Every year, we set aside an episode just for new grads, and this year’s version is an evolved view of last year’s advice to “Get Paid”. Because let’s keep it a buck, the Class of 2025 is graduating into a mess.

The job market is weird, AI is replacing entry-level work, internships aren’t converting, and employers say they’re hiring, but for what? Meanwhile, everything is expensive and everyone online is yelling about branding yourself by Tuesday.

So in this episode, we’re flipping the script on the typical “follow your dreams” fluff and offering a much-needed mindset shift: Get paid to learn. Not just money, not just skills. Both. Because learning is leverage and knowing how to spot a valuable opportunity might be the most important skill of all.

This one’s for grads, career switchers, freelancers, and frankly anyone who wants to learn how to assess opportunities based on what they give you, not just what they demand.

We talk about:

Why “getting paid to learn” is the new cheat code for a strange economy
The difference between being used vs. being taught and how to tell
Why not every low-paying job is a bad one (and not every high-paying one is good)
How to ask better questions in interviews that reveal the real value of a job
How Kiersten builds her learning budget
A personal story from Julien about how a $40K contractor role helped build a six-figure skillset

Links:

Episode 203 - Gen Z deserves better financial advice
Episode 164 - The New Rules of Success (Advice for Class of 2024)

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2571: Magic Flakes