. The Oregon Trail ended you with land and a house for free.

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 1 points 2 minutes ago

The Oregon Trail ended ~~you with land and a house for free.~~ with you stealing land from Native Americans and risking your life to be a subsistence farmer in a one-room shed you lived in until you died at the age of 38.

[–] MisterNeon@lemmy.world 42 points 11 hours ago

I'm fucking stuck in this economic pit.

[–] Horsey@lemmy.world 23 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

I have 7 years of oncological research experience with teaching/consulting. 2 years as the sole animal manager at a nonprofit with therapy animals. I can’t find a fucking job. It’s insane. Either I’m overqualified, or I’m lacking some niche experience.

[–] pressedhams@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

It sounds like all your experience it’s niche. But I’m an outsider.

[–] Horsey@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (2 children)

But I should be able to do anything involving teaching, management, biological science bench work, or animal related. That’s a lot of leeway imho.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

If a potential employer is telling you you're overqualified, could you potentially be putting too much knowledge and experience on your resume (for that specific role)?

[–] TipsyMcGee@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 38 minutes ago

I have a pretty dissimilar resume but have perhaps had somewhat similar challenges.

I too have distinct specialties that should, in theory, be desirable in many different roles. But to get any attention at all from employers, I had to take a lot of things off my resume to make it look less ”complicated”. This included removing things that I considered relevant experience for the position, but not explicitly asked for. It also involved scrapping half of my education background for a lot of positions.

Shit fucking sucks and are unfair. But I was just recently able to get a job that I’m happy with and so will you too, soon.

[–] the_q@lemmy.zip 22 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

I'm not as educated as a lot of y'all in these comments, but I can't even get hired for retail positions let alone level 1 tech support jobs.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Zoomers and under are completely fucked.

... everyone who isn't a a deca-millionaire, is fucked.

Entry level positions require 3 years experience, in every field now.

Entirely seriously: If you want a future beyond debt-slavery, you'll have to figure out how to undertake an actual revolution.

Step 1:

Delete Tiktok and all corporate social media.

Step 2:

Organize with like minded individuals via other means, establish mutual aid and support groups.

Step 3:

???

Step 4:

Abolish Profit.

[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 10 points 9 hours ago

I applied to like 60 places and the only places I got interviews at were McDonald's and Waffle House at first. Considering what I've heard, I got lucky compared to a lot of people, good luck.

[–] PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

I got a job at Amazon driving a van lmao. They are hiring literally anyone with a license and not on hard drugs. They didn’t test for alcohol or weed.

[–] Beebabe@lemmy.world 18 points 8 hours ago

Grad school wreeeecked my finances. I went into it knowing that if it didn’t pass my boards I’d be ruined. And in the US all that takes is one medical issue practically. I just paid everything off at 38. Still renting 🥲

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 16 points 11 hours ago

i did at 38, lost wages and savings for a while, starting now with 2.2x salary, should get all back and more as long as I don't die before age 50

[–] Rolder@reddthat.com 16 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Sounds like a good way to still not be able to find a job but also have a whole bunch of extra debt

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

Really depends on the college and the program. During the '08 crash, my wife left her job in insurance sales to pursue a law degree, effectively doubling her salary over three years and getting into a career she actually enjoyed.

I've seen people chase certifications that genuinely transformed their careers. EPIC certification for health care IT is a popular one right now and in high demand. Microsoft Certs have never hurt anyone career wise.

They're difficult to pursue when you're employed because they can be time consuming and mentally exhausting. So a downturn is the perfect opportunity to retrain.

And there's often big hiring waves that follow downturns, as businesses try to catch back up to normal staffing levels. We've been in a historically very low unemployment period precisely because of the sloppy COVID era layoffs revealing how critical skilled staff can be for a company's core functions

[–] Krono@lemmy.today 12 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I think the best evidence of this, and an accurate predictor of economic recession, is the number of people taking the LSAT.

According to LSAC, the number of test takers is up 19% this year, and applications are up 44.5% over the 4-year average.

The number of legal jobs only increases by ~1% each year.

That post law school glut ain't getting any better is it

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 10 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

They’re helping me the unemployment rate by giving up. Such patriotic Americans

[–] etchinghillside@reddthat.com 13 points 10 hours ago

AND by going into more debt. Double patriotic.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 6 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

but currently degrees, have very poor job prospects, outside of things like health and not an Med school or vet school. so they are in a lose lose situation. bio not biotech, only bio with health is feasible.

[–] Pistcow@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

I did that after being laid off for about 12 months then I got a job that paid for the rest of my masters degree!

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

level-up your career

Cursed turn of phase

[–] krooklochurm@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I like wondering and I just had the idea that I might enjoy welding because it seems like big soldering.

Would I like welding?

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 4 points 51 minutes ago (1 children)

In my experience the biggest problem with physical labor is that it's boring. If you're used to finding creative solutions for complex engineering issues for work then you will not enjoy doing the same task 8 hours a day, day after day.

[–] krooklochurm@lemmy.ca 2 points 48 minutes ago

Oh.

Yeah solid point. That would drive me fucking insane.

[–] untorquer@lemmy.world 2 points 57 minutes ago* (last edited 57 minutes ago)

resorting to going to school instead of looking for work

I think they looked for work before considering more debt.

[–] vga@sopuli.xyz 1 points 22 minutes ago* (last edited 21 minutes ago)

As somebody in that age class, having worked for about 20 years, I might go study if I got fired even if the job market was awesome. It's just an attractive pivot.