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Comment by zip1234 | Hacker News Reader

"The result is that we settle for low-paying entry level jobs. "

Should you be given a high paying mid-level job when all you have is a college degree and no experience? Shouldn't people start from the bottom and work their way up? I got an entry level job after college and am not entry level now. It took a few years. Don't be afraid to take an entry level job just to get your foot in the door.

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In my purely anecdotal observations, there hasn't been a great demand for entry-level work, especially so following the last recession. A college degree and no experience won't even earn you the benefit of a rejection letter. People instead find themselves "sustained" on low-paying jobs that don't count as entry level for anything but fast-food and retail management. If you're lucky to come from a family with some money, maybe you get an unpaid internship or two before landing that first entry level position.

The question I guess is what is our entry level job salary compared to yours, inflation adjusted and tied to the CPI?

I'm willing to bet ours is far less favorable.

You don't absolutely have to get an 'entry level' job--you could be an entrepreneur, for example. Everything is risky. The problem I see with the entry level roles right now is that they all require ~5 years of experience! How are recent grads getting experience when the definition of 'entry level' has changed from meaning 'no experience' to meaning 'this is how much experience you need to work here?'

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