Death, Sex & Money Why Job Hunting Feels So Grim Lately, Especially for Gen Z
Sep 30, 2025
Brendan Liao, a recent Jeopardy! champion and early-career job seeker, shares his unique experience listing himself as a 'stay-at-home son' and the challenges of job hunting post-graduation. Nitish Pahwa, a business writer, unpacks the structural hurdles in today's job market, highlighting automation's role in recruitment. Melanie Ehrenkranz, a writer focusing on layoffs, discusses the emotional turmoil and financial strain of losing a job and how many reevaluate their relationship with work afterward. Tune in for a blend of personal stories and insightful analysis!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Stay-At-Son Jeopardy Intro
- Brendan Liao described listing his occupation as “Professional stay-at son” when filling out Jeopardy forms while unemployed after grad school.
- He used Jeopardy preparation as a daily routine and to stay sharp while searching for work.
Macro Shifts Shrunk Entry-Level Hiring
- Nitish Pahwa linked the hiring freeze to post-COVID interest-rate hikes and waning VC and startup spending.
- He argued those macro shifts turned a free-spending hiring era into a cautious, smaller pipeline for entry jobs.
Tell Advice-Givers The Market Is Different
- Explain to older, well-meaning advice-givers that there is not an eager human pipeline waiting to snap up applicants.
- Tell them hiring is often automated and far less personal than they expect.