Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Gen Z does not dream of labor

vox.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 510 posts

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#131

Post by pydry »

madaxe_again wrote: post #108
rtlfe wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I quite like being a programmer. This job is truly an anomaly. There are very few careers where you can earn top 1% income with no degree, no physical exertion, under 8 hours a day "on the clock", the freedom to quit any time and have multiple new offers within days, etc, etc.

That’s the thing. I know this sounds glib, but the barrier to entry is so low ($20 5th hand laptop will do just fine to do first-steps development), I can’t understand why the market isn’t flooded with coders. So many people say “oh I could never do what you do”, and I’m like “I’m a shaved ape who wanted to play computer games and accidentally ended up learning stuff, you absolutely can”. Then they just go on saying…

I know plenty of people who learned to code and never cracked that entry level job.

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#132

Post by hamiltonians »

someone for the past week made $100k with elon verifed twitter crypto scam. way better than any salaried job. just do that for a job.

side hustles are better than jobs. Unless you work for google, jobs have low pay and too many restrictions and requiremnets. crypto, amazon, shopify mean more opportunities and control.

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#134

Post by shahbaby »

ozzythecat wrote: post #113

> American workers across various ages, industries, and income brackets have experienced heightened levels of fatigue, burnout, and general dissatisfaction toward their jobs since the pandemic’s start. The difference is, more young people are airing these indignations and jaded attitudes on the internet, often to viral acclaim. I left Amazon after a 10+ year career. I was encouraged to hire foreign nationals from spe…

If anyone is still thinking of joining Amazon, take a close look at your team. If you're the only local at your level and not willing to grind as hard as the Visa holders then you're probably being setup as the sacrificial goat for the PIP gods.

In that situation it's not worth joining since within a year you'll probably need to start interviewing again.

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#135

Post by spaniard89277 »

eulers_secret wrote: post #90
burlesona wrote: post #14

> “My dad got a job straight out of high school, saved up, and bought a house in his 20s,” said Anne Dakota, a 21-year-old receptionist from Asheville, North Carolina, who earns minimum wage. “I don’t even think that’s possible for me, at least with the current money I make.” I think this is pretty much the whole story. It’s very hard to be motivated to work when you could save your entire adult life and still strugg…

This is part of why I left my job. I had the realization that my dream (homeownership/2 kids) was untenable with my income (~$135K TC) in my area. I could certainly get the credit for it, but my life would be one long hardship living under wage slavery, being house-poor, having little free time, paying exorbitantly to watch others raise my kids, and not having the opportunities I currently have... I kinda gave up on…

COL and everything, 135K is like the 1% in Spain.

On topic: I have the same feeling. I'm trying to get a dev job, that would be a huge jump of income for me. But I'm 34, how much should I grind just to get "entry-level" stuff?

I was pretty unmativated in my job, just coasting by and pretty much doing the bare minimum that allowed me to be in peace with myself. Remote work increased my productivity and my hapiness overall, but it's still insufficient to buy a home, I'm basically a rent slave.

If I get a dev job, it will probably mean 30-40k to me, here in Spain. Maybe 50K if I manage to climb the ladder, given I'm 34.

With that income I can buy a flat (not a house) in my mid-sized spanish city, but that's about it.

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#136

Post by immigrantheart »

blt wrote: post #118
immigrantheart wrote: post #55

As an immigrant, no matter how many times the story about problems of work and wealth inequality and similar theme being brought up, I could never sympathize with it. I think I was raised in the time and place where working just doesn't ever get the luxuries of life. For example, working as a plumber and can afford 2 1/2 kids, a house and a car, that is always impossible. At least in my country. I think America is an…

We will never make progress if everybody adopts this defeatist attitude.

Is there a solution to the great force of market dynamics?

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#137

Post by midislack »

skulk wrote: post #83
bufferoverflow wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this narrative is that the job of the father isn't specified. He could've been a plumber/electrician/welder who would do really well in the current market. These jobs pay well above the minimum wage. The world has changed - simple labor that requires a few days of training doesn't pay much. Most jobs, with few exceptions, that require a decade of training, do pay well. That's why there's such a huge…

> He could've been a plumber/electrician/welder who would do really well in the current market. False. A plumber making $80k (US median seems to be around $60k) isn't going to be able to save up for a down payment if they're paying a typical mid-sized city's rent (~$1.2k a month). Not to mention housing costs going up during this period of saving up.

Are you joking? In this example rent is only a small fraction of income.

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#138

Post by teakettle42 »

ThePrankster wrote: post #92
bufferoverflow wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this narrative is that the job of the father isn't specified. He could've been a plumber/electrician/welder who would do really well in the current market. These jobs pay well above the minimum wage. The world has changed - simple labor that requires a few days of training doesn't pay much. Most jobs, with few exceptions, that require a decade of training, do pay well. That's why there's such a huge…

Anecdote: I am Gen Z. This story holds true for my parents and I. My dad was a solider in Latin America, my mom, a nurse. Their job required, at most, 2 years of education beyond High School. I am a data analyst, with a Bachelor's and a Master's. I earn more than they both did together, adjusted for inflation. My friends are in "specialized jobs" as well -- some even being doctors and lawyers. We still have zero hope…

> We still have zero hope of affording a house, let alone retirement.

This is ridiculous. If that’s actually true, move. Lower your expenses. Figure out something else.

Re: Gen Z does not dream of labor

#140

Post by woojoo666 »

skulk wrote: post #83
bufferoverflow wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this narrative is that the job of the father isn't specified. He could've been a plumber/electrician/welder who would do really well in the current market. These jobs pay well above the minimum wage. The world has changed - simple labor that requires a few days of training doesn't pay much. Most jobs, with few exceptions, that require a decade of training, do pay well. That's why there's such a huge…

> He could've been a plumber/electrician/welder who would do really well in the current market. False. A plumber making $80k (US median seems to be around $60k) isn't going to be able to save up for a down payment if they're paying a typical mid-sized city's rent (~$1.2k a month). Not to mention housing costs going up during this period of saving up.

I found a website that says average cost of living in New York (for 1 person) is $3200/month. That's around 40,000 per year. If the electrician is making 80k, that would mean they could save 25k/year after taxes and living expenses. 8 years of work and they would have 200k, enough for a down payment right? And this is assuming they live in new york, one of the most expensive places in the world

[1]: https://livingcost.org/cost/united-states/ny/new-york

Post reply on HN