WorkLifeFuture: Guidance for parents supporting emerging adults in the age of AI & automation
🎇 Happy Tuesday!
You’re here because the early-career landscape has shifted fast — and much of the advice floating around hasn’t caught up. WorkLifeFuture’s Tuesday Newsday is your weekly reality check on what’s actually changing, what isn’t, and how parents can help without panic.
🧠 What’s Inside
Why first jobs are tougher than they’ve been in a generation
Three real trends (with research, no clickbait)
One small but powerful shift that improves the odds
A note on Thursday’s free parent webinar
🚨 Quick reminder: Our free parent webinar is Thursday. Details below.
📉 Why the First Job Is Especially Hard Right Now
Even in normal times, breaking into the workforce is uphill. Right now? The slope is steeper. Here’s what’s actually happening:
📌 Meaning: This isn’t just a milestone — it’s the foundation.
👉 Entry-level roles are disappearing
Stanford-linked analysis shows junior listings (software, customer service, admin) are down sharply. Tasks that used to train beginners are being automated, and “entry-level” increasingly means prior experience required. (Tom’s Hardware)
👉 First jobs still matter — more than ever
New research shows your first role predicts long-term earnings and career trajectory more than your degree or GPA. Get a solid first job and stay a couple of years, and it shapes the next decade. (Investopedia)
📌 Meaning: The traditional first-job ladder has lost some rungs.
👉 The hiring process itself is broken
Ghost jobs, automated keyword filters, and listings that never get filled have turned job hunting into an exhausting obstacle course. Spray-and-pray applications don’t work anymore. (HR Dive)
The result? Capable kids. Fewer on-ramps. Same ambition.
But parents can still help — not by doing the job hunt, but by helping them play a smarter game.
🛠️ One Parent Coaching Move to Try This Week
Here’s the shift most families miss:
Treat job postings as signals, not doors.
Instead of only clicking “Apply,” help your kid:
use postings to identify teams, skills, and managers
reach out around the role — not just through the portal
start conversations with curiosity, not desperation
A simple outreach via LinkedIn or even better a direct, human connection sounds like:
“I’m exploring roles like X and saw your team works on Y. What background tends to do well here?”
Once there’s rapport, it’s reasonable to share interest in the company or team.
This week, try asking:
“Landing the first job is always the hardest — and right now the market makes it even tougher. If job postings are signals, not doors… who might you want to talk to around the role you’re interested in?”
Then listen.
Your role isn’t to fix it.
It’s to normalize reality without panic — and help them think strategically.
📊 What’s Next — Live Session
🚨 Free. 60 minutes. Fast. Practical.
January 8 · 1:00pm Pacific / 4:00pm Eastern
We’ll cover:
Why first jobs are disappearing (structural, not personal)
Where AI is and isn’t reducing entry-level roles
Paths that are still working right now
How parents can help without stress or hand-holding
👉 Register here free for WorkLifeFuture live with Barry Kruse
If this newsletter is resonating, forward it to another parent who’s quietly wondering the same thing.
🍾 To the first job — and to figuring out how to get there with confidence,
Barry
Guidance for parents supporting emerging adults in the age of AI & automation |
Reach out any time: [email protected] |