🛠️ Breaking Into the Hidden Job Market

WorkLifeFuture: Guidance for parents supporting emerging adults in the age of AI & automation

🇺🇸 Happy Election Tuesday!

I follow a lot of groups, commentators, and terrific coaches in the parents-of-emerging-adults space. A few of my favorites: Grown & Flown Parents on Facebook, Kim Muench Parent Coach on Instagram, J.T. O'Donnell on LinkedIn, and GPS Parents.

What I read in many these communities and directly from parent friends is that the entry-level job search is about as hard as it's ever been. I've shared stories like this before, and they still break my heart:

"My kid's sent 300 résumés to job postings and has had two callbacks. It's a black hole."

It's insanity. And so is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Back in June, I told you that I never applied for my current job. Looking back over 35-plus years, every significant opportunity I've had came through a relationship. Last week, in the fire service issue, I said relationships matter there, too. So this week, let's get practical about how a young person builds them from scratch.

Earlier this year, LinkedIn found that U.S. entry-level hiring fell 6% between December 2025 and February 2026 compared with a year earlier. (Mid-level hiring fell even further, about 10%.)

Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that the employment rate for 18- to 24-year-olds fell by more than 2 percentage points between April 2023 and December 2025. It showed up mostly as higher unemployment, "indicating that younger workers were still searching for jobs but with fewer opportunities available." AI adds a headwind at the point of entry. But the bigger factor, by their analysis, is simply fewer openings.

Augsburg University's career center notes that employers often report 200-plus applicants per role, and some post jobs they don't plan to fill right away. As I wrote in January, "just apply online" is no longer enough.

"People hire people," career coach Beth Hendler-Grunt of Next Great Step told CNBC, "not a job board, not an ATS, not AI, even though it might feel that way."

LinkedIn's own research backs her up. After analyzing applications from 5 million members, LinkedIn found that U.S. applicants with an inside connection were nearly 7x more likely to be hired. The connection didn't need to vouch for them; it just had to be a current employee in their network.

Here's the part I love. In the same research, 64% of Gen Z said no one has clearly shown them how to build professional relationships. Meanwhile, 83% of millennial and Gen X professionals said they'd help someone starting out, even a stranger.

That's us. A lot of the people willing to open doors are our age.

📌 What this means for your family: If your kid is discouraged after 50 or 100 applications with no response, the strategy needs to change, not their effort. Your own network counts, too: an introduction from you can be the first step, as long as your kid takes it from there.

Start with the 10/10 rule. Hendler-Grunt suggests picking 10 companies that interest you, then finding 10 people there in entry-level roles you'd like, and reaching out. Alumni are the warmest place to start: filter LinkedIn by alma mater or use the school's alumni portal.

Don't lead with the ask. "It's not just, 'Hi, do you have a job for me?'" Hendler-Grunt says. "That's like asking to get married on the first date." The goal of a first message is a 15-minute conversation. On the call, ask what Google can't answer: how they got here, what's hardest about the role, how success is measured. Referrals come later, and only where real rapport exists.

Use email, too. Many professionals get far fewer cold emails than LinkedIn requests, so a good one stands out. Corporate addresses usually follow a predictable format ([email protected] is common), and free email verification tools can test a guess before your kid hits send. Lead with something shared, like a school, a mutual connection, or a piece of their work. Keep it to four or five sentences.

Don't underestimate a handwritten note. In a world of auto-generated messages, a handwritten letter shows an uncommon level of class. I've seen several stories lately in parent groups where a note mailed to a hiring manager, addressed by name to the company's office, got a kid an interview after hundreds of online applications went nowhere. And after every conversation, a handwritten thank-you is a must. People remember who took the time.

Aim for people a few steps ahead. One underused move: reach out to people who recently finished an internship or started an early-career role at a target company. They remember exactly what the hiring process was like and which skills mattered. They're often more likely to reply, too, because they were in your kid's shoes not long ago.

Follow the two-referral rule. Every conversation should end with one question: "Is there anyone else you'd recommend I talk with?" Those introductions arrive with built-in credibility. One conversation becomes three, and three become nine.

(And if your kid freezes up when it's time to talk about themselves, the storytelling issue has a simple script.)

Virginia Tech's career office suggests a better question than which companies hire your major: "Where are my skills needed?"

There's more out there than it feels like. In just the first days of October, FirstHire counted more than 8,600 U.S. job posts asking for zero to two years of experience, and 57% required no prior experience at all. Those posts came from nearly 4,800 employers, most of them far from household names.

Smaller employers deserve real attention. Handshake reported that over the three years ending in fall 2024, applications to small businesses (250 or fewer employees) grew at about twice the rate of applications to larger companies.

Some sectors keep training new people. LinkedIn's 2026 Top Companies list included six healthcare organizations, Kaiser Permanente among them. Epic, the health-tech company, was among the busiest entry-level posters in FirstHire's data. City and state agencies hire analysts and coordinators across transportation, housing, and public health. And logistics, utilities, manufacturing, and clean energy rarely go viral, but they're full of first-rung jobs where training is part of the deal.

Apprenticeships pay you to learn. Registered apprentices earn from the start, get raises as they progress, and finish with a nationally recognized completion credential, usually without student debt. Programs often take several years; most electrician apprenticeships run four to five. One honest caveat: some programs charge tuition or require repayment if you leave, so read the agreement. Many union programs take applications only during set windows, sometimes once a year, so note the dates. The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder and WorkHands are good places to start searching.

📌 What this means for your family: College still pays off for a great many young people. But earn-and-learn paths build skills, income, and credentials at the same time, without adding debt. None of these paths outranks the others (more on that here).

Here are words your emerging adult can send to an alum or industry contact, by LinkedIn or email:

"Hi [Name], I'm a [year/major] at [school], preparing for [target role] positions. I noticed you're at [Company], and I'd love to learn a bit about your experience there. Would you be open to a 15-minute call sometime in the next week or two? I'm especially curious about [the interview process / the team culture / how you got started]. Either way, thank you for your time."

No response after a week? One follow-up is appropriate:

"Hi [Name], following up in case my earlier note got buried. Since then I [finished a project / earned a certification / had an interview], and I'd still value a few minutes of your time if you're open to it."

Then stop. The worst case is that they don't reply, which, honestly, isn't much different from applying online anyway.

Know another parent watching their kid send applications into the void? Forward this to them: worklifefuture.com/subscribe. Sometimes the best gift is knowing you're not alone in this.

🔧 Here's to the conversations that open doors,

Barry

P.S. What's the most unexpected way your kid (or you) ever landed a job? I'd love to hear the story: [email protected]

This newsletter is produced with the help of AI tools like Symbolic.ai (my employer). Facts and sources are verified, but always do your own research before making major decisions.

WorkLifeFuture: Guidance for parents supporting emerging adults in the age of AI & automation

Contact: [email protected]